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By John Sigler | Saintswire

The big wave of signings in NFL free agency have come and gone, but where does that leave the New Orleans Saints? They’ve lost some big names like running back Mark Ingram and defensive end Alex Okafor, but added several other new faces. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown surveying the state of the Saints after the first big week of the NFL offseason:

Quarterbacks (4): Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill, J.T. Barrett

Expect more of the same among the quarterbacks. Brees will start every game and set some more all-time NFL records (he needs just 20 more touchdown passes to surpass Peyton Manning). Bridgewater will get into celebratory antics on the sideline and in locker room dance parties. Hill will continue to see action on offense through option plays and moonlighting at tight end. Barrett will be waived an re-signed a thousand times from the practice squad to facilitate other moves.

Full Story - Saintswire - USA Today

By Jeff Duncan | NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Center Nick Easton

When Max Unger announced his retirement over the weekend, the Saints didn't wait long to find his replacement, signing the former Minnesota Viking one day later. By most accounts, Easton was the third-rated center on the market behind Matt Paradis and Mitch Moore. He was weighing offers from the Vikings and another undisclosed team so the Saints were forced to slightly overpay to secure his services. The details of his four-year, $24 million deal haven't been reported yet, but the Saints had little leverage in the wake of Unger's retirement and had to act fast. At 26, Easton is still young and has room to grow and develop. He missed the 2018 season because of a neck injury but doctors have cleared him to return to play. Obviously, the Saints must have felt confident about E,aston's health before extending him the offer. Easton is an excellent athlete and solid pass blocker but is not known as a dominant run blocker. He's no Max Unger, but considering the slim pickings available on the free agent market he was the best available option for the price, and the Saints get a young starter at a critical spot in the line at an affordable cost...

By Devin Jackson | LWOS

The New Orleans Saints offense was one of the most dynamic offenses in the National Football League last season despite not having a true number two wide receiver and downfield threat at tight end. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees is entering what could be his final season. Brees can no longer carry the Saints throwing for over 5,000 yards and over 40 touchdowns. Those days are finished. It is time to put requisite weapons around an aging Brees. The Saints have not had a dynamic downfield threat at tight end since Jimmy Graham. Here is a look at the Saints tight end prospects.

New Orleans Saints Tight End Prospects

Free Agents

Former Oakland Raiders tight end Jared Cook is at the top of the list. Cook is coming off his best statistical season in his 10-year career, catching 68 passes for 896...

A recent story in Bleacher Report pegged Latavius Murray’s contract as worthy of their All-Overpaid Free Agency Team. If that’s overpaid, Saints are fine, thanks.

by Roy Anderson | Whodat Dish

Former Oakland and Minnesota running back Latavius Murray came to New Orleans to replace the roster spot being vacated when the team showed its plan to move on from Mark Ingram. The contract between Murray and the Saints came out to four years and $14.4 million for an average of $3.6 million a year. Spotrac.com calculates Murray’s value to be $1,644,461/year. This $2 million disparity got Murray flagged by Bleacher Report as a member of their imaginary All-Overpaid Free Agency Team.

One point that needs to be made here is that the contract worked out with Latavius Murray and the Saints was done in the shadow of an expected mega-deal between Le’Veon Bell and whichever team got him in free agency. That deal was...

By Rod Walker | The Advocate

Tommylee Lewis, the Saints' receiver involved in the controversial play in the NFC championship game, has signed with the Detroit Lions.

The Lions announced the signing Tuesday.

Lewis spent three seasons with the Saints, playing both receiver and on special teams.

He caught 20 passes for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns in New Orleans. He also averaged 9.3 yards on punt returns and 22 yards on kickoff returns.

Full Story - The Advocate

By Staff Report | The Advocate

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly in the mix to land pass-rusher Robert Quinn, who is a member of the Dolphins but could be traded out of Miami.

According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, Quinn is being hosted by the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday.

Quinn played eight seasons with the St. Louis and then Los Angeles Rams, making two Pro Bowls in 2013 and 2014, before one season with the Dolphins.

In 2018, he finished with 6.5 sacks.

Full Story - The Advocate

By Rob Goldberg | Bleacher Report

Although Drew Brees is 40 years old, one of his former teammates believes he still isn't close to calling it quits.

"I think that Drew has, in my objective opinion, about another two-three years left," former New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma told TMZ Sports.

"But if you ask Drew," he added, "he's got like another 10 or 15 years left."

Brees is still effective on the field, finishing last season with 3,992 passing yards and 32 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He led the NFL with a 115.7 passer rating and broke his own NFL record with a 74.4 completion percentage.

Full Story -- BR

By ARNIE STAPLETON | AP

DENVER (AP) — In no sport but the NFL do players, fans, coaches and general managers annually debate the rules of the game, advocating ways to make pro football better, safer, fairer.

Officiating is especially a hot topic around the league after a blown call late in the NFC championship game pretty much cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.

That capped a season which began with the long-awaited clarification of what constitutes a catch and then was marred by widespread confusion over what exactly is a legal takedown of the quarterback. While defenders learned new ways to tackle to avoid flags for even glancing blows to the helmet, they complained about O-linemen illegally blocking too far downfield in the run-pass option craze that has successfully seeped in from the college game.

Giants owner John Mara hears the cries to change the NFL’s replay review system after officials failed to flag the blatant pass interference penalty and a helmet-first hit by the Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman deep in Los Angeles territory in the NFC championship match. The non-calls helped Los Angeles force overtime and eventually win the game to reach the Super Bowl, leading to widespread displeasure with the current system regarding coaches’ challenges.

Mara said last month at the NFL combine that the...

By Sean Fazende | WVUE

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -The dust has now settled on the first week of NFL free agency. For the Saints, some old friends said goodbye, while some new faces jumped aboard. Here are my five takes from the eventful week that was.

Take One: Price point policy

Tyrann Mathieu got $14million. Adam Humphries got $9million. Congrats to both of those guys for getting paid. Both were at top of my free agent wish list for the Saints, just not at those prices.

The Saints showed restraint early on as astronomical contracts were dished out to players left and right. Instead, they stayed true to their price points and spent the first few days taking care of their own with Craig Robertson and Wil Lutz. They eventually landed Latavius Murray (more on him later), Malcolm Brown, Nick Easton and Mario Edwards to reasonable deals.

History has shown, at least in the Saints case, these are the types of deals that they have the most success with. Signing other teams’ free agents to record-breaking contracts rarely works in the NFL and it certainly has bitten the Saints before (see Byrd, Jairus).

Full Story -- WVUE