2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Hate that we're having this discussion in mid December, but got to distract myself from the thoughts of the 50pt shellacking and Falcons Playoffs Discussion and remain positive to reassert our place in the NFL Food Chain...

A look ahead to the 2013 New Orleans Saints with Free Agents in italics, FA Targets in Bold, and an "*" indicating Injured Reserve...

Offense
QB Drew Brees, Chase Daniel
RB Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram, Chris Ivory (RFA), Travaris Cadet
FB Jed Collins
LT Jermon Bushrod, Charlie Brown
LG Ben Grubbs, Eric Olsen (RFA)
C Brian De La Puente (RFA), Antoine Caldwell (HOU)
RG Jahri Evans
RT Zach Strief, Will Robinson, Andre Smith (CIN)
TE Jimmy Graham, Dave Thomas, Mike Higgins
WR Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Joe Morgan, Courtney Roby, Nick Toon*

Defense

LDE Cameron Jordan, Junior Galette, Michael Johnson (CIN)
LDT Brodrick Bunkley, Akiem Hicks, Henry Melton (CHI)
RDT Sedrick Ellis, Tom Johnson, Tyrunn Walker, Glenn Dorsey (KC)
WLB Jonathan Vilma, Jonathan Casillas, Chris Chamberlain*
MLB Curtis Lofton, Ramon Humber
SLB David Hawthorne, Will Herring, Scott Shanle, Daryl Smith (JAX)
LCB Jabari Greer, Johnny Patrick
RCB Patrick Robinson, Elbert Mack, Corey White, Captain Munnerlyn (CAR)
SS Roman Harper, Isa Abdul-Quddus, Jarius Byrd (BUF)
FS Malcolm Jenkins, Rafael Bush, Matt Giordano (OAK)

Kicking
DS Justin Drescher (RFA)
P Thomas Morstead
K Garret Hartley

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Wasn't Dorsey just as big of a bust as Ellis? No thanks!

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Branden Albert, OT. Chiefs
Michael Johnson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Henry Melton DT Chicago Bears

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Hagan, Do you think we could afford Albert? He would be an awesome add to our line...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Dorsey would be affordable and a fresh start might just be what he needs...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Not a bust, but disappointing. It should be noted the Chiefs switched to a 3-4 in his 2nd season. He's not a 3-4 NT and certainly not a 3-4 DE, he's a 4-3 undertackle all day long.

I'd certainly kick the tires.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Saints 2013 cap $137.5 million .
NFL 2013 cap is going to be about $120 million.

restructured/cut

Defensive end Will Smith, $14.5 million
Guard Jahri Evans, $9.8 million
Linebacker Jonathan Vilma, $8.6 million
Guard Ben Grubbs, $7.3 million
Safety Roman Harper, $7.1 million
Linebacker Curtis Lofton, $7.1 million
Receiver Marques Colston, $6.6 million
Cornerback Jabari Greer, $5.4 million
Receiver Lance Moore, $4.7 million
Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley, $4.7 million
Linebacker David Hawthorne, $4.8 million
Linebacker Will Herring, $1.9 million


the money can be freed up. but Mickey will once again need to a magic trick or two again

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Reality

LOT
Ok as for Albert i see the chiefs tagging him if they can not sign them.

Ryan Clady – DEN - Manning will not let him go

that leaves Jake Long Dolphins as the marquee LT tagged twice? nope aint happening.

Long will want about $11 million a year, and a monster signing bonus. That would eat everything up.

So if the saints have a rabbit to pull out of their hat with a player i am over looking Bushrod aint going any where.

Thats why i am thinking the saints should spend most of the money in FA on the defense unless you want to add players on offense like

WR
Wes Welker (NE) - anyone? lol there goes the money again

TE
Delanie Walker (SF) - knows how to play the number 2 TE roll already

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Big dollar signing always like a good laugh,

Cliff Avril DE Lions - consecutive years of the tag lol i think not. lets see the asking price but i am not that crazy about taking him on.

Darrelle Revis, CB what needs to said here? now there goes all the mony

Upper Mid Level - now one or maybe two are possible

Michael Johnson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
At 6'7, 270 pound with terrific athleticism. A young and up coming DE that i have really problems seeing the Bengals letting walk. But to tag him to keep him is another issue all together. so there is a chance if he wants to test the market

Henry Melton DT Chicago Bears
Melton is 6'3" tall and weighs 295 pounds. I do think Bears will allow a 26-year old interior pass rusher to walk. But worth keeping an eye on.

Louis Delmas SS Lions
one of the better hard hitting safeties in the NFL. were as he may not be the headline grabing safeties in the nfl he is definitly one of the few truely steady ss in the league. I think as Cliff Avril goes same for Louis. Will they put the money out to keep both?

Jarius Byrd FS Bills
Yet another young player that has proven his worth and looks to only get better. I would snag him in a heart beat. but i do not see this happening, if it did

Sean Smith, Cornerback - ????? hard call here

Rational - these are solid depth moves that should be very cap friendly

Terrance Knighton NT Jags
he's among the best young run-stoppers in the league. Now in the pass happy NFL he could be had at a good price.

