New Orleans SAINTS official thread 2015-16

[treeduck]

Who is that "beast" of a running back on the team?

Ingram?

 

Not sure,

 

Just remember a few highlights from last year. Seems like no one wanted to tackle him.

Ingram did have a good year last year 964 yards and he missed 3 games.

[treeduck]

Ingram is a free agent so we may want to see if we can sign him if he isn't asking for silly money...

[troutman]

Ingram is a free agent so we may want to see if we can sign him if he isn't asking for silly money...

 

Hello Raiders!! :D

[Lost In Xanadu]

4 pages already on a team that missed the playoffs and are 6 months away from playing another game?!?

 

ducky, find yourself a woman or three

[treeduck]

4 pages already on a team that missed the playoffs and are 6 months away from playing another game?!?

 

ducky, find yourself a woman or three

So you're saying when the Packers don't make the play-offs you;ll lose interest and never post about them until the next time they do? Sounds like a Cowboys fan! I didn't know you had so much in common with them! See you in the Cowboys thread! :hi:

[Lost In Xanadu]

4 pages already on a team that missed the playoffs and are 6 months away from playing another game?!?

 

ducky, find yourself a woman or three

So you're saying when the Packers don't make the play-offs you;ll lose interest and never post about them until the next time they do? Sounds like a Cowboys fan! I didn't know you had so much in common with them! See you in the Cowboys thread! :hi:

yeah.... that's exactly what I said. :eyeroll:

[treeduck]

4 pages already on a team that missed the playoffs and are 6 months away from playing another game?!?

 

ducky, find yourself a woman or three

So you're saying when the Packers don't make the play-offs you;ll lose interest and never post about them until the next time they do? Sounds like a Cowboys fan! I didn't know you had so much in common with them! See you in the Cowboys thread! :hi:

yeah.... that's exactly what I said. :eyeroll:

So you expect me to abandon this thread and maybe post a couple of times till next season IF we make the play-offs?

Edited February 23, 2015 by treeduck

[treeduck]

Maybe you're just not as interested in the Packers as I am in the Saints? :P

[treeduck]

LIX has inspired me to up my post rate in this thread!

 

:clap: :madra: :madra: :madra: :clap:

[treeduck]

Saints, Patrick Robinson have had contract talks

 

Free agency officially kicks off at 4:00PM EST on March 10, 2015. For the New Orleans Saints, they approach this year’s offseason much like the last one, trying to figure out where to attack to make the most impact.

 

As per Nick Underhill of The Advocate, the Saints have reached out to free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson on a potential agreement.

 

 

Despite anyone’s personal feelings towards Robinson, he graded out with +0.1 rating from Pro Football Focus. He appeared in 582 of an estimated 1,021 possible snaps on defense, finishing with 39 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 11 pass deflections in 14 games. In the five seasons he’s been with the Saints, he has tallied a total of 9 interceptions.

 

Robinson struggled tremendously early in the season. After being victimized by Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Miles Austin in Week 2, he’d be demoted to only nickel cornerback duties. Robinson ‘found his groove’ so to speak later in the year, having strong games against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13 and the Chicago Bears in Week 15.

 

As a former first round, 32nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Robinson’s play hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations of many. However, the move would be to preserve some cornerback depth, and perhaps finally place Robinson in full-time duties as a slot cover corner.

 

Underhill further pointed out that opposing quarterbacks had a 57.5 QB Rating against Robinson when he covered the slot.

[treeduck]

Analytics play role for Saints in locating, evaluating draft prospects, says Mickey Loomis

 

http://media.nola.com/saints_impact/photo/loomis-super-bowl-05efb76251d19e3a_large.jpg

 

INDIANAPOLIS — Everyone can look at the guys standing under the brightest lights at the combine or universally listed in the endless flood of mock drafts that rush the Internet. Those players are obvious.

 

But somewhere, as everyone looks to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the biggest names, behind the screen on his computer or smart phone, an employee for the New Orleans Saints is scrolling through a list of spreadsheets to find the guys no one is talking about.

 

What the Saints are looking to find is the cornerback with no interceptions but has a high number of pass breakups. No problem. A couple clicks of a button and all that information is readily available. If someone on the list stands out, he will be “green flagged” and given a deeper look.

 

“Let’s say the guy has no interceptions but 25 pass breakups — which is a lot of a college corners,” New Orleans General Manager Mickey Loomis said. “This guy is getting his hands on a lot of balls. Now, he didn’t catch many of them. Why not? So you say, ‘Hey, man, we getter go look at this guy’s targets.’ ”

 

Within a few more clicks of a button on the team’s technology system called I.C.E, which stands for Interactive, Collaboration and Evaluation and was first introduced in 2010, video of those targets can be found. Within minutes, the Saints can determine why the cornerback wasn’t catching the ball and if he’s a prospect worth considering more deeply.

