K Major

I truly felt that we would take a corner back early (rd's 2 or 3) in the 2016 draft. Especially with the uncertainty (health issues) of Swann & K Lewis this off season.

Finnegan is only a temporary fix.

jeanpierre

Well this was a rare grade for the Saints in FA from Walter...

Saints sign DT Nick Fairley (1 year, $3 million): A+ Grade
The Saints had been enduring a miserable spring thus far, greatly overpaid for bad players like James Laurinaitis, Josh Hill and Coby Fleener. I had given them a Millen grade in my NFL Free Agent Team Grades page, but this signing moves them out of that territory.

This is an outstanding addition. Nick Fairley is extremely talented and would be playing for a much greater contract if teams weren't concerns for his lethargy issues. It's why Fairley had to sign a 1-year pact last offseason, and he happened to play extremely well for the Rams. It's likely he'll perform just as well for the Saints, given that he'll once again be trying to prove that he's worthy of a big contract. Fairley, who offers no downside here, fills a big hole for the Saints, who desperately needed an interior pass-rusher.

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

jeanpierre

And we're now barely using the guy!
Saints re-sign TE Josh Hill (3 years, $7.5M; $3.25M guaranteed): C- Grade
The Saints signed Nick Fairley today, but the financial terms aren't available for that quite yet. What I can grade for New Orleans is the re-signing of Josh Hill, whose offer sheet from the Bears was matched on Friday.

I don't get why the Saints matched the offer sheet. Even though $3.25 million guaranteed isn't an absurd amount of NFL money in the grand scheme of things, it's way too much for Hill, who was a disappointment last year. Expected to post big numbers in the wake of Jimmy Graham's departure, Hill caught just 16 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Granted, Hill is a solid blocker, but blocking tight ends can be found anywhere. With that in mind, are those figures really worth $2.5 million annually and $3.25 million guaranteed?

I could maybe understand this signing if Hill was the best option at the position on the Saints' roster, but the team signed Coby Fleener to a laughable amount earlier in free agency. It's becoming quite evident that the New Orleans front office can't appropriately determine the value of tight ends.

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

jeanpierre

This is absolutely the funniest grade I've read - thought of it when that bogus depth chart came down...

Saints sign TE Coby Fleener (5 years, $36 million): KIELBASA SLIPS THROUGH THE FINGERS MILLEN Grade
I wonder how it feels to be a Colts fan right now. On one hand, they must be very depressed that they still have the incompetent Ryan Grigson running things. On the other hand, they have to be cracking up upon seeing the numbers Coby Fleener received from the Saints.

This signing is horrible. Aside from perhaps Vernon Davis, no tight end drops more passes than Coby Fleener. I'm sure he'll post some great numbers with Drew Brees throwing the ball to him, but he'll absolutely kill his new team with some untimely drops. Then again, maybe he won't be a fantasy monster, given that he couldn't produce with Andrew Luck, even when Dwayne Allen was out of the lineup with his injury issues.

This is an easy Millen. I don't understand what the Saints saw in him to make them believe that he's worth more than $7 million per year. Fleener, an average starter at best, would've been overpaid had he gotten half as much.

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

lee909

Yeah i was shocked at that move
If you can run a route and catch Brees will do the rest. Didnt see the need to spend 7ml on a TE. Could have got a DT/CB for that

jeanpierre

We could have had a guard and Ben Watson back too!

lee909

Yeah i think getting a DE to start opposite Cam would have made sense and both William Hayes Derek Wolfe could have been got for similar as could
Evan Mathis,Kelechi Osemele(a bit over),Alex Boone,Jeff Allen,Matt Slauson

jeanpierre

Lee...Wolfe signed before hitting the market...

No wanted Evan Mathis and he just moved on to win a Superbowl with Denver; Incognito bounced back and showed he was still a good teammate, even if he's Old School Locker Man Type...

The opportunity was the previous year when a number of quality guards were available, and affordable, and we procrastinated to get Browner for a bargain basement price, and we got basement results...

Only quality DEs were snapped up quick and were cost prohibitive for us...

lee909

Fair enough
Didnt realise Wolfe signed soon.
Suprised nobody wanted Mathis,he is a well known solud guard.

I said in here before Incognito come back into the league we should have looked at him

saintsfan1976

coulda shoulda woulda

Damn, would you guys let the season start before we critique the players?