All Things Saints: Your Daily News 2/20
By John Hendrix
There really wasn’t much going on yesterday in the Saints world in terms of news, but today sure has a good bit of gems you will be interested in.
Carlie Kollath Wells | NOLA.com | Darren Sharper to be arraigned Thursday in Los Angeles
"Former Saints star Darren Sharper is set to be arraigned Thursday in Los Angeles on rape and drug charges, according to a report on LATimes.com. He is suspected of committing seven rapes and 11 acts of drugging someone in four states, including Louisiana, according to a court filing by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.The Los Angeles Times says Sharper appeared in court for the first time Friday but did not enter a plea. He remained free on $200,000 bail posted after his Jan. 17 arrest but was ordered to surrender his passport and stay in L.A."
It’s an ugly situation, and we aren’t exactly attorneys. So, we have to go by what is given. The fact that this many allegations are being brought up is disturbing, and it doesn’t look so great for Darren Sharper. I guess the moral of the story is that no one is above the law.
Mike Triplett | ESPN.com | Saints morning report: Dead money
"As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert broke down, the New Orleans Saints rank fourth in the NFL in “dead money” on their 2014 salary cap. They have $10.45 million in leftover signing-bonus charges from players no longer with the team.That’s not ideal, obviously. As former NFL executive and current NFL business analyst Andrew Brandt said, “Dead money catches up to you. Because you’re not playing on a level playing field if the cap is $128 million, and you’re only playing with $115 million.”"
The short and simple version of ‘dead money’ is exactly as it sounds. You won’t get it back, as the player pockets the funds. Basically, it can be like an ‘insurance’ policy for the player in their contracts. If you cut me, I walk away with this.
Ramon Antonio Vargas | The Advocate | Released by Saints, Will Smith not ready to retire
"“I’m ahead of schedule of where I need to be,” Smith remarked during a recent telephone interview about rehabilitating the injury that sidelined him. “I can’t play a football game tomorrow, but … it’s a slow process. I still have a lot of time — two, three months — before things really start back up football-wise.”"
Smith has a strong chance to land with a select few teams in 2014, and as long as he’s willing to be a situational player/backup, then he probably will be with another team. Likely landing spots for Smith would be the Patriots, Raiders, or some other team with an ideal 4-3 scheme for Smith. One thing is certain, Smith should easily be a first ballot candidate for the Saints Hall of Fame.
Mike Triplett | ESPN.com | Free-agent spotlight: OT Charles Brown
"Projection: I think it’s safe to assume that Brown will sign elsewhere this offseason, as he will probably want a change of scenery and an opportunity to win a starting job elsewhere. And I think other teams will be interested in his potential since he’s still young and has some starting experience under his belt."
Brown isn’t remotely close to being on the Saints radar for a comeback tour. I’m sure he’ll find some fit, as his 15 games as a starter for the team have to count for something. As long as he doesn’t wind up playing a team in St. Louis, he should be okay.