By: Jake Rajala

The Houston Texans continue their Bill O’Brien-led rebuild as Houston trades CB Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints. Saints head coach Sean Payton has been adamant about adding a corner opposite elite playmaker Marshon Lattimore. Just prior to Week 1 kicking off, Payton has found his guy in former Broncos first-round pick Bradley Roby. 

The former Broncos Super Bowl-winning CB leaves a Texans squad that just announced that Tyrod Taylor and not Deshaun Watson would be starting at QB in Week 1. Nick Caserio, who is the Texans robot-like GM, stated that they would be taking it day by day with the very lethal dual-threat QB. It’s unclear if Watson will play in the near future, face a suspension for his off-field actions, or if trade looms ahead for the current Texans star QB. The one thing that is clear, however, is that the Texans are even less daunting than their 4-12 team in 2020. 

Roby is just one of the notable Texans MIA from the 2020 roster. J.J. Watt is no longer in the “lone star state”, Will Fuller is on Miami, Randall Cobb is back with Aaron Rodgers, and reliable center Nick Martin is in a Raiders uniform. The Texans, who are led out by first-year head coach David Culley, realistically could be in prime contention for a top draft pick come December. 

The team that received the latest Texans expendable has a far more positive outlook. Roby will be joining a Saints team that fields an elite defense, talented offense, HOF head coach but had one missing link. The missing ingredient was a talented, reliable CB playing across from former Ohio State Buckeye Lattimore. Janoris Jenkins (Jackrabbit), was the previous CB2 in Dennis Allen’s defense, but he departed to Tennessee in the 2021 free agency period. The Saints neglected to fill in the shoes of Jenkins in FA and throughout the rest of the offseason but finally decided that they needed an answer at the spot, which led to the shiny acquirement of Bradley Roby. 

Roby will be a productive member of the Saints secondary and massive beneficiary to his team’s overall winning chances, as they aim to make it back to the playoffs without future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. Roby was graded as the 24th best CB last season from Pro Football Focus. His 24th spot was impressively ahead of former Saints CB Jenkins, who came in at 27. Roby has been a stellar CB not just in 2020, but throughout his whole career. The 29-year-old Saints CB has registered 10 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, and four sacks in his seven-year professional football journey. 

The Saints will need to rely heavily on their secondary this season if they want to repeat as divisional champions in a division where 2021 Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady reigns. The Bucs are the national media favorites, but they have their hands full against the “in-house divisional Saints team” that mopped the floor against them in two out of three head-to-head matchups last season. Expect Roby to be unlocked in Dennis Allen’s scheme, as the new-look Saints strive to prove they are still a team to be reckoned with against TB12 and the rest of the league.

The post Texans trade CB Bradley Roby to New Orleans Saints appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The New Orleans Saints are entering a 2021 offseason with lots of question marks. Saints are not only expecting Drew Brees to retire, but they will find themselves deep in with the money sharks.

As widely enunciated, the Saints are dead last in cap space. The team will likely lose star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, linebacker Kwon Alexander, plus they could make some transactions to create cap space. One of these notorious Sean Payton blockbuster trades could be shipping talented, inconsistent Marshon Lattimore who’s contract expires in 2022.

Sean Payton has traded Jimmy Graham, Brandin Cooks, and he’s made overhauls of massive veteran cuts on defense in the past.

In an article by “Sports Illustrated”, Albert Breer explores the opportunity for the Jaguars to pull off a trade for the CB Lattimore. Breer states that the Saints could part ways with Saints No. one CB given their tight cap situation and the likelihood that Lattimore will seek a contract extension this offseason. Breer also states that Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer coached Lattimore at Ohio State University.

It’s unclear if the Jaguars have serious interest, but they portray as a realistic landing spot if the Saints fielded offers for Lattimore. Lattimore could get interest from many teams across the league given the value of the CB position and his combination of age and talent.

