Saints Saints Free Agent Predictions (Current Saints) (1 Viewer)

[dataussie]

I think we will definitely proceed with brees as our qb. But if we want to win the sb we also need to acknowledge his limitations and i think this ultimately means we need to involve taysom on more snaps when opposition are shutting down our offensive gameplan with brees.

Ultimately this means we need a decent backup qb. Hopefully teddy can re-sign on a friendly deal for next year or we can sign a veteran #2 qb on the cheap.

Other then that i think we keep most of the free agents.

Let peat go.
Lose one of eli or JJ.
And probably lose/let go of a few of the fringe guys.

I think our cap situatuon will end up resulting in us looking for the missing pieces (#2 wr, OL) via the draft rather then stud FA acquisitions.

 

[rob22278]

So you think the Saints will acquire 4 first round picks? ...and roll Andrus Peat out as the full time LT? I’d hate to lose Taysom Hill for a late late 1st... he’s more valuable than that. He’s like no other player in the league

This would give the Saints the firepower to package those picks and move up to get Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 draft to replace Brees.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Drew re-signed
Teddy gone to start somewhere
Hill retained for a few million
Bell gone
Apple gone
Peat retained cheaply
Jenkins signed to a short deal. 2 years maybe.
PJ stays
Onyemata stays

The rest, who knows.

 

[soggymoss]

Hardee is a RFA and is probably our most important ST player, they will bring him back.

Brees comes back on a 1 year 24 mil deal

Bridgewater goes to Chicago on a 3/75

Hill stays with a 2nd round tender

Peat gone. Easton contract reworked for him to stay

Bell re-signs for 4/32

They move up a couple spots and draft Grant Delpit using Marcus Williams in the trade

Armstead signs a team friendly extension of 3/30 to push some current money back

 

[Saint Taysom]

Hardee is a RFA and is probably our most important ST player, they will bring him back.

Brees comes back on a 1 year 24 mil deal

Bridgewater goes to Chicago on a 3/75

Hill stays with a 2nd round tender

Peat gone. Easton contract reworked for him to stay

Bell re-signs for 4/32

They move up a couple spots and draft Grant Delpit using Marcus Williams in the trade

Armstead signs a team friendly extension of 3/30 to push some current money back

Thank you for your reply... I think Hardee will be tendered at the lowest level, and another team will sign him to an offer sheet that the Saints will not match. Hardee is a very good Special Teamer, but he is an awful CB. J.T. Gray is an even better Special Teamer, and he is also a serviceable reserve Safety. I think Gray has more value than Hardee, and the Saints need a better reserve CB that can also play STs in his replacement.

Vonn Bell is always around the ball, and he’s great in run support... However, he is weak in pass coverage. I’d like the Saints to keep him, but not for too much $$$.

I think the Saints would have to trade up 10 spots or more to get Delpit, and in a year when the offense has to be re-stocked, I don’t see it happening.

I honestly believe that if Taysom Hill is tendered below a 1st round level, he will be snatched away by another team.

 

[Saint Taysom]

Teddy Bridgewater - Franchise tagged, traded...

This got me thinking...

It would be risky for the Saints to Franchise Tag Teddy and then try to trade him... Would the Saints take such a risk? That’s a lot of $$$! What if Bridgewater signs the Franchise Tag offer?
I like the idea of getting something for him, and not hoping the NFL gives the Saints a compensatory pick if he leaves (the Saints NEVER get comp picks!)

Still, if the Saints could pull this off... and trade TB for even a 2nd rounder, that would be a “win” in my opinion.

 

[Bespoke]

I would say JT Gray, Deonte Harris, Will Lutz, and Morstead are more valuable special teamers than Hardee.

If you are talking about purely being a Gunner on Special teams, and running down kicks on cover teams then yes he is pretty good at that.. but it isn't like cover Gunner types aren't a dime a dozen and can't be replaced in the Draft, FA process.

