The first week of free agency is over and while it was an explosive week for the NFL, things were relatively quiet for the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans spent the majority of the week getting their cap situation in order and making some lower-level signings. However, all signings are important and could ultimately have an impact on the team.
In the opening days of free agency, the Saints made four signings— one on defense and three on offense. Let’s look over each move and assign a grade to each signing.
LB Willie Gay Jr: A
New Orleans’ first move of the offseason was signing former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to a one-year deal worth $5 million. The Saints agreed to this deal during the legal tampering period and it was made official once free agency started on Wednesday. Simply put, this was a grade-A signing for New Orleans.
Linebacker depth was an obvious need for the Saints coming into the offseason. New Orleans still has Pro Bowl linebacker Demario Davis and his running mate Pete Werner returning, but the group was thin behind them, with D’Marco Jackson and Anfernee Orji listed as the backups.
Now, the Saints get a starting caliber linebacker added to the rotation. In four years with the Chiefs, Gay played in 57 games, starting 47. In those games, Willie Gay recorded 233 tackles, 17 for a loss, five sacks, and had four interceptions. He’ll bring his versatility to New Orleans, help elevate the defense, and will also have the chance to eventually be re-signed as a Demario Davis replacement.
QB Nathan Peterman: F
Sorry Nathan Peterman, but this is a grade-F signing. The New Orleans Saints definitely needed to add a backup quarterback to the roster after Jameis Winston decided to join the Cleveland Browns, however, no one had Nathan Peterman in mind as an option.
Peterman is an experienced veteran in the league, making his debut in 2017. Unfortunately, the experience he has is pretty bad. Playing with the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and Chicago Bears, Peterman is one of the most known journeymen backup quarterbacks for all the wrong reasons.
He has played in 15 games in his six year career, starting five. In those 15 games, Peterman completed 53.1% of his passes for 712 yards, four touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Peterman has eight games where he attempted 10 or more passes. In four of those games, he threw at least two interceptions.
Typically, your backup quarterback should keep you afloat, giving you a chance to compete and win games. That’s not Peterman. That makes this a bad signing.
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr: B-
Wide receiver is also another need for the New Orleans Saints, with Michael Thomas currently searching for a new home. The Saints still have Chris Olave as their No. 1, Rashid Shaheed, and the promising young A.T. Perry. However, that’s not enough in today's NFL. New Orleans needs more depth and another top guy.
The Saints addressed the depth issue in free agency by signing Cedrick Wilson Jr. to a two-year deal. Wilson has already played five years in the NFL, spending three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and two with the Miami Dolphins. In total, he’s played 68 games, catching 101 passes for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Ultimately, he’s just an alright signing. He gives the receiver room some depth but he doesn’t elevate the group. New Orleans will still need to find a high-end wideout that can consistently impact games. They’ll have to find that either in free agency or the NFL Draft.
WR Stanley Morgan Jr: A
Stanley Morgan is technically a wide receiver but he was signed for his prowess as a special teams player. In five years with the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught just five passes for 29 yards. However, he was a big part of Cincy’s special teams unit and will try to bring that impact to the Saints special teams. This obviously isn’t a big signing, but understanding that he was signed as a special teams player, this is an A signing.