In this piece, I’m going to untwine strong candidates to land Lattimore. If the Saints did in fact try to create more cap space by pardoning a star, there wouldn’t be a stronger candidate than the Ohio State CB displaying a soon-to-be massive contract and inconsistent play beneath it.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts just pulled off one blockbuster trade, why not make it two? The Colts pose an elite defense and now they just might have obtained a rejuvenated QB in Carson Wentz. They are quietly putting together a Super Bowl contending roster.

There are some flaws in the Colts — particularly at CB. Xavier Rhodes is a free agent and it seems like the 30 year old will cash in for a team elsewhere. Lattimore could fill in the shoes of Rhodes and line up across from CB Kenny Moore (four ints in 2020).

The Colts could also afford Marshon Lattimore if they chose to bring him in. According to NBC Sports, the Colts are still near the top in cap space after trading for Wentz. They are sitting at fourth in cap space even after obtaining Wentz.

Colts also boast a first-round pick that isn’t too high to cough up, or too low for the Saints to scuff at — 21st overall. Lattimore would be a significant upgrade over a fourth/fifth-ranked CB in the draft at that position for Indianapolis, while the Saints could use the draft stock to have multiple first-rounders and trade up for a QB or draft a LB and CB in round one.

New York Jets

The New York Jets could look to make a lot of moves entering the 2021 offseason. Looking to fill the needs of the secondary, has to be one of the highest priorities for Robert Saleh.

The Jets will have a few key free agents on the backend of their defense. S Marcus Maye and CB Brian Poole may be out of the big apple in the near future, as their contracts expire this offseason.

Luckily, the Jets are towards the top of the league in cap space ( 67 million/second in the league) and they could/should look to make a splash move at the CB position. If they decide to draft Justin Fields or Zach Wilson, it will be imperative that their pass defense is competitive — especially when a rookie QB will likely have his growing pains.

The Jets boast nine picks in the 2021 NFL Draft and two picks are in the first round (second overall and 23rd overall). There’s also a good chance that the Jets acquire more draft picks, keep Sam Darnold, and trade back from the second overall spot. According to NJ.com, there’s “a growing buzz” that the Jets trade back from the second overall pick and stick with Darnold.

Not only do the Jets have the firepower with nine draft selections to make a move for Lattimore, but they could boast even more capital to get creative with their options. If the Saints received a few early to mid-round draft picks, it may be wise for the Saints to trust their draft success and send the near hefty paid CB out the door.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals should in strong contention to the best team that didn’t make the playoff gauntlet in 2021. Their electric offense was displayed last year with new WR DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals were a step short of reaching the playoffs and being the second NFC West wildcard squad in the dance. The offense sputtered out towards the end of the season, but the defense couldn’t point any fingers.

The Cardinals pass defense gave up three passing touchdowns to CJ Beatheard in Week 16 and the Cardinals defensive unit allowed John Wolford to compile 288 total yards in Week 17. The defense was crumbling when it mattered the most — not to mention the horrid competition at QB performed against.

It won’t be easy for AZ to bounce back on the defensive side of the ball looking ahead. Long time legend Patrick Peterson is due to be a free agent. Even if the Cardinals keep “PP” around, the 30 year old has shown signs of slowing down and it doesn’t seem like he has a long window in a Cardinals uniform.

It could be a clever move to obtain a younger and more productive player at the CB position — Especially when the Cardinals are trying to get over the hump. Cardinals could deal the 16th pick in this year’s draft for Lattimore and potentially take a huge step in the right direction on defense.

The post 3 Teams That Should Trade For Marshon Lattimore: Colts Have The Money, Need, and Push appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Joe Pepe

The 2020 NFL season is ending Sunday with the Super Bowl. We all know, though, that football is a year-round sport due to its offseason. 2021 will be an intense offseason compared to recent years due to the free-agent market’s amount of talent. One team that will have to make some moves will be the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints roll into this offseason with a lot of cap issues for the franchise. They are, at the moment, over $100 million past the base salary cap. With restrictions being necessary for 2021, the Saints will have to move some talent on their squad to meet the requirements for every NFL team. The offseason is for speculations, and none could be more significant than what the Saints organization does with their quarterback position in the possibility of Drew Brees’ retirement.

