Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

I believe the Saints will restructure and free up enough money to make a splash in free agency. With the new salary cap, I truly believe we can land 2 or 3 veteran's to help this team with leadership.

Here are a few links that are worth checking out. Share your thoughts.

The 2015 NFL Free Agent Class May Be the Best Ever

Check out the highlighted names on this very long list.

NFL Trade Rumors - 2015 NFL Free Agents List | NFL Trade Rumors

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

I think Ike Taylor would be a good vet for us to get. Would be a low cap hit and possibly a 1 or 2 year contract. Would provide great leadership (which is what we are missing). He may only play 8-10 games healthy but he should provide a boost and mentoring ability to guys like SJB and Frederick.

I don't really like anyone on that list for a long term solution, what we need most is a #2 CB with vet experience and leadership.

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I'd rather have Chris Harris.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

There are some very good receivers on that list, which might mean some guys drop in the draft. There are a few aging RB's that might be serviceable if we do lose Ingram.

Until we see what happens with big name restructuring: Brees, Evans, Colston, no one knows.

It looks like Dallas has both Murray and Bryant to deal with...good luck

Brian Leonard, Collins, Charles Brown and Morgan are all still listed as Saints

My top pick off that list would be Worilds from Pitt

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

He signed new contract with Broncos.

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Frankly, I don't think the Saints will be big shoppers in free agency. They will have to shed 20+ million just to get under the cap. They will add some players, but they will be low cap hit guys, and not splash signings.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

There will be some really good affordable players. I rather sign 2-3 starters with high upside than 1 superstar.

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Shane Vereen would be a great addition for us. Might be the best 3rd down back in the league but he can do it all. Very similar to PT but much faster and a lot younger.

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The splash signings aren't what is needed right now. We need the low cap hit vets that can bring the intangibles to the team. If we sign 3 vet FAs in areas of need it would help our defense tremendously.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

We said that last year and then boom, we signed Byrd. Loomis magic.

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The way our cap is structured we can easily get under it if we cut/restructure which is going to happen. We should have around 10 million or something like that. We can sign probably 3-5 veteran guys on low salaries. Maybe some guys with upside. I'm very interested to see what we do in free agency this year.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

Saints can be 15 million under the cap fairly easily without really even losing much off the current roster. That won't be a problem. Restructuring Brees, Galette, Evans and Lofton, then cutting Hawthorne/Bunkley just about gets you there. and that's without even having to touch Colston or Graham's contracts.

I think we may take a run at Darrelle Revis. He'll be tough to get. But from his perspective, playing in the same secondary with Keenan Lewis and Jairus Byrd would have to be tempting.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

Don't think so, when people go to new england they don't leave. Only way he gets out of there is if they don't want him.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

That's why I said it would be tough.

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I wouldn't mind 1 or 2 CB's from the Jags, their secondary was starting to look good. Don't care if the stats were good or not.

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No doubt. There are a lot of good corners (not necessarily household names) out there playing on bad teams. Hopefully we can afford to retain one this off season.

Leave no stone un turned.

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Give me Antonio Cromartie. 1 year contract. He is currently playing for 3,5mil. Best corner on that arizona defense. (peterson way overrated)

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Bring in two starters at CB and DT in FA then draft an ILB'er and our D is good to go........still we need depth badly.

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You know what we need? a good draft! You see all the Rookies Carolina played today, mix a couple db's and a good draft, we'll be fine.

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Guys I like:

Davon House, Packers -physical young guy a lot like Corey White but he makes plays on the ball that White doesn't.

Robert McClain, Falcons -might fall through cracks in Atlanta with the regime change)

Chris Culliver, 49ers -(bit of a ****head but he's good)

All of those three are physical corners who disrupt WRs at the line and grind on them downfield. Very much like Keenan Lewis' style of play.

I wouldn't mind going after Charles Tillman if he still wants to play. He is kind of slow now, but he knows how to create turnovers and his game was never based on speed anyway.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

Interesting Free Agent Candidates:

CB Chris Harris
C Stefen Wisniewski
G Mike Iupati
LB Brandon Marshall
LB Akeem Ayers
LB Brandon Graham
TE Virgil Green

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

Chris Harris is not a free agent, the Broncos extended him about a month ago. Iupati is a good run blocker, not so great pass blocking. I like Wisniewski though. We would do well to get somebody like him.

