Did Saints’ Marshon Lattimore imply he may want to play in Cleveland?
Marshon Lattimore hasn’t shown any displeasure with the New Orleans Saints, but a return to the Buckeye State doesn’t seem too out of the question.
Next offseason, unless extended, Saints’ No. 1 cornerback, Marshon Lattimore, will hit the open market. Could he return to his home state of Ohio and play for the Browns? It certainly shouldn’t be considered out of the question.
Lattimore was the team’s first of two outstanding first-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft. Along with Ryan Ramczyk and Alvin Kamara, the Saints draft changed the dynamic of their entire organization.
Having already paid Kamara, Ramczyk, and Lattimore, both first-round picks, will be playing under their fifth-year option next season. Already cap-strapped, the Saints may look to restructure contracts, pushing money back into future years.
If they do that this offseason, it could hurt their likelihood of bringing back the Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback. That said, he may not want to come back regardless as the Ohio native is “trying to put Cleveland on the map.”
Lattimore played his college football at Ohio State under the leadership of Urban Meyer, a relationship that also doesn’t make Jacksonville an impossible destination for the star cornerback next offseason.
Along those lines, he played his high school football at Glenville High School. Justin Hardee is also from Glenville in Cleveland. That gives him ties to the city, and his time at Ohio State helps lock in his connection with the state as a whole.
A three-time Pro Bowler, the 24-year-old Lattimore will be up for a massive contract next offseason. Assuming the team doesn’t extend or tag him, which would be the smart move from their perspective, Lattimore will have his choice of options.
That said, both Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey and Los Angeles’ Jalen Ramsey have contracts that near or are at $20 million per year, so we’ll see if the Saints even come close to that for the young defensive back.
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The Browns are a potential suitor for Lattimore as he could also team up with former teammate Denzel Ward. It makes sense, but New Orleans should have a say in where Lattimore ends up for the foreseeable future.