One scenario the Saints could look into is trading Taysom Hill. His base salary for 2021 is over $10 million. Hill entered the starting role this year when Drew Brees went down with multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung. Hypothetically speaking, if the Saints moved on from Hill, they would need to find suitors to execute this trade.

Remember the Saints roster Jameis Winston in 2020, now a free agent; however, Sean Payton could bring back to the team on a cheaper deal. Who would be the perfect trade partners for Taysom Hill?

Trade Option Number One

The Washington Football Team (WFT) had a stellar year that most analysts did not predict. Washington has a strong defense, a budding number one wide receiver in Terry McLaurin, a strong backfield, and a young stud at tight end with Logan Thomas. The piece the team is missing is at quarterback.

Alex Smith is a free agent this offseason. Smith could move on in free agency, or he could retire. One of the rumors swirling around the NFL is a reunion between Ron Rivera and his former Carolina Panthers (now a free agent) Cam Newton. Between Newton and Hill’s albeit small sample size, Hill outperformed Newton on the NFL field this offseason.

Washington was involved in the Matt Stafford sweepstakes and rumored to be running for disgruntled Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson. However, if they lose in the Watson sweepstakes, Washington could turn their eyes to Hill. This contract would allow New Orleans to dump off one of their contracts while allowing Washington to increase their quarterback room talent.

Trade Option Number Two

Rumors have been swirling around the Twitterverse about the Chicago Bears being in the running for a new quarterback, most leads pointing to Carson Wentz. Bears fans (and NFL fans in general) are questioning why you would bring back the pairing of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles to lead to another carousel between the two veteran quarterbacks. Instead, the Bears could reach out to the Saints for their dual-threat quarterback, who went 3-1 in relief of Brees. Hill’s dual-threat ability would allow for their running game to blossom with David Montgomery, who made a surge at the end of 2020 in the Bears’ backfield.

Trade Option Number Three

This trade scenario with the Niners would be the least likely of the three written in this article. According to rumors, the Niners have been looking to upgrade all offseason at the quarterback position. Taysom Hill would all the running capability to an offense loaded with weapons such as George Kittle, Debo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and a plethora of running backs. An interesting stat to consider: Taysom Hill’s, in his brief stint starting, highest yards per attempt were 10.13; Jimmy Garoppolo best game (with the same stat) was 11.08

Neither quarterback was throwing deep down the field this season. Hill, however, possesses the ability to bring his running abilities to Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The Niners would avoid Garoppolo’s base salary of $24 million in 2021 by trading their once Super Bowl quarterback trade. With the Saints in salary cap trouble, this scenario is more of a pipe dream than a realistic opportunity.

Where would you like to see Taysom Hill play in 2021? Let us know at @profootballman1; @jpep20 is also my username if you want to discuss Hill more!

The post Three Teams That Could Trade For Taysom Hill: WFT Could be a Fit appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala (Twitter: @rajala_jake)

Michael Thomas has been in rhythm with a warped 2020 season amid his astonishing young career. The 2019 Offensive Player of The Year in Sean Payton’s orchestra has survived to field a mere seven games in the 2020 regular season.

Thomas endured a severe ankle injury that occurred in Week 1 against TB, then faced disciplinary actions (sparring with teammates, inexcusable language towards coaching staff) a few weeks in the future, then MT returned to action in Week 9. Cantguardmike was back in sync & more so a fine safety net for dual-threat QB Taysom Hill when Brees was injured up until Week 15.

As of last week, the single-season reception record holder (149 grabs in 2019) has been shut down and placed on IR. As NBC Sports reported, Sean Payton blatantly stated that MT needed a break for his ankle to fully recover. In retrospect, Drew Brees came off IR and entered the revolving door, while his No. one wide receiver in Thomas tagged out & will await on IR (eligible to return for playoffs, *new rule for IR).

