Kellen Moore Saints Told to Sign Projected $40.9 Million Super Bowl Guard with Last Season ‘Pleasant Surprise’ on a Long Term Deal…..

The New Orleans Saints could consider acquiring a Super Bowl-winning guard in free agency … if they can afford him, that is.

New Orleans’ roster needs are numerous. One point of emphasis in depth chart construction will be to strengthen the offensive line to ensure that injury-riddled Derek Carr is provided with ample protection.

On Friday, The Advocate’s Matthew Paras wondered whether the Saints will call about a 25-year-old former No. 11 pick fresh off a championship: Mekhi Becton.

“Becton was one of the league’s pleasant surprises last season when he had newfound success after leaving the (New York) Jets to join the (Philadelphia) Eagles,” Paras wrote.

“A transition to guard helped him greatly. He could … be out of New Orleans’ price range considering the lack of quality offensive linemen available in free agency this year.”

Spotrac projects Becton to demand $10.2 million annually, which could land the guard a deal in the realm of four years, $40.9 million.

Becton would be an excellent, young piece to build around, but the Saints simply don’t have the type of cap space to make a splash signing right now.

Who knows — maybe Mickey Loomis will work wonders in March and recalibrate New Orleans’ fiscal resources in a way that makes a Becton signing somewhat plausible.

A rebuilding team with a new head coach like the Saints would be wise to invest in their offensive and defensive lines as a starting point. A long-term deal with Becton would be ideal, but it’s closer to fantasy than reality for New Orleans at the moment.

Aaron Rodgers Dark Horse Emerging Causes Fear for Jets Fans

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacting ahead of an NFL game.

The NFL quarterback carousel continues to swing violently this offseason.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport revealed that the Minnesota Vikings have emerged as a “dark horse” for New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers ahead of free agency.

A crazy domino effect was created on Friday, March 7 when the Seattle Seahawks traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Rapoport explained that the Seahawks, now with a hole at QB1, have pivoted to former Jets QB Sam Darnold. That means the Vikings would now have to pivot to a new direction to find a veteran quarterback.

In 2008 the Jets traded for Brett Favre in a blockbuster deal with the Green Bay Packers. After his tenure in NY, Favre was released and eventually landed on the Vikings. Now 17 years later, history has a chance to repeat itself.

The Jets are expected to officially part ways with Rodgers on Wednesday, March 12 when the new league year opens. At that point he can officially sign with a new team.

NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo said Rodgers “could be in play” for the Vikings.

Bad Memories for Jets Fans

There were plenty of good moments for NYJ fans in 2008 with Favre. The team started 8-3 and had legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. However Favre tore a tendon in his bicep and tried to play through it. The team couldn’t overcome the injury going 1-4 over the final five weeks of the regular season. Gang Green missed the playoffs and the rest is history.

Favre finished the season with as many passing touchdowns (22) as he had interceptions (22).

The Hall of Fame quarterback found the fountain of youth with the Vikings in 2009. He finished with the best touchdown (33) to interception (7) ratio of his career. In addition to individual success, Favre carried the Vikings to the NFC Championship game. Favre threw an interception across his body late that sealed their fate.

Rodgers showed signs of life this season for the Jets with 3,897 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and he completed 63% of his passes.

The fear among Jets fans is Rodgers will leave, go to a much better team with better coaching, and thrive. This past season Minnesota won 14 games and put up prolific offensive numbers with skill talent everywhere.

A Rodgers-Vikings Pairing Might Be Better Than the Alternative

Rodgers going to the Vikings could be painful for Jets fans who remember the 2008 and 2009 seasons. However it could be a better result than the other rumors floating out there.

Art Stapleton of North Jersey dot com told Pat McAfee that the New York Giants “are significantly” interested in Rodgers.

“I don’t think it would be a shock to people if he was the Giants quarterback next season,” Stapleton said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday, March 6.

“My understanding is that the Giants are significantly interested in Aaron Rodgers..

