New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints didn't expect to emerge from this offseason with three quarterbacks still on their roster. They're now hoping they can keep at least two of them—and have a game plan set should it happen. 

As the Saints work out a new deal with Drew Brees, general manager Mickey Loomis went on Sirius XM NFL Radio at the NFL combine and talked about his desire to keep Taysom Hill in the fold. 

"He's got a bright future and we have a vision for him," Loomis said. 

To date, New Orleans' plan has consisted of using Hill as a hybrid weapon, capable of passing, receiving, rushing and returning kicks. 

"He's unique when you look around the league," Loomis added. "So we're going to have to look at it in that way. We love Taysom. Love what he's done for us."

Hill will turn 30 when the 2020 season opens. That's hard to believe given he's only been in the league for three years and has thrown just 13 passes since going undrafted out of BYU. Whatever is left to develop, teams will have to do it in a hurry. 

Unless, of course, that team is the Saints, where Hill has evolved into the NFL's answer to baseball's utility man, filling in wherever he can to create a mismatch and giving head coach Sean Payton a versatile weapon for trick plays.

Now New Orleans finds him too valuable to let go of.

"I think he feels the same way," Loomis said. "I think he feels strongly about his experience in New Orleans and would love to be back with us. So that's 90 percent of the battle." 

Having just completed a three-year, $1.67 million deal, there's no question Hill is due for a raise. As a restricted free agent, however, his options on the open market may be limited. With the Saints working to get a deal done with Drew Brees ahead of free agency, which opens up on March 18, Loomis should have a good idea of what he can afford to dole out to Hill moving forward. 

One of the specific reasons he wants to get a contract with Brees finished before then is to make sure the team has the ability to maneuver when the market opens. As of February, Spotrac.com estimates New Orleans will have $9.75 million available under the salary cap.  

It's not a ton of room to work with. Loomis will have no choice but to make it all fit. As far as that plan goes, Hill is squarely in the middle of it. 

The New Orleans Saints are hopeful of sorting out Drew Brees' contract within the next few weeks.

General manager Mickey Loomis said Thursday the NFL Scouting Combine the Saints are aiming to reach a deal by March 18, when free agency officially opens, per The Athletic's Katherine Terrell.

Brees announced earlier this month on Instagram he intends to play in 2020.

Drew Brees announces he's returning for the 2020 season @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/GzHdfojnGO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 18, 2020

Although everybody expects the 41-year-old back in New Orleans, the specific details of his contract could prove tricky.

The Saints are projected to have only $9.3 million in salary-cap space, per Over the Cap. Even assuming Brees gives the team a hometown discount, he counted for more than twice that figure ($22.7 million) in 2019.

Having Brees on the roster also means Loomis needs to strike a delicate balance between trimming payroll and keeping enough talent to contend for a Super Bowl.

Kiko Alonso and Janoris Jenkins are two obvious candidates to be out the door since they'd free up $19.1 million in cap space while leaving the team with only $850,000 in dead money, according to Over the Cap. But Loomis would still need to create more financial flexibility to not only re-sign Brees but also make upgrades in free agency.

Loomis told reporters in January 2019 the team had successfully "kind of kicked the can down the road a number of times."

At some point, the Saints will have to answer for their short-term financial approach and make significant cuts that would presumably trigger a rebuild or transitional phase.

Perhaps Loomis can once again successfully navigate around the cap this spring to capitalize on the Saints' shrinking Super Bowl window before it closes completely.

The decision over whether to make emails between the New Orleans Saints and Archdiocese of New Orleans public remains unresolved, according to ESPN's Mike Triplett. 

The involved parties in the case argued in front of Judge Carolyn Gill-Jefferson on Thursday. Gill-Jefferson said she "will give her recommendation on how to proceed to presiding Judge Ellen Hazeur after reviewing Thursday's arguments and the briefs that were submitted by attorneys."

The case centers on communication between the Saints and archdiocese as it was planning to release a list of clergy members accused of sexual abuse of minors.

The Associated Press' Jim Mustian reported Jan. 30 the plaintiffs in the case argued the Saints had worked with the archdiocese to identify which names to include or exclude in the list:

"Plaintiffs' attorneys alleged in earlier court papers that Saints executives joined in the archdiocese's 'pattern and practice of concealing its crimes,' and one email from late 2018 referred to Saints Senior Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel joining unnamed 'third parties' in a discussion about 'removing priests from the pedophile list.' It was not clear which other Saints officials may have been involved."