Thomas’s designation on IR has put a pin on a disappointing 2020 regular season campaign to exonerate the least. Yet, not only was the injury a wretched root in his ill productive year, but Thomas’s efficiency has been abysmal compared to his fruitful self. Here’s a more in-depth look at some of Thomas’s notable figures in 2020:

• Y/R: 11.0 (career-low)
• 0 TDs in seven games
• receptions per game: 5.7 (career-low)
• catch %: 72.7 (career-low)
• receving yards per game: 62.6 (career-low)

Clearly, the Thomas we were accustomed to, has dissolved into a shell of his former self. Yes, Thomas has battled nagging injuries & performed without the likes of Drew Brees for a few games.

Despite the barriers, there’s not an adequate excuse for such dire outcomes for a gifted “Hall of Fame” aimed player like himself. Thomas was historically productive with the backup QB Teddy Bridgewater for five games last season & he was given an extra week of precaution leading up to his return scene this year in Week 9. And we also witnessed MT get the green light to face an atrocious Eagles team in Week 14, despite his efforts not rewarding a team victory.

With all of the negative buzz and unjustifiable clap-backs unveiled from the second-highest valued WR ($96 million) this season, what’s the future outlook for Thomas? There were in fact trade rumors heating up for injury-riddled, drama-fueled WR prior to the trade block this season.

Would the Saints head coach that shipped off a prime Brandin Cooks and Jimmy Graham reel in the house for his out-of-world paid, often hazardous WR amid a passing offense that will see Drew Brees depart from this off-season? It’s left to be decided & it would be a very bold move, but I believe Sean Payton should make this exchange happen in the near future. By stating this claim, let me unwind some deeper resonance into my eager utterance.

Compensation for Thomas

The New Orleans Saints will soon realize two things upon the dismissal of the 2021 season. It will be imminent that either option A. The Saints just won the Super Bowl, Brees has retired as expected, and they hold the 32nd draft pick or B. The Saints lost in the playoffs (again), hold a horrid draft pick, and Drew Brees has retired.

Saints will need a significant re-boot after the 2021 season, particularly at the quarterback position. And if the Saints trot Taysom Hill on to the field with a loaded roster, the result will undeniably carry a “passing” ceiling of potentially ten or fewer wins.

Well, where could the Saints go in search of a QB outside of Taysom Hill (or Jameis Winston)? The best option is Free Agency will inevitably be Dak Prescott, but it seems clear about his stay being put in Dallas. Assuming Free Agency isn’t the answer (especially long-term), the Saints will need to be keen on QBs in the draft. It will be very challenging, near impossible for Payton to realistically snatch one of the top four QBs in the draft (Lawrence, Fields, Wilson, Lance) from the back of the first round.

If the Saints garnered a first-round pick for Thomas, Sean Payton could then drool over trading up by exchanging two first-rounders for the likes of a Zach Wilson/Trey Lance (best No. three/four options in a decade).

We’ve already seen Minnesota say good-bye to Stefon Diggs & the replacing compensation that Minnesota received, which was a first-rounder & a fifth-rounder. And if Saints got that type of draft compensation and didn’t get creative for that dire QB need, they could select a well-accomplished, young, cheaper WR/TE prospect in the draft–such as Kyle Pitts or Devonta Smith (even with one of the two selections).

Contract Situations

It’s well captured that the Saints broke the bank for Thomas prior to the 2019 regular season and now he’s one of the highest-paid NFL WRs in NFL history. Looking ahead, the Saints will owe Michael Thomas 9.6 million on the third day of the 2021 NFL new league year. His base salary will sit atop the team’s chart for 2021.