I don’t think it would be a shock to people if he was the Giants Quarterback next season”@art_stapleton

Rodgers having a good season would turn some heads in 2025 with the Jets. But nothing would turn heads more than Rodgers dominating in the same stadium but with a shade of blue instead of green.

That success would be constantly shoved in the Jets’ faces and brought up during media availability constantly for head coach Aaron Glenn.

At least in Minnesota, Rodgers would be in the other conference as opposed to potentially being in the same town and stadium as the Jets.

Saints Named ‘Perfect’ Destination For 6-Time Pro Bowler as HC Kellen Continue with Rebuild

We are just days away from free agency beginning in the National Football League.

It’s one of the more exciting times in the NFL calendar because of the fact that no teams are ruled out. Some may not do much in free agency, but every team will have the opportunity to add talent in the offseason with the hope of making playoff runs the following season.

The New Orleans Saints are a team that may not have much spending flexibility when it’s all said and done and free agency begins, but that doesn’t mean the franchise won’t be able to add any pieces. The Saints likely won’t be able to hand out some sort of massive, nine-figure deal, but New Orleans surely will be able to add some cheap depth if it sees fit.

New Orleans should be on the lookout for pieces to help improve the defense and because of this, Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker called New Orleans the “perfect” landing spot for six-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell.

“New Orleans Saints: DL Calais Campbell,” Locker said. “While the Saints have a bevy of roster holes to fill, the unfortunate reality is that the team doesn’t have much room to work with financially. Campbell could be a cheaper but high-payoff signing. New Orleans closed 2024 ranked 31st in PFF run-defense grade, and no Saints interior defender recorded a run-defense mark above 62.2.

“Meanwhile, Campbell’s 85.9 PFF run-defense grade was the best among qualifiers at the position, marking his second straight season with an 80.0-plus grade in the category. When the Dolphins added Campbell last offseason, he played far better than his $2 million salary indicated. Perhaps the Saints could swing a similar type of deal to fortify their defensive line.”

Campbell is a Hall of Fame-level talent who now is 38 years old. He still had five sacks in 2024, but likely won’t land any sort of bank-breaking deal this offseason. This is the type of move the Saints could target because he’d be a clear upgrade and likely would be affordable at this stage of his career.

Report: Steelers May Have Controversial Move Planned As They Are ‘Eyeballing’ Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the few teams across the NFL who do not currently have a set-in-stone starting quarterback for the 2025 season. Many believe the Steelers will be re-signing either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields to be the team’s starting quarterback moving forward, but there are also some external options. Aaron Rodgers was notified of his release by the New York Jets, and the veteran quarterback seems to want to continue his playing career. Pittsburgh could be the next stop in his career, although that would not be a favorable move.

Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play professionally, but the last couple seasons have not been pretty for the veteran. He tore his Achilles in his first game suiting up for the Jets in 2023, and he then returned in 2024 but did not play like himself. He has certainly lost a step, but could still be a viable option as a starting quarterback for some team in the NFL. Pittsburgh seems to want to move forward with Fields, but the two sides have yet to agree on a new deal. NFL insider Benjamin Allbright joined a space on X that was hosted by the JetCastPod, where he was asked questions about the quarterback situation by fans.”Pittsburgh has got low-ball offers out to Russ and to Justin.” Allbright said. “I don’t think Russ is going to be back there, Justin is a maybe. The Steelers are kind of eye-balling Rodgers with the negotiations and the talks with the Giants, seeing if they can sneak in there after that if it doesn’t work. The Steelers have several irons in the fire.”

The New York Giants seem to be the favorites to land Rodgers for the 2025 season, as the two sides have been talking. The Giants are also in a good spot to draft a quarterback, and there has even been some murmurs of them trading up to the number one overall pick. Allbright believes Pittsburgh is watching the situation between Rodgers and the Giants very closely, and if things fall through the Steelers can insert themselves into the conversation.