Saints owner Gayle Benson released a statement confirming Bensel's contact with Archbishop Gregory Aymond and the archdiocese but said he provided only public relations guidance and did not offer input on specific clergy members:

"Greg informed me that his recommendations were consistent with the Archdiocese and included: be honest, complete and transparent; own the past wrongs and find a solution to correct them and then define those solutions that are in place now to protect victims; be a leader in the Church by being the first Archdiocese in the country to release the full list of names, release all of the names of clergy that have credible evidence against them, regardless of whether they are male/female, dead or alive; and make sure that all law enforcement are given these names prior to the Archdiocese releasing them so they can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Benson added the Saints were "proud of the role we played."

Although Bensel used his official Saints email account, an attorney for the church told the court Thursday he wasn't working as a representative of the team when communicated with the archdiocese, per Triplett.

Per Mustian, an AP analysis suggested the list the archdiocese released "underestimated the actual number of publicly accused clergy members in the region by at least 20."

Mustian, Reese Dunklin and Brett Martel reported for the AP that Benson and her late husband Tom had donated $62 million through their foundation to the archdiocese "and other Catholic causes" in the past 12 years.

The Bensons also had a close relationship with Aymond. He helped arrange a meeting for them with Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, and he served as an official witness when Tom amended his will to leave the Saints and New Orleans Pelicans to Gayle.

The NFL hasn't officially weighed in on the matter, and The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan reported the league is content to avoid any involvement "unless Saints emails show troublesome actions."

The New Orleans Saints have some key free-agent decisions to make this offseason, but Taysom Hill sounds open to playing with Drew Brees in 2020. 

Appearing on Adam Schefter's podcast (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk), Hill explained he would have no problems potentially continuing his role in New Orleans' offense with Brees at quarterback:

“At the end of the day, I look at Drew coming back and maybe I’m not playing quarterback, which is ultimately where I want to have an opportunity to play in the NFL, but there are still going to be opportunities for me to make plays. I can tell you a unique experience for me that most backup quarterbacks don’t get is I’m in the huddle with Drew on game day. ... That to me is invaluable.”

Brees announced Tuesday on Instagram that he will return to the Saints next season.

Brees' return allows the Saints to breathe a sigh of relief. All three of their quarterbacks in 2019 are scheduled to become free agents next month. 

Even though Brees hasn't signed a new contract, he told NFL Network's Jane Slater (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra) in January he would only play for the Saints if he decided to play next season. 

"At this stage of my career, it's not a given that I'm coming back every year, but when that time comes, I'll always be a Saint," Brees said. 

Teddy Bridgewater (unrestricted), who went 5-0 in 2019 when Brees was out due to a torn ligament in his thumb, and Hill (restricted) can test the open market. 

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2017, Hill has emerged as a Swiss Army knife in head coach Sean Payton's offense. 

In the Saints' 26-20 overtime playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Hill caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brees and set up Alvin Kamara's four-yard touchdown run with a 50-yard completion to Deonte Harris. 

Hill, 29, had his most productive regular season in 2019 with 390 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns on 46 touches. 

Even though there was no indication Drew Brees was going anywhere, the 41-year-old said Tuesday he will return to the New Orleans Saints in 2020.

Brees announced his decision to return for his 15th season with the Saints via Instagram:

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in January the 19-year veteran wanted to sign a new deal and wouldn't retire even if the Saints won the Super Bowl.

New Orleans' season came to an end with an upset loss to the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC Wild Card Game.

The 13-time Pro Bowler set the NFL record for completion percentage in 2018 and is the only quarterback in NFL history who has more than one season with at least a 70 percent completion rate. He has accomplished the feat five times.

Brees also holds records for career completions (6,867) and passing yards (77,416). In December 2019, he became the NFL's all-time leader in passing touchdowns (he now has 547), surpassing former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos star Peyton Manning (539).

Last season was another successful one for Brees even though he missed five games early with a torn thumb ligament. He led the league in completion percentage (74.3) and had the highest touchdown percentage (7.1) of his career.

The Saints are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and could make a deep playoff run in 2020.

Coming off another excellent season, Brees' expectations will be sky-high. He's always broken through his ceiling, so there's no reason to think he won't have New Orleans back in contention for a Super Bowl.

Veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is expected to have "a strong free agency market as a starting or bridge quarterback for a team in transition," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler also reported many believe Bridgewater will leave the New Orleans Saints if Drew Brees re-signs with the team this offseason.

Bridgewater made five starts for the Saints in 2019 after Brees suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb. He threw for 1,205 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions over that stretch, with New Orleans going 5-0.