 

Since introducing the I.C.E. system in 2010, and marrying it with statistics from STATS, Inc., the Saints have been looking to other sources for information and statistics, but Loomis would rather keep the identity of those sources close to his chest.

 

What’s clear, however, is the team has embraced analytics and is willing to consider and compile any data it believes is useful. If it’s out there, there’s a good chance someone in New Orleans has already found it.

 

“We pretty much look at all of them,” Loomis said.

 

In recent years, the use of analytics has become more widespread in football thanks to subscription sites like ProFootballFocus.com that break down film and produce stats that once only used to be available to teams. But this is nothing new to Loomis. He chuckles at the word “analytics.”

 

“This is 30 years ago we were doing this when we were in Seattle,” Loomis said, referencing his time with the Seahawks, where he worked for 15 years beginning in 1983. “We had probably one of the more extensive computer departments. They didn’t call it IT back then. They called it computer departments. We were always cranking out things for our coaches and for people to use.

 

“I think we were probably more advanced than most of the other teams were at that time. I’ve always believed in it. We got this buzz word analytics now, but it’s the same stuff.”

 

What’s vastly different now is how readily available the information is and how it has simplified the scouting process in evaluating draft prospects or of an upcoming opponent. There was a time when a coach or member of the personnel staff would have to go out and obtain tape of a prospect or upcoming opponent, break down every snap, and then compile the data in a spreadsheet and make cut-ups of specific plays that had to be watched at the team facility.

 

Now, if coach Sean Payton wants to know how many run stuffs a defensive lineman on an upcoming team has compiled this season and watch every one of those run stuffs, all he has to do is pull out his tablet and swipe his way to the information or video. This has made it possible for the coaching staff to become more efficient, but there are dangers in having so much information available.

 

“As the information is more available, the trick is the work week and making sure it is not wasted energy,” Payton said in late December. “So, just trying to be the most efficient as you can during the week, and yet there’s parts of it that are totally different today than clearly would have been in 2006 or 2007.

 

“Our ability to access certain cut-ups and statistical data has changed and we have more of it and more readily available, and now it’s a matter of looking and trying to put values on what we think is the most important and making sure we are not running down a road with something that is not.”

 

And that’s the biggest key — using the information in ways that are helpful. For the coaches, it can mean locating tendencies or other things that might have once gone unrealized. In scouting draft prospects, the numbers can help them locate prospects like the cornerback who might have gone unnoticed, but all decisions are still made with eyeballs.

 

The Saints scouting department and coaches are encouraged to look at numbers, but they are told to only use those figures to confirm or contradict what their eyes are seeing.

 

“I call them red flags and green flags. ‘Hey, this is a green flag on this guy, he’s got these numbers and has this production that’s off the charts. We better make sure we know this guy inside and out,’ ” Loomis said. “Or, ‘Hey, we think a lot of this guy but his numbers aren’t very good, his practices aren’t very good. What’s going on here?’ ”

 

Loomis continued: “I would say that if it says this, that’s our decision. There’s still an eyeball test, and there’s still other factors beside just numbers. Character, does he fit our system, does he play in the kind of defense that we play, is the offensive system conducive to what this guy’s talents are? There’s so many other factors, so many other variables. (Analytics) is just another one.”

 

The Saints will continue to gather information this week while watching the scouting combine. They’ll chart everyone’s times and measurables and punch them into a computer, where they’ll then be analyzed and compared against other players who have had success in the NFL.

 

The results will tell the Saints something about those players and their probability for success in the NFL.

 

“You collect all that data over time and you get a sense of, ‘Hey, if the guy fits in these windows then he has a good chance,’ ” Loomis said. “It’s he’s on the outside, there’s always exceptions, but it’s a little harder to justify the exception.”

 

And for those who weren’t among the players invited to the combine, there’s probably a good chance someone on the Saints’ staff is thumbing through a screen right now, letting a spreadsheet lead them to hidden gems.

[treeduck]

Cameron Jordan extension?

 

http://media.nola.com/tpphotos/photo/2012/11/11929816-standard.jpg

 

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints have several major roster decisions to make before the start of the new league year and free-agent signing period on March 10. For starters, they must trim somewhere between $20 and $30 million in salary-cap space (most of which will be accomplished by converting roster bonuses into signing bonuses).

 

Here’s the latest in a series of the most burning questions the Saints have to answer:

 

The question: Should the Saints extend Cameron Jordan's contract?

 

Cameron Jordan is heading into the final year of his contract.

Jordan, 25, has one year left on his contract at a price tag and salary-cap cost of $6.969 million.

 

Sean Payton said last week that he doesn’t expect the Saints to work out a contract extension with quarterback Drew Brees, who has two years left on his deal. But perhaps it would make more sense to extend Jordan, since he’s heading into his final year.

 

By extending Jordan, the Saints could structure the deal so that it lowers his 2015 cap cost. They could also lock up one of their core young players long-term.