Mike Patterson, DT Eagles
Spagnuolo was still working in Philly when the Eagles selected him in the first round of the 2005 draft. There should be a fire sale in Philli and players wanting to get the hell out of dodge. Plus coaches like to drag players around with them so i had to throw him in

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

I agree Hagan that it's going to be difficult to fill that LT spot with a quality free agent with the salary restrictions the Saints have, and therefore, it would probably be wise for them to try and get a LT from the draft as rookies - even those picked in high rounds - are nowadays much more affordable than they were under the old CBA.

Like you already touched upon, LTs make a lot of money in free agency, and that is another reason why I doubt Bushrod will re-sing with the Saints as he'll probably get a bigger deal elsewhere, and I really doubt he wants to give the Saints any discount at this point in his career. I think that he will get overpaid by someone, and Loomis has shown that he isn't willing to overpay O-lineman as was the case with Nicks and Goodwin.

It'll be interesting to see how they'll manage to restructure someone like Evans' contract, since he still has 4 years to go on the contract, and all of those years have a $9M+ cap number - I doubt he'll want more years added to his contract and I doubt he'll want to push back any of that base salary toward the latter years. A sizable bonus conversion could work, but it would only present further problems going forward.

The LB depth does look fairly good even if the Saints part ways with Vilma and do not re-sign Shanle, as Casillas should be rather cheap to re-sing since there was no interest in him last offseason and Herring could potentially restructure like you mentioned. Also, Chamberlain - who was really impressive in the preseason before his season ending injury - has another 2 years to go on his contract with $1.05M and $1.1M cap numbers, so if he has successfully rehabbed to his former self, he could be another interesting asset and could even make cutting Herring or not re-signing Casillas possible.

In any case, Loomis will undoubtedly make some magic happen with the current contracts, and hopefully the draft has all the right guys available at the right moment for the Saints, so that they can maximize the draft gain.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Avril wants more money than he's worth. For a guy who supposedly benefits so much from lining up next to Suh, he has average numbers. Take that benefit away & what are you going to get? If you can get him cheap, bag him. Otherwise, pass.

Delmas is injury-prone. I think the wear & tear of the NFL is getting to him and any F/A offer should reflect the amount of time he's spent off the field the past two seasons. As with Avril, if you can get him cheap, bag him.

You'd also have to consider chemistry with these guys, coming from the Lions. That locker room is a mess. While they may not be part of the problem, it's obvious no one is actively trying to be part of the solution either. There's a reason those guys are 4-9 (and will most likely finish 5-11, 0-6 in the division) with some of the talent they have on that team.

Just sayin' ... proceed with caution when considering a free agent from Detroit ... other than maybe Calvin or Stafford.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

A really decent DE in free agency to take Smiths spot, I would draft a DT to take Big Eggs spot I mean a down right nasty one, That guy from Georgia looks nasty enough to me.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

ok i think there will be no real chance to land any of top talent this year.

These two are the ones i want but something needs to melt down in order for them to be out there shopping around. something freaky needs to happen

Michael Johnson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
At 6'7, 270 pound with terrific athleticism. A young and up coming DE that i have really problems seeing the Bengals letting walk. But to tag him to keep him is another issue all together. so there is a chance if he wants to test the market

Henry Melton DT Chicago Bears
Melton is 6'3" tall and weighs 295 pounds. I do think Bears will allow a 26-year old interior pass rusher to walk. But worth keeping an eye on.

So Rational - these are solid depth moves that should be very cap friendly

Terrance Knighton NT Jags
he's among the best young run-stoppers in the league. Now in the pass happy NFL he could be had at a good price.

Mike Patterson, DT Eagles
Spagnuolo was still working in Philly when the Eagles selected him in the first round of the 2005 draft. There should be a fire sale in Philli and players wanting to get the hell out of dodge. Plus coaches like to drag players around with them so i had to throw him in


** throwing one name out their for response first round bust

Leodis McKelvin - ok in Buffalo one thing has shown in his game. do not let him sit on an island and play man coverage. Now as a zone nickle/dime back? spag loves zone.

Can we draft and cut fans also? Some preform as well as our defense in week 1.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

The Saints brass certainly were willing to move up and get him, question is, is enough of that player from LSU still there?

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Free Agency Wish List:

OT Brandon Albert (KC); Andre Smith (CIN)
DE Michael Johnson (CIN)
DT Henry Melton (CHI); Glenn Dorsey (KC)
CB Sean Smith (MIA);
FS Matt Giordano (OAK); Kenny Phillips (NYG)

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

I'm going to have to flip flop on my previous views about drafting defense with all the early draft picks. I want a dominant LT to protect Brees instead of the DT or DE I've been calling for in the first round of the draft.

We will not be able to afford a quality DT or DE in free agency. Now I believe we need to go with the OT who we can sign to a long term deal under the new CBA.
Hopefully, there will be a defensive impact player after the first round that we can sign to another long term cap friendly deal.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Remember that Ellis is coming off the books...