It is important to note that Allbright’s primary responsibility is covering the Denver Broncos, but he is very plugged in throughout the league. He has been in front of reports before, and that could be the case once again.

Rodgers is nowhere near the player he once was, and signing Rodgers as the starter for the 2025 season would certainly ignite the fan base in Pittsburgh. He is not much of an upgrade over Wilson, as both quarterbacks struggle with their mobility as they are two of the oldest players at the position. It is safe to say that Fields is the fan-favorite, but there is a serious chance that the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a new contract. If that happens, Rodgers could be next in line to be the starter.

Steelers Need To Make Re-Signing Justin Fields A Priority

The fact the Steelers have a low-ball offer submitted to Fields shows that the organization is not all that serious about making him the starter in 2025. It seems like a no-brainer to bring him back to Pittsburgh, as he still has limitless potential and brings a whole other layer to the offense when he is on the field.

The best teams in the league have quarterbacks that can use their legs to extend plays and make things happen, and Rodgers and Wilson cannot provide that. Fields is a cheaper option, and although he hasn’t been an elite starter in his career, he is still the best option for Pittsburgh to be threat in the AFC.

REBUILDING NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Saints and Ravens Connected In All-Pro Trade talks that will help the Franchise save $7.25 million in available money…..

The Rebuilding New Orleans Saints Could Trade Longtime Veteran Tyrann Mathieu, And One Potential Suitor Stands Out Among The Rest

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu is one of the most popular names on the trade market, and it’s easy to see why. Now entering his age-33 season, the three-time All-Pro is not the same dominant force he was at the peak of his career, but he’s still a starting-caliber safety who could help a team that one or two players away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The Saints do not fit this description, as they have one of the league’s worst rosters and are trapped in a self-made salary cap hell.

With no realistic path to contending any time soon, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes the Saints should trade Tyrann Mathieu to the Baltimore Ravens. In a recent article, the NFL analyst defended the decision, saying it makes too much sense to not happen.

“The LSU product is a versatile defensive back who can play multiple positions and posted a rock-solid passer rating against of 76.4 last season. Upgrading the league’s second-worst pass defense from last season has to be right at the top of the Ravens’ to-do list this spring. They should use every option available to do so, including a trade for a veteran upgrade at safety.”

Saints, Ravens Connected In Tyrann Mathieu Trade Rumors

Calling the Ravens the second-worst pass defense in football is a little misleading, as total passing yards allowed doesn’t account for game script, garbage time, or opponent. However, with that disclaimer out of the way, Baltimore’s defense could use an upgrade in the secondary. While Kyle Hamilton remains one of the game’s best safeties, Marcus Williams had a disastrous season and veteran Eddie Jackson couldn’t recapture his 2010’s form during his lone season with the Ravens.

With late-season breakout Ar’Darius Washington headed for free agency, a Tyrann Mathieu trade could be the perfect solution to shore up the safety position. However, an official transaction probably won’t go down until after June 1st, as New Orleans can spread the dead cap hit over two seasons. While this means Mathieu will have less time to adjust to Baltimore’s scheme, the 12-year veteran should be able to learn the defense by Week 1.

Possible Compensation

As mentioned above, the Saints will probably wait until after June 1st to trade Tyrann Mathieu. Trading him before the date will only create $16,000 in cap savings, but waiting until the back half of the year will lead to $7.25 million in available money. The only downside to this is that New Orleans will not receive any immediate draft compensation for Mathieu’s services.

Davenport believes the Ravens will send a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Saints in exchange for the star safety. This makes sense for both sides, as the Ravens can get a player at a key position of need without impacting their ability to create a strong roster in 2025. The Saints, meanwhile, are staring down a multi-year rebuild and could use all the young talent they can get.

Freeing up cap space is helpful, but nearly a decade of contract restructures ensures this team cannot seriously compete for years on end. First-year head coach Kellen Moore needs all the young draft picks he can get, and a 2026 fifth-round pick is far more helpful for this organization than a 33-year-old safety.