I think what could make him expendable is that he hasn't developed, or grown into a reliable back-up at boundary Corner.. that and he also does have lapses on STs as well...like Mike Westhoff stated on the Rams fake punt conversion everyone in the building knew it was going to be a fake punt, yet Hardee still turned his back and didn't play the potential fake.. Westhoff stated he regretted not switching the other Return team corner who had better awareness to that side..

So yeah ideally would like to retain for kick coverage teams, but not the end of the world if we lose him.

 

[Bongi]

I'll try...

Drew Brees - Re-signed to what equals a 1 year contract; Saints kick the dead money can down the road again. (Agree)

Teddy Bridgewater - I would love to see him Franchise tagged and get something for him, but I think he walks and signs somewhere for starter money.

Taysom Hill (RFA) - Tendered too high for another team and will be back

Vonn Bell - Re-signs with Saints on multi-year deal.

Eli Apple - Leaves via free agency

Andrus Peat - Gone

PJ Williams - Re-signs with Saints and provides CB and FS depth on 1-2 year deal *surprise* (Agree)

AJ Klein - Re-signs to team friendly deal.

David Onyemata - Re-signs with Saints. I think he could get alot of offers in FA, but will be brought back. Valuable member of that line that has really improved the last 2 years.

Justin Hardee -Re-signs with Saints

JT Gray (ERFA) - Re-signs with Saints (Agree)

Patrick Omameh - Re-signs with Saints as valuable OL depth. (Agree)

Dwayne Washington - Re-signs at minimum offer. I think if they let him go, they are planning to draft a RB.

Austin Carr - I could see him on a team, but not here

Keith Kirkwood (ERFA) - Re-signs with Saints if he is healthy. He is still cheap and showed some talent his rookie year. Never got to play this this year.

Lil Jordan Humphrey (ERFA) - Re-signs with Saints for TC and PS. Possible to earn the 4th WR spot if Tre'quan doesn't improve, Kirkwood is not healthy, and Ginn is let go. Payton likes big WR.

Cameron Tom (RFA) - Low tender re-signee for G/C depth (Agree)

Johnson Bademosi - Re-signs for camp. Bubble player.

Stephone Anthony - Re-signs for minimum.

Manti T’eo will not be brought back. Noah Spence and DJ Swearinger could be brought back for TC.

Janoris Jenkins signs short term extension or restructure to stay with Saints in 2020. (Agree)

 

[All The Way]

Onyemata will attract decent attention. I do think they will try to keep him, but it depends at the cost.

 

[dutar76]

Onyemata will attract decent attention. I do think they will try to keep him, but it depends at the cost.

Honestly, it might come down to keeping either Onyemata or Rankins. I know we picked up Rankins' 5th year option, but I believe we can save $7,690,000 if we change our mind. I believe Onyemata could cost less than that and with a multi-year deal, we could spread it out. Onyemata has been just as good as Rankins the past couple years, even when Rankins was healthy, which wasn't very often.

 

[dutar76]

I think Drew will sign a contract very similar to last year, if not identical.

I'm on the fence about Teddy. I feel like he'll get some offers, but that they'll be for back-up, bridge QB, or at best, come in and compete for the starting job type offers. I could be wrong here, but that's my thoughts. If so, he might choose to stay put another year, and if he does, it would almost have to be for less money than last year. Because it looks like we're going to be close to broke.

I think we'll sign Taysom to a multi-year deal. He'll make something along the lines of a #2 or #3 RB, TE, or maybe even WR. I can see a team offering him a back-up QB spot or a come in and compete for a job offer. Just can't see a team offering him starting QB money and the keys to the club.

 

[dutar76]

Apple or Jenkins or both? That's an interesting one. I don't think we can keep both. Jenkins cost 11 million this year and if we let him go... we get 100% of that back in cap space. I'm not sure what it would cost to retain Apple, but surely it would be less than 11 million. But what if it's 8 million? Do we spend an extra 3 million and keep Jenkins instead? Or do we extend or add a funny-money year to his deal to get his cap number down?