 

The answer: An extension makes a ton of sense. But the hard part will be determining Jordan's value. Jordan's camp might be willing to bet on a bounce-back season and a chance at a monster pay day in 2016.

 

For that reason, I’ll predict it doesn’t get done. But I think it should. Even if Jordan doesn’t come at a discounted rate right now, his price tag will only go up if he plays at his potential in 2015.

 

Two years ago, Jordan had 12.5 sacks, made his first Pro Bowl and became widely recognized as one of the top young defensive linemen in the NFL. Last year, however, Jordan dropped down to 7.5 sacks, and his production was far too inconsistent for a defense that badly regressed across the board.

 

However, the Saints are likely still high on Jordan’s potential. He’s always been excellent against the run, and he’s shown great versatility to play both inside and outside in various defensive schemes. The Saints like to reinvest in their homegrown talent, and Jordan has been one of their most successful draft picks, coming in the first round in 2011.

 

For comparison’s sake, some of the top defensive ends who signed multiyear deals last year in free agency fell in the $7 million to $8.5 million range (Michael Johnson, Michael Bennett, Everson Griffen and Lamarr Houston). The Saints signed pass-rusher Junior Galette to a four-year, $41.5 million extension, but that deal averaged out to $7.5 million over six years since he still had two years remaining on his previous deal.

 

That seems like the right neighborhood for Jordan though his asking price will likely be on the higher end, especially as the NFL’s salary cap continues to escalate.

[treeduck]

Sean Payton on Saints' top three 'musts' this offseason

 

http://www.foxsports.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/nfl/images/2013/11/21/112113-NFL-Saints-Sean-Payton-And-Drew-Brees-DG-PI.jpg

 

During the Mickey Loomis-Sean Payton regime, the New Orleans Saints have always broken their offseason wish list into categories of “wants,” “needs” and “musts.”

 

This year, Payton said, the Saints have two or three “musts.”

 

“I think one’s a corner. I think another position is an interior offensive lineman. And potentially a pass-rusher,” Payton told Pro Football Talk while at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. “And look, those are invaluable positions to every team every year. …

 

The Saints could be in the market for a starting cornerback opposite Keenan Lewis.

“We have to check off the musts, be it through free agency or the draft.”

 

It’s hard to argue with Payton’s ranking. When I did my own breakdown of the Saints’ offseason needs last month, I had cornerback No. 1, outside linebacker No. 2 and guard/center No. 3.

 

Of that group, I think cornerback is the one that “must” be addressed in free agency -- both because the Saints need a proven starter they can rely on across from Keenan Lewis, and because the crop of available candidates appears much stronger in free agency than the draft.

 

Payton and former Saints player personnel director Ryan Pace both talked this week about the value of weighing the depth of certain positions in free agency vs. the draft. The Saints can’t count on finding a starting-caliber corner with the 13th pick in the draft. Only Michigan State’s Trae Waynes has been rated that high by most draft analysts so far. Other corners may work their way up in Round 1, but they come with question marks.

 

Meanwhile, the list of potential free-agent cornerbacks is loaded (albeit an expensive menu). At the top is Brandon Flowers, Byron Maxwell, Kareem Jackson, Antonio Cromartie, Tramon Williams and possibly Darrelle Revis. The next tier includes guys with experience and potential like Perrish Cox, Chris Culliver, Tarell Brown, Darius Butler and Buster Skrine. And there are some experienced veterans who could help bring leadership, such as Rashean Mathis, Ike Taylor, Charles Tillman, Terence Newman and Carlos Rogers.

 

As for the second “must” that Payton mentioned, the Saints clearly need to get younger throughout the interior offensive line, where all three starters from last year are in their 30s (guards Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs and center Jonathan Goodwin). But I’m very curious to find out exactly how the Saints plan to address those positions.

 

Will they consider replacing either Evans or Grubbs because of their expensive contracts? Are they looking for a new starting center to replace free agent Goodwin and compete with young backup Tim Lelito? Or are they just looking for depth throughout the interior line -- especially in the draft -- with an eye toward replacing Evans and Grubbs in the future?

[troutman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GybJ8mwlukY

 

:codger: :dweez:

[treeduck]

https://www.youtube....h?v=GybJ8mwlukY

 

:codger: :dweez:

That's going back a bit! :hail:

[troutman]

https://www.youtube....h?v=GybJ8mwlukY

 

:codger: :dweez:

That's going back a bit! :hail:

 

Hell yeah,

 

The way the game should be played. :codger: :7up:

[treeduck]

What about this?? This is more my era:

 

I know we lost this game but we won the next 7 in a row and finished with a 10-6 record and yet only finished 3rd in the division and didn't make the play-offs...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebFCL9yoxoY

[treeduck]

Here's one of the Mora play-off losses to that team from the circus...

 

[laughedatbytime]

4 pages already on a team that missed the playoffs and are 6 months away from playing another game?!?