Thomas’s astronomical cap figure is on the outer rim of a slew of other notable cap situations that need to be resolved in the 2021 off-season, along with expired contracts in 2022 that should be extended this new year. In the group of contracts that need attendance, there are a few high-profile, productive reputations:

• Trey Hendrickson (leads NFL in sacks)
• Marcus Williams
• Sheldon Rankins
• Jared Cook
• Ryan Ramczyk (expires in 2022)
• Marshon Lattimore (expires in 2022)
• Terron Armstead (expires in 2022)
• Marcus Davenport (expires in 2022)

Outside of the notorious Saints having a contract that’s looming (listed above), the Saints will have to figure out what they want to do with Kwon Alexander (via trade with SF) and Janoris Jenkin’s (FA pick-up in 2019 season) contract. Mickey Loomis was able to get a bargain for their starting LB Alexander & they will only have to cough up $2.64 million in base salary for the rest of the year. If the Saints cut the former 49er, they wouldn’t owe him any of the $13.4 million dollars. And as for “JackRabbit” Janoris Jenkins, he carries a $14.2 million cap hit for the 2021 season.

It’s seen around as a popular move if the Saints cut one or two of the starting, high-caliber veterans & save an enormous amount of money. I would disagree with that notion with both players getting eliminated across the board. The Saints have already restructured Jackrabbit’s contract this past off-season to keep the lockdown corner at ease. As for Alexander, It may be more popular to let him walk. Yet, not only has Alexander shown great flashes in a short time (Four pass deflections, Two FF), but the backup LB Alex Anzalone will be a FA in 2021, too. It will be imminent that the Saints can keep a viable option intact on their elite run defense.

Looking at the contracts laid out above, It’s crystal clear how important Hendrickson has been for the Saints. He’s tied for the league lead in sacks (12.5). Outside the prominent edge rusher, Marcus Williams has been a reliable starter at safety (seven INTs in last two years), amidst a shaky secondary already portrayed. Outside of those two young, consistent studs, I admit to likely seeing Rankins being on the move & Cook garnering a low-price offer from the Saints (likely getting overpaid elsewhere).

The more notable contracts labeled above reveal a deadline in 2022. It will be a more desired thrill to lock up Ramczyk (All-Pro OT, the contract expires in 2022) and potentially the up-and-down, essential CB Marshon Lattimore (expires in 2022), prior to lighting up the sky in their contract season, especially with questions about the potential team success to stay–post Brees.

All in all, I believe the Saints are prestigiously well-balanced, as they’re well equipped with lots of depth, key players across the board, which allows them to go leaps and bounds of successful outings without Brees and Thomas. Yet, I find it foreseen that they could have to let a few key contributors find a new home: Marcus Williams or Kwon Alexander could walk, or they might fail to extend Lattimore. Or even perhaps, it could be a serious obstacle to obtain a higher profile like Hendrickson on a long-term track, or extend Terron Armstead/Ryan Ramzyk (expires in 2022) given their tight cap situation (20th ranked, per Over The Cap). It would be a significant jolt in their cap salary to depart a long, skyscraper contract like the notable Thomas.

Success without Michael Thomas

If the Saints were to pardon Michael Thomas, it would make sense that they would have to feel comfortable with their situation post the nifty route runner. With that being expressed, all signs point towards Sean Payton running the show well in absence of MT, but more importantly on a long stretch.

The Saints well-oiled machine on offense engineered 28.7 pts a game without the “2019 Offensive Player of The Year”. That’s a higher average than their 2019 PPG tally (28.1) & it’s even above their PPG on the overall 2020 season (28.4).

When Thomas has gone down, we witnessed how valuable Emmanuel Sanders was, the growth of Tre’quan Smith arise, Alvin Kamara blossom into an MVP candidate, and it was clear that Sean Payton continued to run a successful tempo afterward. And this isn’t a comparison of one or three games without MT, but rather Thomas missing seven games thus far (nine when the season wraps up).

The Saints offense is “still” more efficient and posing a higher ceiling with an in-sync Michael Thomas, let’s not be mistaken. Although, it’s very impressive how explosive the Saints offense has been without MT. Other teams in similar scenarios vastly struggle, as Carolina does without McCaffrey and the Falcons do without Julio. And not only was the Saints offense putting up fireworks without MT in the fold this year, but it would also deem more than probable that the Saints would add a weapon at WR/TE to continue building a stronger Rappaport if Thomas was no longer a Saint.

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