Free Agency News

By Aaron S. Miller | SI

The dual-threat quarterback, signal-callers every bit as dangerous rushing as they are delivering passes from behind the line of scrimmage, has increasingly become the vanguard of the position over the last decade. Versatile dual-threat passers have indelibly dotted the history of the league, from the likes of Hall of Famers Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young, through to Donovan McNabb and Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick. Never before the last ten years, however, has the NFL seen such heavy emphasis on deliberately identifying the athletic ‘do-all' QB and installing complementary systems around him.

Lamar Jackson, the electric second-year Baltimore Ravens' QB, the main man in a John Harbaugh and Greg Roman crafted offense, epitomizes the heights a single man can take a 53-man NFL roster. Taken with the final pick of the 1st round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has been nothing short of spectacular in just his sophomore campaign as a pro. The NFL MVP and first-time First-Team AP All-Pro selection, Jackson compiled 36 passing TDs against just 6 interceptions for 3,100+ yards at a 66% clip. Alone, these numbers are impressive, but taking into consideration his NFL QB record 1,206 rushing yards on 176 yards (6.9 Y/A) and 7 TDs, it’s easy to realize the tremendous value a player with his specific skill set brings to the Ravens.

If you’re reading this on SI’s Saints News Network, chances are you...

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

What is the biggest draft need for the New Orleans Saints? Objectively speaking, probably wide receiver. Michael Thomas led the group with 149 receptions; Ted Ginn Jr. placed second-best, with just 30 catches. After those two, second-year pro Tre’Quan Smith was the only receiver to catch at least 18 passes. Thomas put the team on his back and made NFL history, but he can’t be expected to do it his entire career. The Saints must get him some help.

But for now, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is focused on talking up the players still in the room: behind Thomas, that means names such as Smith, Keith Kirkwood, and Deonte Harris. Backups like Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Emmanuel Butler, Krishawn Hogan, Tim White, and Maurice Harris are also around. Ginn and slot specialist Austin Carr are each pending free agents.

Full Story - Saints Wire - USA Today

By Marty Fenn | Clutch Points

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be a free agent this offseason, but he has no intention of leaving The Big Easy.

Brees spoke with Jane Slater of NFL Network about his contract as he worked out with NFC Pro Bowl teammates, saying it is “not a matter of ‘if’ it gets done, but ‘when.'” Here’s what he had to say:


Full Story - Clutch Points

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

What are the New Orleans Saints going to do with Taysom Hill? As a pending restricted free agent, they have plenty of options. The Saints can either re-sign Hill to a long-term contract extension, let him walk away uncontested, or issue one of three different one-year tenders, each worth slightly more than the ones beneath it and fully-guaranteed against the salary cap. With five different restricted free agents to consider, the Saints must act quickly.

The lowest-level contract tender is estimated to cost about $2.1 million, and would give the Saints the right to match any contract offers Hill gets from other teams. The middle-tier tender is expected to be worth roughly $3.2 million, and would recoup a second-round draft pick for the Saints should they not match an offer sheet. The top-level tender will be somewhere around $4.6 million in value and brings back a first-round pick if Hill leaves.

That makes the second-round tender the smart choice. One of several things would happen:

Full Story - Saints Wire - USA Today

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

The number-one priority for the New Orleans Saints in the 2020 offseason has to be finding a wide receiver to run opposite Michael Thomas (after their quarterbacks riddle is answered, of course). Thomas put the team on his back for much of the 2019 season, breaking and resetting the NFL record for receptions in a single season, but he can’t be expected to do that every year.

Ted Ginn Jr. was the next-best wide receiver in catches, and he only had 30. After him, no other wideouts had more than 18. The Saints were able to win a lot of games and get into the playoffs by asking Thomas to make magic despite the extra coverage going his way, but their first-round exit spelled out how serious a problem this could be. Drew Brees needs more weapons at wide receiver, and Sean Payton has to recognize that.

While this is a draft class loaded with talent at that position, we shouldn’t expect the Saints to sit on their hands and wait for a rookie hopeful to drop to them in April. Their strategy for nearly two decades has consisted of filling roster holes through free agency so that they can go into the draft targeting the best players available. To that end, we’ve ranked a dozen possible free agents who fit the Saints’ needs, though maybe not their budget. Each tier is broken down by expected contract values.
...