 

ducky, find yourself a woman or three

So you're saying when the Packers don't make the play-offs you;ll lose interest and never post about them until the next time they do? Sounds like a Cowboys fan! I didn't know you had so much in common with them! See you in the Cowboys thread! :hi:

LIX can't be a Cowboy fan, he knows what pass interference is.

[treeduck]

Cut Candidates:

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/images/photos/NFL/NO/NFL_Colston1_300.jpg

 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

 

RG Jahri Evans

Cap number: $11M

Cap savings: $6M

Cash savings: $7.5M

Dead money: $5M

The Saints have far-and-away the worst cap situation in the league. They’re close to $30M over the cap. GM Mickey Loomis is a proponent of kicking the can down the road and dealing with the repercussions later much like the Cowboys and Jerry Jones. Something has to be done before the new league year starts on March 10. The Saints will try to “restructure” some of these deals, but a couple players are going to get their walking papers. Evans has been the Saints’ right guard the past nine seasons and is a four-time first-team All-Pro. Like a lot of the Saints, Evans’ play fell off a cliff in 2014. He was Pro Football Focus’ 77th-ranked guard out of 78 qualifiers in pass protection. Evans may have an excuse, however. He battled a wrist injury all year long and needed surgery after the season. He’ll turn 32 in August. The Saints may choose to keep Evans and move on from LG Ben Grubbs.

 

WR Marques Colston

Cap number: $9.7M

Cap savings: $4.3M

Cash savings: $7M

Dead money: $5.4M

Colston posted career-low 16-game averages in catches, yards, and touchdowns last season and continues to see his athleticism decline. There’s no chance he’s back at his current $6.9M base salary. The Saints would like to bring Colston back for his age-32 season, and the veteran is reportedly open to a pay cut. Colston can still be an asset thanks to his size, but he needs to catch the ball better in 2015. He dropped eight of his 96 targets last year. Colston’s days of a WR2 production are over with Jimmy Graham as the No. 1 pass-game option and Kenny Stills and Brandin Cooks ready for increased roles. The smart move would probably be to cut Colston.

 

LG Ben Grubbs

Cap number: $9.6M

Cap savings: $3.6M

Cash savings: $6.6M

Dead money: $6M

The Saints signed Grubbs to a five-year, $36M deal in the 2012 offseason when they let Carl Nicks walk as a free agent to Tampa Bay. He hasn’t missed a start in New Orleans and had outstanding 2012 and 2013 seasons before coming down to Earth last year. The Saints can’t keep everyone, and the feeling is they’d rather keep RG Evans over Grubbs. They still may choose to retain both on restructured contracts. Grubbs turns 31 next month and is the league’s third-highest paid left guard.

 

MLB Curtis Lofton

Cap number: $9.25M

Cap savings: $4.25M

Cash savings: $7.25M

Dead money: $5M

Lofton has been an iron man throughout his career; he’s yet to miss a game in seven seasons and has started all but one of those. He also plays every snap on defense. Lofton is DC Rob Ryan’s leader, but his play really fell off in 2014, per Pro Football Focus. He missed a league-worst 22 tackles among 60 qualifying inside linebackers and received poor marks across the board as a run defender and in coverage. We’re willing to give him a pass, as nobody played well for New Orleans last season. Lofton is still 29 (in June) and is a tackle machine who usually contributes in other areas on the stat sheet unlike overrated ILBs D’Qwell Jackson, Paul Posluszny, and James Laurinaitis. Fellow ILB David Hawthorne is far more likely to be released.

 

NT Brodrick Bunkley

Cap number: $6.113M

Cap savings: $2.888M

Cash savings: $4.5M

Dead money: $3.225M

Bunkley is as good as gone and should be one of the Saints’ easiest cuts. He’s missed 10 games in three seasons with New Orleans and is coming off a torn quad suffered in Week 12. Bunkley will be 32 this season and sees his salary skyrocket up to $4.4M. 2013 third-rounder John Jenkins is the Saints’ nose tackle of the present and future, while Akiem Hicks and Cameron Jordan anchor the edges of New Orleans’ defensive line.

 

WLB David Hawthorne

Cap number: $6.01M

Cap savings: $2.99M

Cash savings: $4.5M

Dead money: $3.02M

Hawthorne will have to take a pay cut to stick around with the Saints. He’s missed nine games in three seasons with New Orleans and has put below-average play on tape when he’s been on the field. Hawthorne is well overpaid. The Saints have a number of holes to fill on defense.

 

S Rafael Bush

Cap number: $1.95M

Cap savings: $1.95M

Cash savings: $1.95M

Dead money: $0

Bush was arguably the Saints’ best safety before a fractured tibia cut his season short in Week 11. But the team has a ton of money tied up in the safety position with FS Jairus Byrd and SS Kenny Vaccaro. DC Rob Ryan likes to roll out three safeties a lot of the time, but Bush is one of the lone players the Saints can cut without taking on any dead money. The Saints may deem him too expensive for a No. 3 safety.

