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The five-time Pro Bowler was recently released by the Chargers.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Chargers released edge rusher Joey Bosa. For the first time in his career, he is set to test free agency.
Over the years, Bosa has become an iconic member of the Chargers. His 72.0 sacks rank second in team history, behind Leslie O’Neal, who had 105.5. Bosa is also a five-time Pro Bowler and was named the rookie of the year in 2016. He is sure to be a hot commodity once free agency starts.
However, his recent health issues have resulted in a career decline, with him playing only 28 games since 2022 and adding only 14 sacks to his total. Bosa's five sacks in 2024 would have ranked third on the Saints behind Bryan Breese (7.5), Carl Granderson (5.5), and Chase Young (5.5).
Currently, the San Francisco 49ers, where his younger brother Nick plays, are the favorite team to sign him. His mother, Cheryl Bosa, is leading the charge on that front.
“BREAKING NEWS Can we get a petition going to get @jbbigbear to the bay?” His mom said on her Instagram story.
Despite his injury history, his talent is enough for me to say that the New Orleans Saints should give him a call. The opportunity for a career resurgence is too good to pass up. Additionally, there is the Brandin Staley connection. The current defensive coordinator of the Saints was the head coach for the Chargers from 2021-2023.
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The veteran quarterback will be the starter for the Saints.
After weeks of speculation on the future of Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints, the rumors of the veteran signal caller leaving have officially been put to bed.
Carr will be converting most of his nearly $40 million salary into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes.
The news comes after weeks of speculation regarding Carr's future with New Orleans, thanks in large part to the nearly $30 million increase to the league's salary cap.
Carr will look to have a better season after missing half of the season in 2024 with multiple injuries, including a broken hand.
The 11-year veteran will also hope to get off on the right foot with his new head coach Kellen Moore, who will be looking to make an impact offensively early in his head coaching tenure.
The move saves the Saints nearly $30 against the cap, according to Nick Underhill.
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All of these players could be retained on cheap contracts.
The New Orleans Saints have some cap space issues to deal with before making any signings this year, but re-signing or bringing in players on short-term cheap deals can still be done. Paulson Adebo and Chase Young are the two main upcoming Saints free agents, but their contracts will be very pricy for a team trying to rebuild the cap space. The team’s focus could be more on the cheaper players out of contract that could still make an impact next season.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25900126/2183099247.jpg "New Orleans Saints v Carolina Panthers")
This move seems like a no-brainer, and a couple of weeks ago, it may have looked unlikely. Over recent days, players like Tyler Lockett and Christian Kirk being cut, and big-name WRs like DK Metcalf asking for trades, the WR market has become filled with options. Scenarios like this usually drops the contract price for the players in that position, so the Saints should be able to sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a cheap deal. Last season, the Bills cut MVS, and New Orleans signed him to a 1-year, $1 million deal. Scantling stepped up when injuries destroyed the Saints WR room and made massive plays throughout last season. Although his role should be slightly decreased from last season, bringing back MVS will still be the Saints keeping an excellent weapon for this offense. With this WR market, New Orleans will not need to offer Scantling much to return, and another short-term, 1-year deal would be expected.
Projected Deal: 1-year, $3 million
ED Tanoh Kpassagnon
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25900158/2166785392.jpg "New Orleans Saints v Tampa Bay Buccaneers")
Tanoh Kpassagnon's name may be a forgotten one on the Saints roster, but should be one to look out for going into free agency. An injury in the offseason knocked Kpassagnon out of playing until January, and when he came back, his role was a bit all over the place especially with Dennis Allen being fired early in the season. Kpassagnon has been a solid piece to this defense since being signed in 2021, and he could be even better in Brandon Staley’s scheme. The team will unlikely completely change to Staley’s scheme right away, but 3-4 defense sets will still be utilized way more than before. Kpassagnon is a perfect short-term/rotational piece in a 3-4 defense, and if Chase Young does leave in free agency, the Saints will need as much edge rusher help as they can get. His run defense and strength is excellent for that 3-4 defensive end role, and if Staley does want to make that scheme switch early, bringing Kpassagnon back makes too much sense.