And Will Smith, Jabari Greer, and Roman Harper are likely cap casualties with their cap numbers...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

I don't see Greer going anywhere...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

I like Greer, but age and health are going to be a factor...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

agreed. but

i do not think greer recovered from that groan injury till now. i put money it is still bugging him. age has nothing to do with that injury or healing time.

but age is a factor.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Just ran across WR Steve Smith name as a free agent with the rams.
not the one in carolina
i bet he can added a fair market price.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

I guess whether or not the Saints need another "big time" WR depends on what Toon's situation will be when the offseason practices begin and/or what happens with Henderson's future with the team.

Morgan has shown that he can be that speedster stretching the field, so while Henderson is good at blocking - although he had that one holding penalty against the Bucs - they might decide to part ways with him for the sake of youth.

I think Colston, Moore, Morgan, and Toon are a solid corps of receivers when we factor in also the TEs and the backs catching the ball, and they still have Andy Tanner on the PS, so I don't think that position is of a high need... although they do need some depth behind those guys, but they've been able to find some real talent from the UDFA pool before, so that might be the way to go when building depth at the WR position.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Why do we need to part ways with Devery?!? I'd still make him an offer...

He's still got excellent speed and despite his role, he gives 100% unless concussed...

Our WR corps of Colston, Moore, Henderson, Morgan, Roby is diverse, capable and affordable...

Plus we have Jimmy Graham coming off the line and Sproles and Thomas out of the backfield...

And the Saints Coaches thought enough of Toon to keep put him on IR and develop him and his health for another season...

Sure Calvin and Andre Johnson are awesome...but you gotta leave some money for an offensive tackle and the defense...

Our receivers core must be one of the most overlooked in the history of the NFL.You never hear anyone give them the recognition they deserve.
Its been a bit of a struggle at times this year with dropped catches etc but how many teams have a set up that allows so many players to get big yards?.
Three players close to 1000yards and barring injuries they would have all got there IMO.

I'd keep Henderson if the money is right.
I think he will stay as Meachem has shown the grass isn't greener elsewhere and I don't see many teams offering much more than the Saints will.
It will be interesting to see what Toon and bring next year.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Steve has dropped off the map that all. he could be had for a good price and be a great #2/3 WR.

all our WR miss two to three games every year.

so if a player like him is out there and he wants to go to a team that lets him show off his skill set for next year i say go for it.

I am always looking to upgrade lol

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

We still need to add a FA cornerback added to that group...

I get Porter had declined; but we still should have added to that group...

Greer is now 30; most CB not named Darrell Green tend to drop off significantly at that age...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Look Brett Grimes way coming off injury, or maybe Derrelle Revis can wine his way out of New York

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

The whole league needs Corners ... they're going to be a hot commodity. The key is not to overpay for marginal talent, like Tampa Bay did with Eric Wright.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Nnamdi may take the home-state discount and want to be with a winner whereby he could contribute...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Grimes signed a new contract before he went down tho...but Revis trying to ge out of NY....that has a lot of potential. But he wants to get paid tho....

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

I can see that possibly having potential but would we be able to take on that contract.....but I think he would work well with an ACTUAL Defensive Coordinator that knows how to use him (pretty much put him on the right side and keep him there)

Revis always wants to be paid.
More trouble than he is worth IMO.
The talent is obviously there but the man thinks nothing of honouring his contract.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Well, the consensus seems to be that the Eagles will be purging salaries and Nnamdi will be one of the released...

Would need to be a big salary cut with the cap situation.
I suppose it depends if he wants money or a shot at a ring.

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Jets just suck at every aspect....I honestly think he was trying to hold out in the offseason because he knew where they were headed and wanted to force them to trade him. Not the best way to go about it but its a way.....the Jets are in a get out while you can situation man...I would try to get out too. I think a change of scenery would be good for him. Pretty much anywhere that has a competent QB in his case.... But right now we can't afford him with the contract he's already on anyway so...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

No matter what, we have to get younger, faster, stronger in the front seven:
(Alternative Option); Injured Reserve

LDE Cam Jordan; Junior Galette
LDT Broderick Bunkley; Akiem Hicks
RDT Henry Melton (Glenn Dorsey); Tom Johnson
RDE Michael Young; Martez Wilson; Greg Romeus

WLB Jon Vilma (Erin Henderson); Jonathan Casillas
MLB Curtis Lofton; Ramon Humber
SLB David Hawthorn; Will Herring

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Leodis McKelvin - excellent on special teams, has starting corner experience, should be inexpensive, provides depth to our secondary

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

What is the grading/scouting service you used when reading his report...

Re: 2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets
 

Nothing. Back to his college days at Troy, he's always been an excellent kick/punt returner. He hasn't become the corner he was drafted to be, but has no issues spot starting and guard backup wide outs. He's always been a player I've tailed throughout his career because I was so high on him coming out.