I think my dream FA scenario for the o-line would be to cut/trade Grubbs and sign Wisniewski. Move Evans to the left side where his relatively poor run blocking won't hurt you as much and put Lelito at right guard. I'm sure some disagree but Lelito looks like a road-grading monster at guard to me. He played really well there last season when he filled in.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

Even if Tillman is still willing to play, he's not a corner in Ryan's system. He's a cover 2 zone corner who gets ints by playing well in the zone. Ryan's system requires much more press and man to man skills.

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

^It didn't this year though. We were all zone and combo coverages for pretty much the first half of the season. Besides Tillman would just be a role player, not THE guy, you know?

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I know WR isn't exactly our biggest need, but I would LOVE to get Randall Cobb.

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No cap space and we have too many needs

Look where making a splash in free agency got us last year

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Cecil Shorts, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

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We signed Byrd and BUST it happened!

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Good Draft? Isn't that an oxymoron?

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We need something like 2009 when we brought in Sharper and Greer. That's what's missing. Those kind of players. One who was unheralded in Greer and played for a effortless team. And Sharper who was the veteran past his prime but had leadership. Let's not think about what happened afterward, he was good for us. Truth be told, we sold our souls to win a lombardi and what Sharper did off the field was the price we paid for that.

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It's not like they're not trying; they brought in Champ Bailey last year for just that reason. And have already signed Kenny Phillips to a contract for next year...

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

LB Brandon Marshall

Re: Big time names in 2015 Free Agency
 

We did not make a splash we signed one big name. And honestly we never even gave Champ a chance. He was cut before the season started. 2009 was making a splash. We need to find that silver lining player that people gave up on. Getting younger is not always better.

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As someone said, Ike Taylor I agree, he's not elite but he has LEADERSHIP.

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No, got to get younger, Ike Taylor is TOO OLD...

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If you don't have someone the players can relate to help them, its all for nawt. Young people just do not have the years of wisdom. We can get younger players in the draft while getting a proven leader veteran.

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ok not a huge splash but cap friendly maybe.

NT Dan Williams Cards - just might work if Shu does not kill the entire market

starter/solid backup? 2 to 3 mill might get em
OLB/DE, Brian Orakpo Redskins - franchised to IR to reasonable 1 yr deal
ILB Mason Foster Buccaneers - lost on the depth chart with upside
ILB Justin Durant Cowboys - IR to replaced? cap causality in dallas

http://blackandgold.com/blogs/hagan7...er-budget.html

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Im not really worried about the cap. Every year its the same thing and every year Loomis manages to work things out.

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The problem with rolling the dice with older players, is that the NFL is a young man's game. While there is the occasional hit like Sharper, that is usually 1 in 15 chance or worse of getting that hit.

The better option is to hope the scouts and coaches can communicate to the personel department and find those players who may not have done well in previous stops but are good scheme fits.

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In so much as the offensive line where you'd have to commit the FA money you can squeeze, you have to get Brees his 4+ second cushion back...

GM Homework for the Offseason Offensive Line Work -

It'll be a strong market demand for offensive linemen where many will be overpaid, but if we could get anyone, it'd be...

C Steve Wisniewski, not sure Oakland can afford to tag the young center, he was also an outstanding Guard as a Rookie...

Now alot of you like G Mike Iupati, my fear this is Ben Grubbs all over again, decent enough run blocker but he get his arse thrown by above average, better defensive linemen...

C Rodney Hudson, wait, another Center?!? Yep, thinking outside the box; should you sign Wisniewski and if he looks like he'd be great at guard and he's all-in, then get Hudson and now you can ride out one of the remaining guards on the roster and work the draft...

With regards to Bryce Harris, wonder if he wouldn't make for a better Guard than Tackle?!?

One name that's surging right now is Clint Boling who replaced Marshall Newhouse in the starting lineup for Cincy; though it's a small sampling size, he may be available at a respectable contract that doesn't spill the salary cap bean pot...

Another name is Orlando Franklin who moved to Guard this season from Tackle - just don't know after one season if I'd be ready to commit that much cap room after one season; but signing a guy named Orlando Jones/Clifford Franklin - that **** would just write itself...

Wisniewski is who we need to target in Free Agency...