Projected Deal: 2-year, $4 million
S Will Harris
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25900221/2192062951.jpg "Las Vegas Raiders v New Orleans Saints")
The last player that the Saints should try to bring back on a cheap deal is safety Will Harris. Last season, Harris made some mistakes but he also made some massive plays for the defense. There were few expectations for Harris in New Orleans, and in a very disappointing season, his impact was a bright spot. Kellen Moore has mentioned that he wants his defense to play with intensity, and Will Harris will bring that. The safety room needs better depth, and if Harris does leave, this spot on the defense may be one of the weakest. Bringing back Harris at least will be the retention of a decent depth piece, and if Staley can get the best out of him, Harris will continue to make impact plays while being more consistent.
Projected Deal: 1-year, $3 million
These three upcoming Saints free agents are cheap options for the team to keep on the roster. Would you be all for New Orleans bringing back these players? Or do you think the team should let them walk? Are there any other players the Saints can attempt to retain in free agency?
Let us know in the comments below!
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Stay up to date here with the all the latest information during free agency frenzy.
It’s that time of year again, free agency is upon us. NFL teams can begin to negotiate with free agents starting Monday at 11 a.m. CT and players can officially be signed by a new team on Wednesday, March 12th at 3 pm CT, which is the start of the new league year.
Canal Street Chronicles will keep you updated on the New Orleans Saints latest signings, rumors, trades and more with this free agency live tracker and feel free to leave your thoughts on all the latest moves in the comment section below.
Sunday, March 9th:
Saints re-sign WR Dante Pettis to a 1-year deal.
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Inching closer to positive cap space.
The New Orleans Saints need to get to positive cap space by the start of the league year, which is this Wednesday. With moves expected to be made in free agency and the Saints already trading for former Patriots DT Davon Godchaux, more cap space needs to be opened up. The team can do this without destroying next year’s cap space, and being selective in who they restructure is how they do that. The Saints can focus on only restructuring players expected to be on this roster for the next 2-3 years. Usually, this applies to the younger players, but one of the older veterans is the exception. Today, per Mike Triplett, the New Orleans Saints have restructured Demario Davis’s contract.
With the Saints being selective in restructures, pay cuts will happen with some older players, such as Cam Jordan and Taysom Hill. However, a restructure makes sense, with Demario Davis still incredibly impactful. Davis showed little sign of slowing down in 2024, and if he stays healthy, his impact on the field can continue. This restructuring will get the Saints closer to the positive, but more work needs to be done, so expect additional contract news in the coming days.
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New Orleans now has a little over $13.5 million in cap space.
The New Orleans Saints have given themselves little more cap space by restructuring the contracts of DE Carl Granderson, G Cesar Ruiz and DT Khalen Saunders per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.
Granderson first signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in May 2019. In 2022, he signed a two-year contract extension with the team. Then in September 2023, he received a four-year, $52 million contract extension.
Ruiz was drafted by the Saints in the 1st round (24th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft In 2023, he signed a four-year, $44 million contract extension with $30 million guaranteed.
Saunders signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract with the Saints in March 2023.
The trio of moves now gives the New Orleans a little over $13.5 million in cap space.
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Pass rusher leaves New Orleans after missing more than half of his tenure with various injuries.
One of the bigger disappointments in recent NFL Draft memory for the New Orleans Saints has moved on. Payton Turner has reportedly agreed to a 1-year $3 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints obviously did not pick up his fifth-year option, so Turner departs for Dallas after just four seasons in New Orleans.