 

TE Ben Watson

Cap number: $1.9M

Cap savings: $1.5M

Cash savings: $1.5M

Dead money: $400K

Watson is 34 and entering the final year of his contract. The Saints are also high on Josh Hill behind Jimmy Graham. New Orleans would prefer to keep Watson around as a veteran leader, but money is tight and the $1.5M is more valuable to them at this point. Watson is near the end of the line.

 

[treeduck]

As Junior Galette's giant bonus looms, New Orleans Saints face tough decisions

 

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-media/width620/img/tpphotos/photo/2014/08/16/15635152-mmmain.jpg

 

Converting Junior Galette's $12.5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus was supposed to be the easiest decision of an offseason filled with much tougher choices for the New Orleans Saints.

 

But Galette's recent legal trouble -- and uncertainty about how the NFL will respond -- has complicated discussions of his future.

 

It's not known for sure what rights the Saints have under the contract Galette signed last October, and just how bold the team will be in asserting those rights.

 

The first showdown has a firm deadline. The new league year begins March 10. Galette's fully guaranteed roster bonus takes effect March 13. If the Saints can't void the guarantee, they'll likely convert the roster bonus to a signing bonus, alleviating what would be a brutal salary cap hit in 2015.

 

But if the Saints decide to play hardball? Then it's anyone guess what will happen.

 

Galette no longer faces any criminal charges stemming from his Jan. 5 domestic violence arrest. He hasn't missed any games, practices or workouts. His attorney has claimed that his accuser is engaging in extortion.

 

For those reasons and more, some experts are skeptical that the Saints could successfully void Galette's looming payday.

 

The biggest hurdle is that although the money was deferred when Galette agreed to a new contract last October, it's still guaranteed. Non-guaranteed money can be wiped away in an instant in the NFL; erasing Galette's $12.5 million guarantee will prove more difficult.

 

Galette's agent, Alvin Keels, did not respond to a request for comment about Galette's future. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said after Galette's arrest that the team takes the matter seriously and will cooperate with the NFL. Neither side has talked about contract matters with the media.

 

Here's how Galette and the Saints reached this point:

 

The deal Galette signed last October included $16.75 million in fully guaranteed money -- the only kind that really matters in the NFL. But Galette received only a portion of that money immediately -- a small base salary and $3.5 million signing bonus. The rest was pushed back to 2015 in the form of a roster bonus scheduled to take effect on the third day of the league year -- March 13.

 

The plan all along was for the Saints to convert that $12.5 million into a signing bonus in order to defer some of the salary cap hits. After conversion, the money would be spread over five years at $2.5 million annually. The savings for the 2015 cap would be an immediate -- and much-needed -- $10 million.

 

By agreeing to defer the large bonus, Galette wasn't taking that great of a risk. The money was still guaranteed. He was just agreeing to wait a few months to receive it.

 

But Galette's arrest on Jan. 5 changed the equation, particularly in an NFL climate that is much more sensitive to domestic violence after the league was criticized for how it responded to charges that Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice beat his then-fiancee.

 

The charge against Galette was dismissed earlier this month, in part because prosecutors weren't able to determine if the alleged victim lived at the residence -- one of the requirements for a domestic violence case. Earlier the same day as the dismissal, the woman filed a lawsuit against Galette alleging that he sexually and physically assaulted her.

 

While the dismissal of the criminal charge was good news for Galette, it's unclear how much weight that will carry with NFL investigators who are pursuing the case.

 

Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was arrested last May for allegedly assaulting an ex-girlfriend. He was convicted last June, but filed an immediate appeal. The criminal case was resolved in February when the charge was dismissed (the alleged victim failed to show up), but Hardy's future NFL status remains uncertain.

 

Hardy continued to draw a salary after he was placed on the exempt list after Week 1. So did Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson until he was formally suspended without pay last November. But both those incidents occurred before the NFL's new personal conduct policy was adopted by owners in December. (That's one of the reasons a federal judge overturned Peterson's suspension on Thursday.)

 

http://media.nola.com/saints_impact/photo/17128980-large.jpeg

This flow chart shows some of the questions the New Orleans Saints might try to answer as they review Junior Galette's situation in the next two weeks.

Evan Woodbery, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

 

Galette's case -- murky as it is -- will be the first real test of the new policy.

 

In many ways, however, Galette's contract and the NFL's impending investigation are separate issues.

 

If Galette is suspended by the NFL for all or part of 2015, the Saints can recover a portion of his salary and bonus. But Galette's "forfeitable salary" would be only a fraction of the $12.5 million bonus.

 

If, for example, Galette were suspended for six games in 2015, he would forfeit an estimated $1.5 million (roughly $500,000 from his base salary and $1 million from his bonus). Whether the money remains a roster bonus or is converted to a signing bonus has no impact on the Galette's liability, or the team's ability to recover it.