In the end (unless our coaches want to move on from him), I think we offer Apple a multi-year deal and let Jenkins walk. The reason is age and upside going forward. I still think Apple hasn't peaked yet... and I know that puts me in the minority.

Bell, we re-sign to a multi-year deal that keeps him from worrying about rent money any time soon... or ever.

PJ might want to move on, but I still think we try to re-sign him. Maybe to a 3 year deal or something that while fair, doesn't break our bank.

P-Rob has a $6.15 million dollar cap hit. With the little field time he saw this year and his age and his injury history, I think we cut him loose or trade him which saves us $3.65 million.

A couple of other opinions.

I think we try and fail to keep Kamara, at which point he hits the trading block. I'm just not sure if we make that decision or get it done soon enough to help us in this draft. So we're probably talking about 2021 draft compensation.

I think we re-sign Klein, but he gets paid for the role he's been playing, not the role we thought he'd play the last time we signed him.

I think we extend or at least restructure Armstead, which could defer $5 to $8 million dollars.

All of this is contingent on Brees not retiring. If he hangs it up, all bets are off as to what we'll do.

 

[NatureBoy]

Drew Brees - Re-signed to what equals a 1 year contract; Saints kick the dead money can down the road again (agree)

Teddy Bridgewater - Gets what appears to be good looking contrast that pays him middle of the pack starting QB money with Las Vegas Raiders, but deal has escape clauses that provide Raiders a parachute if they aren't happy after a year or two

Taysom Hill (RFA) - Resigns with Saints for reasonable money hoping to be Drew's heir apparent. (Not sure if NFL has player option years, but if I'm Taysom I sign a 2 year deal at a reasonable rate if I get the option to opt out of year 2)

Vonn Bell - Re-signs with Saints on multi-year deal for $ that many fans think is excessive. (agree)

Eli Apple - Re-signs with Saints on a team-friendly/incentive laden deal. (agree)

Andrus Peat - Leaves via free agency (agree)

PJ Williams - Saints do not pursue re-signing PJ

AJ Klein - Resigns with Saints, fans think we paid too much and/or gave him too many years

David Onyemata - Re-signs with Saints, fans again think we paid too much

Justin Hardee - Leaves via free agency (agree)

JT Gray (ERFA) - Re-signs with Saints (agree)

Patrick Omameh - Re-signs with Saints as valuable OL depth. (agree)

Dwayne Washington - Re-signs to minimum veteran deal

Austin Carr - Saints do not re-sign, someone gives him a chance in training camp

Keith Kirkwood (ERFA) - Saints re-sign for minimum deal but Saints bring in a lot of competition hoping to replace him

Lil Jordan Humphrey (ERFA) - Re-signs with Saints for TC and PS (agree, maybe he makes roster depending on quality competition we bring in)

Cameron Tom (RFA) - Low tender re-signee for G/C depth (agree)

Johnson Bademosi - Re-signs with Saints and takes over Justin Hardee ST role. (agree, sounds good, why not?)

Manti T’eo, Noah Spence, Stephone Anthony, and DJ Swearinger will not be brought back. (Swearinger brought back)

* Janoris Jenkins signs short term extension or restructure to stay with Saints in 2020. (agree)

 

[soggymoss]

There is zero chance Bridgewater gets franchise tagged. The entire 30ish million of the tag would be taken out of our cap, and we dont have that kind of cap space. He will either be signed to a team friendly deal (5-7 mil) or he's going to be walking

 

[Saint Taysom]

All of this is contingent on Brees not retiring. If he hangs it up, all bets are off as to what we'll do.

I don’t believe there is any chance Drew Brees retires before next season. He’s a great leader and a team player, but as much as he may say otherwise (publicly), Brees wants his records to stand for a while... and he doesn’t want to see a shell of Tom Brady break his record(s), while Brees sits in retirement.