Turner was picked with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after a good but unremarkable career at the University of Houston. He was a project but never managed to stay on the field, as he only played 31 of a possible 68 games during his tenure in New Orleans due to injury problems. This is including his playing a career high 16 games last season as well, as prior to the 2024 season he had only played in 15 games in three years. When he was on the field, he was far from productive, as he only managed 5 sacks in 31 career games played.
What makes the pick hurt more is that three pass rushers drafted after Turner with picks 30-32 in the same draft (Gregory Rousseau, Odafe Oweh, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka) all have played double the number of games and have at least triple the number of sacks as Turner.
Age is still on his side as he is just 26 years old, so maybe a change of scenery will benefit him. But Turner will be remembered in New Orleans as one of the more disappointing draft picks in franchise history.
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With some cap space to use, building for the present and future is paramount.
The New Orleans Saints started slow in the legal tampering period, but by the end of day 2, the team re-signed Chase Young and Juwan Johnson, traded for Davon Godchaux, and signed Justin Reid to a three-year contract. Even after making these moves, the Saints still have space to make more signings in free agency, so here are some options for New Orleans on day 3.
CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25907011/1766017196.jpg "Chicago Bears v Los Angeles Chargers")
With Paulson Adebo leaving in free agency, the Saints have a massive weakness at cornerback. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor are the two current starters, but Taylor is projected to move back to slot corner. This leaves the second CB spot opposite McKinstry wide open, and although the Saints could and should select a CB in the draft, relying on a rookie right away is a considerable risk. The other option is to go with a free agent, and Asante Samuel Jr. makes the most sense. Being only 25, Samuel Jr. would be a dynamic young piece to add to the Saints defense and an excellent investment for the future. With New Orleans hiring several college-level coaches for this defensive staff, investing in development and youth is an apparent goal. There is a real chance this defense looks completely different in two seasons, so being prepared for that is smart. In addition, when Brandon Staley was the head coach of the Chargers, Samuel Jr. made massive improvements and was an important piece in the defense. Asante Samuel Jr. seems like a no-brainer signing, with him being a younger option and already succeeding in Staley’s scheme.
Projected Deal: 3-year, $36 million
OG Will Hernandez
Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25906938/2171728543.jpg "Los Angeles Rams v Arizona Cardinals")
Another massive weakness on this Saints roster is LG. Currently, they do not have a starting player for that position on the team, and although this year’s draft can be a great option, I would rather have that potential prospect develop instead of throwing them to the wolves. Going into the draft, the Saints need to find their starting LG, and Will Hernandez can be just that. Last season, before the season-ending knee injury, Hernandez was the starting RG for the Cardinals and looked really solid. He would have to switch to LG for the Saints, but he already has a prior history playing at that position. Unlike the Samuel Jr. signing, this one would not be a big investment for the future, but Hernandez can be a short-term fix to allow a drafted player to develop. Also, Hernandez should be a cheaper option compared to the other free agent guards available.
Projected Deal: 2-year, $14 million
The Saints have some cap space to use, so who would you like New Orleans to sign? Would you rather them sign 1-year deals? Or invest in the future? Let us know in the comments below!
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MVS reunites with Klint Kubiak in Seattle.
Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is signing a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks worth up to $5.5 million, per Tom Pelissero. Valdes-Scantling reunites with former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
New Orleans signed the veteran receiver late in the 2024 season after injuries plagued their wide receiver room, taking out Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
Valdes-Scantling burst into the scene with the Saints in his second game with the team, bringing in 3 receptions for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. He would respond one week later with a two-reception game for 87 yards and a touchdown. Valdes-Scantling’s Saints tenure would end with the veteran receiver recording 17 receptions for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Now going onto the fifth team in his career, Valdes-Scantling hopes to land a bigger role with the Seahawks who recently lost veterans Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
The Saints have a need at wide receiver and the departure of Valdes-Scantling only emphasizes the void. There remain other veteran receivers on the market for New Orleans to contact, such as wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, and the team has been linked to other receivers in the draft.
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