 

If, however, the Saints found a way to void the guaranteed portion of Galette's contract, the team's leverage -- and its decisions -- might be very different.

 

Salary cap expert Joel Corry said most players -- even quarterback Drew Brees -- have a clause in their contract that allows teams to void guaranteed money in certain instances.

 

The specific language in Galette's contract isn't known, but Corry said a standard clause references incarceration, retirement or suspension. The clause also says that "any action that materially undermines the public's respect for, or is materially critical of, (the) Club" could result in the guarantees being voided.

 

Given that Galette hasn't been convicted of a crime, suspended by the league or missed any team practices or games, the Saints would have to use an aggressive interpretation of the clause to try to escape the guaranteed money. Any attempt to do so would almost certainly be met by a challenge from Galette and the players' union.

 

But if the Saints could void the guarantee, it would open up their options considerably. An idea that once seemed unfathomable -- cutting Galette outright -- would suddenly be on the table.

 

Even if the Saints still wanted to bring Galette back, their leverage would increase dramatically.

 

What if the guaranteed money can't be escaped? Then the Saints' options are much simpler.

 

By cutting Galette, the Saints would take a bath financially and be admitting to a disastrous mistake in signing him to a long-term deal just five months earlier.

 

If they keep Galette with the guarantees intact, the only sensible solution is the one they had planned all along: Convert the roster bonus into a signing bonus, and then hope the second half of 2015 goes better for Galette than the first.

[treeduck]

Ways the Saints can solve salary cap woes, still be player in free agency

 

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-media/width620/img/tpphotos/photo/2014/12/29/16666444-mmmain.jpg

 

The narrative surrounding the New Orleans Saints this offseason reads like this: Those fiscally irresponsible Saints once again doomed themselves with their exorbitant spending habits of years past.

 

The Saints stand as the NFL franchise with its head poking through the shattered salary cap ceiling with the team $22.2 million over a projected $143 million cap for 2015, according to ESPN. The number looks impossible to overcome if the Saints yearn to improve their flawed roster from a year ago.

 

And with each passing day the Saints don't remedy the issue, public panic sets in from their uneasy fan base.

 

Rest assured, Saints fans. This has become an annual rite of passage with this organization, yet they make it work every year.

 

Sure, it comes with some wheeling and dealing. And yes, the "fixes" will spill over once again into the next offseason. The Saints will make the necessary moves to not only shoehorn under the salary cap, but also create funds to take at least one shot in free agency.

 

They had enough in reserve in 2013 to reel in cornerback Keenan Lewis with a five-year, $26.3 million deal (and it was nearly outside linebacker Paul Kruger instead). Safety Jairus Byrd, six years and $54 million, was the all-in acquisition last year.

 

There's been mixed reviews with the strategy. Lewis had paid off well in his two seasons in New Orleans, while Byrd, who missed most of last season with a knee injury and was hampered by a bad back last offseason, will have to again justify his hefty price tag beginning next season.

 

This time around, I think the Saints should take their one shot on another cornerback -- and aim high, beginning with Seattle's Byron Maxwell, Cleveland's Buster Skrine and Houston's Kareem Jackson.

 

After a week after of the initial frenzy, the Saints should still be able to nibble within the free-agent market in that second phase of cheaper options.

 

How do the Saints make all of this happen? Here are some options the Saints can make to not only squeeze under the salary cap, but also free up enough space to make a run at someone noteworthy free agents:

 

RESTRUCTURING CONTRACTS

Junior Galette

 

The maligned pass rusher better be thankful he agreed to a four-year, $41.5 million contract extension in September. There's no doubt in my mind Galette would no longer be wearing a Saints uniform right now after his January arrest if he wasn't tied to a new deal with a glut of guaranteed money attached.

 

Though his assault charge in Kenner was recently dropped, Galette remains in danger of not being on the roster come Week 1 of the regular season.

 

In the meantime, the Saints owe him a guaranteed $12.5 million roster bonus, making his 2015 cap number balloon to $15.45 million. The bonus was made as a "roster bonus" by design, though, so the Saints can shift the money into a prorated signing bonus over the next five years of Galette's contract.

 

By shifting $10 million of the $12.5 million bonus to the next five years, Galette's cap number drops considerably in 2015 to a more manageable $5.45 million.

 

Galette's potential new cap numbers:

 

2015: $5.45 million

 

2016: $8.3 million

 

2017: $9 million

 

2018: $10.7 million

 

2019: $10.9 million

 

2015 savings: $10 million

 

Jimmy Graham

 

The Pro Bowl tight end is set to receive a $5 million roster bonus this offseason, spiking his cap number to $11 million. Like Galette's bonus, the Saints could shift the cap hit through the next three seasons by converting the money into signing bonus.

 

The move would lower Graham's cap hit to $8.33 million this season.