Bridgewater's gruesome knee injury in 2016 significantly disrupted his career. He didn't play at all that season and made one appearance for the Minnesota Vikings toward the end of the 2017 campaign.

Following his trade to the Saints in August 2018, the 27-year-old started to rebuild his on-field reputation. Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo ranked him as the 19th-best free agent available this spring:

"He filled in admirably for Brees, winning all five starts while grading at 73.0 overall to go with a passer rating of 99.1. Bridgewater got more comfortable every week, attacking down the field and showing signs of his early-career self. At the very least, Bridgewater has put himself back in the conversation for a starting job with the understanding that he's likely going to limit the turnover-worthy plays (2.1% was seventh-lowest in 2019) to go with a low percentage of big-time throws (2.9% ranked 28th), but that skillset could play in a situation with a strong defense and surrounding talent."

Positioning Bridgewater as a franchise quarterback would still be risky given how little he has played since his Pro Bowl season in 2015. His numbers from 2019 were encouraging more so than exceptional.

Dak Prescott, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill are all free agents as well, but their availability could be limited. Prescott and Tannehilll are eligible for the franchise tag, while Brady (42) and Rivers (38) are unlikely to join a team that isn't firmly in Super Bowl contention.

Bridgewater is the same age Kirk Cousins was when Cousins opened 2015 as the Washington Redskins' starter. Teams that strike out on the best players at the position or don't have a high pick in the 2020 draft would be wise to give him a shot. 

A foundation set up by the New Orleans Saints' ownership has donated at least $62 million to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and local Catholic pursuits over the last 12 years, according to Jim Mustian, Reese Dunklin and Brett Martel of the Associated Press. 

The report comes amid questions as to the Saints' relationship with the archdiocese, particularly in regard to how the team advised the archdiocese when it released a list of clergy members who had been accused of sexual assault.

Lawyers representing victims of the abuse alleged in a lawsuit the Saints offered input on which names should be included on the list, per the AP's Jim Mustian:

"The Saints appear to have had a hand in determining which names should or should not have been included on the pedophile list.

"In order to fulfill this role ... the Saints must have known the specific allegations of sexual abuse against a priest ... and made a judgment call about whether those allegations by a particular victim against a named priest were, in its opinion, legitimate enough to warrant being included. ... It cannot now be disputed that the Saints had actual involvement in the creation of the pedophile list."

Team owner Gayle Benson issued a statement confirming Greg Bensel, the team's senior vice president of communications, worked with the archdiocese ahead of the list's release. However, she said his communication was limited to matters of public relations:

"Greg informed me that his recommendations were consistent with the Archdiocese and included: be honest, complete and transparent; own the past wrongs and find a solution to correct them and then define those solutions that are in place now to protect victims; be a leader in the Church by being the first Archdiocese in the country to release the full list of names, release all of the names of clergy that have credible evidence against them, regardless of whether they are male/female, dead or alive; and make sure that all law enforcement are given these names prior to the Archdiocese releasing them so they can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Benson added the Saints were "proud of the role" they played and didn't regret involving the franchise in the process.

She also said money donated by her and her late husband Tom was never given in order for "the Catholic Church to pay settlements or legal awards of any kind."

The AP's newest report highlights how close Archbishop Gregory Aymond has been to the Saints, to the point he "became almost a part of the team." Aymond helped Gayle and Tom Benson meet with Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, and he was an official witness when Tom amended his will to leave control of the Saints and New Orleans Pelicans to his wife.

The Saints are attempting to prevent the public release of emails between their personnel and the archdiocese.

According to The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan, the NFL doesn't plan to wade into the situation "unless Saints emails show troublesome actions."

While the New Orleans Saints want Drew Brees to return in 2020, head coach Sean Payton is reportedly "secretly intrigued" about the potential of moving forward with Taysom Hill.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Payton could try a running quarterback in a "full-time role" if Brees retires. 

Hill is a restricted free agent and is expected to be one of the most interesting names on the open market. The 29-year-old has attempted only 13 NFL passes but has elite athletic ability that's seen him play quarterback, running back and receiver during his stint in New Orleans.

Hill recently said he views himself as a "franchise quarterback" but doesn't know where he'll play next season. 

"I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback," Hill told Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. "I think as you look at the other questions: Is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else? As you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you. We haven't gotten into free agency long enough to really know how these guys view me and we'll just handle it as it comes."

Hill is entering free agency with perhaps the best game of his NFL career on the minds of team executives. He connected on a 50-yard pass, rushed the ball four times for another 50 yards and hauled in two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 26-20 NFC Wild Card Round loss to the Minnesota Vikings last month. While Brees struggled, Hill was arguably the best Saints player on either side of the ball.