 

Graham's potential new cap numbers:

 

2015: $8.33 million

 

2016: $13.6 million

 

2017: $14.6 million

 

2015 savings: $3.33 million

 

Jairus Byrd

 

I'm not going to bag on the Saints for signing Byrd to a deal that averages a maximum of $9 million per season. Not yet anyway.

 

The Saints could use the same technique as the aforementioned players to lower Byrd's cap hit.

 

The Saints can turn Byrd's $10.3 million cap figure into $5.5 million by spreading a $6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus over the next five years.

 

Byrd's potential new cap numbers:

 

2015: $5.5 million

 

2016: $10.9 million

 

2017: $11.2 million

 

2018: $11.7 million

 

2019: $9.7 million

 

2015 savings: $4.8 million

 

Curtis Lofton

 

Here's Part 4 of converting a roster bonus into prorated signing bonus.

 

The Saints could shift the $4.5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus. The shift would drop Lofton's $9 million cap number down to $6.75 million. That still might be too high for the Saints' liking, so a pay cut for Lofton isn't out of the question.

 

Lofton's potential new cap numbers:

 

2015: $6.75 million

 

2016: $9.75 million

 

(Lofton's contract is voided if he's on the roster five days after the 2016 season's Super Bowl)

 

2015 savings: $2.25 million

 

Total restructure savings: $20.38 million

 

RELEASES

David Hawthorne

 

A pay cut is an avenue the Saints could take with Hawthorne as well, but they would probably like to upgrade at inside linebacker.

 

Savings: $4.5 million

 

Brodrick Bunkley

 

The defensive tackle took a stiff pay cut last offseason to remain in New Orleans. I doubt that option will be offered this time around with John Jenkins seemingly destined to start in his place.

 

Savings: $4.5 million

 

Corey White

 

This was probably a bad time for White to receive a raise based on his increased playing time. His base salary more than doubled to $1.57 million from $660,000. For someone not starting anymore and without a true position in the secondary, White's time in New Orleans could be up very soon.

 

Savings: $1.57 million

 

Total savings on cuts: $10.57 million

 

The Saints would be $8.75 million under the cap if all of these moves occurred today. We haven't even gotten to potential pay cuts for receiver Marques Colston ($9.7 million cap number in 2015) and guards Jahri Evans ($11 million) and Ben Grubbs ($9.6 million).

 

For argument's sake, let's say the Saints cut $3 million of cap space for each of those three players. That would give the Saints nearly $18 million of cap space -- and that's without even touching Drew Brees' deal.

 

The Saints then could sign a starting-caliber cornerback in free agency and give serious consideration to other moves such as retaining running back Mark Ingram in addition to adding an inside linebacker or edge defender.

 

General manager Mickey Loomis typically smiles and deflects almost all questions concerning the team's financial game plan. He has continuously said this offseason that the team's cap situation isn't as dire as it seems.

 

Dismiss the annual narratives, and you'll find he's spot-on.

 

[treeduck]

Sean Payton at MIT conference: Analytics an important part of how New Orleans Saints practice, prepare for games

 

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-media/width620/img/tpphotos/photo/2014/09/14/15848342-mmmain.jpg

 

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said his coaches are using metrics every day, but perhaps not in the way fans and media might imagine.

 

Payton spoke Friday on a panel at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, a nationally known research forum for sports data.

 

One of the most relevant and immediate uses for new player-tracking data is during practices. The NFL rolled out a new "real-time" player tracking initiative in 2014, borrowing the same type of technology used by businesses to track assets with radio-frequency tags.

 

So now if one receiver runs twice as much as the others in his group, Payton knows about it after practice.

 

"This guy is doing more in practice than his peers: Let's make sure we're not dealing with a hamstring injury in a few days," Payton said of the technology. "It has an immediate impact on players."

 

Payton even said that offensive linemen would walk in circles to get their GPS readers to register more mileage.

 

Payton said coaches will be able to use the data from last year to adjust practices in 2015.

 

"It will shape us with how we practice in May and more important in training camp and in season," he said. "We can point to work load and how it relates to injuries. It will shape our calendar."

 

Payton and other panelists agreed that changes would be coming to the NFL Combine. A 40-yard dash might be the best metric for some players, but not others. Studies on bone length and a player's "chassis" give teams a way to evaluate college players based on more than just the "cone drill," Payton said.

 

During games, data about where a player lines up and in what circumstance can cut down on film study, or confirm what a coach is seeing on film.

 

When that happens, Payton said, "you become a more confident play-caller."

 

Ultimately a new wave of data in the NFL will mean "more MIT grads in coaching," Payton said.

 

But that doesn't mean a coach never relies on his gut instinct on Sundays.

 

"I think you have to rely on your gut, but during the week that data can shape the way you feel and what your gut is," Payton said.

 

Seven-time Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk, now a TV analyst, also spoke at the conference.

 

Payton called the New Orleans native one of the smartest players he's ever coached. He was Faulk's running backs coach at San Diego State.