Hill's viability as a starting NFL quarterback is, however, more questionable. His NFL passing experience is almost completely limited to gadget plays designed specifically for him. The Saints could have given Hill an extended opportunity to start at quarterback during last season when Brees went out with an injury. They handed the ball to Teddy Bridgewater instead and continued to use Hill sparingly.

While the success of Lamar Jackson likely has teams around the league intrigued at the idea of a do-everything quarterback, Hill turns 30 in August. His resume reads more like a fun luxury item than a player around whom you can build an offense. 

That said, all it takes is one team to like Hill enough to give him the chance. 

New Orleans Saints principal owner Gayle Benson issued a statement amid ongoing reporting from the Associated Press regarding the team's connection to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. 

The Associated Press' Jim Mustian reported Jan. 30 the Saints worked with the Archdiocese while it handled a sexual abuse scandal:

"Plaintiffs' attorneys alleged in earlier court papers that Saints executives joined in the archdiocese's 'pattern and practice of concealing its crimes,' and one email from late 2018 referred to Saints Senior Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel joining unnamed 'third parties' in a discussion about 'removing priests from the pedophile list.' It was not clear which other Saints officials may have been involved."

Benson wrote Monday the Saints were contacted by the AP for a subsequent story that will be released. She acknowledged Bensel "met with the Archbishop and communications staff" as the archdiocese prepared to release a list of the members of its clergy accused of sexual abuse, which attorneys suing the church say was not comprehensive.

However, Benson said Bensel didn't provide any insight as to specific names to be revealed:

"Greg informed me that his recommendations were consistent with the Archdiocese and included: be honest, complete and transparent; own the past wrongs and find a solution to correct them and then define those solutions that are in place now to protect victims; be a leader in the Church by being the first Archdiocese in the country to release the full list of names, release all of the names of clergy that have credible evidence against them, regardless of whether they are male/female, dead or alive; and make sure that all law enforcement are given these names prior to the Archdiocese releasing them so they can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Benson also commented on her relationship with the New Orleans Archdiocese and Archbishop Gregory Aymond. She said she had supported the archdiocese but neither she nor her late husband Tom "have ever contributed nor will ever make payments to the Catholic Church to pay settlements or legal awards of any kind, let alone this issue."

She said the organization was "proud of the role" it played and "in hindsight ... would help again to assist the Archdiocese in its ability to publish the list." She also noted the Saints have given every email they exchanged with the archdiocese to the court and attorneys. 

In November 2018, the archdiocese released the names of 57 clergy members who it said were "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors in southeast Louisiana since 1950. 

Lawyers representing a group of men who said they were abused said the Saints "appear to have had a hand in determining which names should or should not have been included on the pedophile list," per Mustian.

Mustian initially reported Jan. 24 the Saints were attempting to prevent the release of correspondence from the team on the matter.

The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan reported the NFL hasn't launched an investigation into the Saints about its involvement with the archdiocese. The league doesn't plan on looking into the team unless emails showing "troublesome actions" are unearthed.

Drew Brees has made it clear he's not close to making a decision on whether or not he'll play football next season or retire. He is, however, in a very thorough fact-finding phase. Representatives for the NFL's all-time passing leader have reportedly been reaching out to television executives to gauge their interest in a potential broadcasting career for Brees.

According to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic, Brees is expected to be a hot commodity in the booth if and when his playing days are over. 

It's hard to imagine the market for Brees in the broadcast world wouldn't soar given the way Tony Romo has reinvigorated the CBS booth. Earlier this month, ESPN was rumored to have offered Romo in excess of $10 million per year to join its broadcast team. 

Still, it seems a bit premature. Not even the Saints are putting pressure on their quarterback to make a decision yet. Speaking earlier in the week, New Orleans coach Sean Payton noted it would take time to come down from the intensity of the season before Brees is able to make a clear-headed choice. 

"We talked about this, and it was something that I think most importantly for him he wanted a little bit of time to spend with his family," Payton said on Super Bowl Live Thursday. "I think none of us try to make any decisions when the season ends right away."

Brees echoed that sentiment Friday, noting he has certain parameters that will lead him to his decision.   

"When I walk away, I don't want it to be because I can't play the game anymore because there's 32 teams saying, 'Alright, see ya later,'" Brees said earlier in the week. "I want it to be on my own terms first. And I want it to be because I just want to spend more time with my family. I'm ready for that next chapter. When that time comes, I'll know. I also recognize when the season ends you just take some time and decompress and kind of just go through that process the right way."