 

Asked for a Super Bowl prediction at the end of the panel, Faulk declined. When prodded by Payton, Faulk said, "I picked New Orleans last year."

 

Payton replied, "You were off a year."

 

[laughedatbytime]

Sean Payton at MIT conference: Analytics an important part of how New Orleans Saints practice, prepare for games

 

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-media/width620/img/tpphotos/photo/2014/09/14/15848342-mmmain.jpg

 

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said his coaches are using metrics every day, but perhaps not in the way fans and media might imagine.

 

Payton spoke Friday on a panel at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, a nationally known research forum for sports data.

 

One of the most relevant and immediate uses for new player-tracking data is during practices. The NFL rolled out a new "real-time" player tracking initiative in 2014, borrowing the same type of technology used by businesses to track assets with radio-frequency tags.

 

So now if one receiver runs twice as much as the others in his group, Payton knows about it after practice.

 

"This guy is doing more in practice than his peers: Let's make sure we're not dealing with a hamstring injury in a few days," Payton said of the technology. "It has an immediate impact on players."

 

Payton even said that offensive linemen would walk in circles to get their GPS readers to register more mileage.

 

Payton said coaches will be able to use the data from last year to adjust practices in 2015.

 

"It will shape us with how we practice in May and more important in training camp and in season," he said. "We can point to work load and how it relates to injuries. It will shape our calendar."

 

Payton and other panelists agreed that changes would be coming to the NFL Combine. A 40-yard dash might be the best metric for some players, but not others. Studies on bone length and a player's "chassis" give teams a way to evaluate college players based on more than just the "cone drill," Payton said.

 

During games, data about where a player lines up and in what circumstance can cut down on film study, or confirm what a coach is seeing on film.

 

When that happens, Payton said, "you become a more confident play-caller."

 

Ultimately a new wave of data in the NFL will mean "more MIT grads in coaching," Payton said.

 

But that doesn't mean a coach never relies on his gut instinct on Sundays.

 

"I think you have to rely on your gut, but during the week that data can shape the way you feel and what your gut is," Payton said.

 

Seven-time Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk, now a TV analyst, also spoke at the conference.

 

Payton called the New Orleans native one of the smartest players he's ever coached. He was Faulk's running backs coach at San Diego State.

 

Asked for a Super Bowl prediction at the end of the panel, Faulk declined. When prodded by Payton, Faulk said, "I picked New Orleans last year."

 

Payton replied, "You were off a year."

 

Information is power...but you have to be careful and know how to use it. It also increases probabilities of success, it doesn't guarantee it.

[treeduck]

Sean Payton at MIT conference: Analytics an important part of how New Orleans Saints practice, prepare for games

 

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-media/width620/img/tpphotos/photo/2014/09/14/15848342-mmmain.jpg

 

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said his coaches are using metrics every day, but perhaps not in the way fans and media might imagine.

 

Payton spoke Friday on a panel at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, a nationally known research forum for sports data.

 

One of the most relevant and immediate uses for new player-tracking data is during practices. The NFL rolled out a new "real-time" player tracking initiative in 2014, borrowing the same type of technology used by businesses to track assets with radio-frequency tags.

 

So now if one receiver runs twice as much as the others in his group, Payton knows about it after practice.

 

"This guy is doing more in practice than his peers: Let's make sure we're not dealing with a hamstring injury in a few days," Payton said of the technology. "It has an immediate impact on players."

 

Payton even said that offensive linemen would walk in circles to get their GPS readers to register more mileage.

 

Payton said coaches will be able to use the data from last year to adjust practices in 2015.

 

"It will shape us with how we practice in May and more important in training camp and in season," he said. "We can point to work load and how it relates to injuries. It will shape our calendar."

 

Payton and other panelists agreed that changes would be coming to the NFL Combine. A 40-yard dash might be the best metric for some players, but not others. Studies on bone length and a player's "chassis" give teams a way to evaluate college players based on more than just the "cone drill," Payton said.

 

During games, data about where a player lines up and in what circumstance can cut down on film study, or confirm what a coach is seeing on film.

 

When that happens, Payton said, "you become a more confident play-caller."

 

Ultimately a new wave of data in the NFL will mean "more MIT grads in coaching," Payton said.

 

But that doesn't mean a coach never relies on his gut instinct on Sundays.

 

"I think you have to rely on your gut, but during the week that data can shape the way you feel and what your gut is," Payton said.

 

Seven-time Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk, now a TV analyst, also spoke at the conference.

 

Payton called the New Orleans native one of the smartest players he's ever coached. He was Faulk's running backs coach at San Diego State.

 

Asked for a Super Bowl prediction at the end of the panel, Faulk declined. When prodded by Payton, Faulk said, "I picked New Orleans last year."

 

Payton replied, "You were off a year."

 

Information is power...but you have to be careful and know how to use it. It also increases probabilities of success, it doesn't guarantee it.

 

Aye!