The New Orleans Saints may not be in the market for any veteran free agents as Week 1 approaches.
Two former Saints stars, though, are still looking to find contracts somewhere — even if it’s far from New Orleans.
Marshon Lattimore and Brandin Cooks remain free agents, a fact pointed out in a new article this week by The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
Both players have reasons for remaining free agents, but the premise of Popper’s article is that both players are among the best remaining free agents available.
Given their veteran status, both Lattimore and Cooks could serve as obvious plug-and-plays for teams that have needs at cornerback or wide receiver, respectively.
Their names will be worth watching on the rumor mill as the new NFL season gets rolling.
Why Is Marshon Lattimore Still A Free Agent?
Lattimore is coming off an injury with the Washington Commanders, and his health could be a key factor in him not having a contract yet.
“Lattimore suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 of last season while playing for the Washington Commanders,” Popper writes. “He turned 30 in May. Before the injury, Lattimore still looked pretty capable as a press corner. He has the size and play style to be physical at the line of scrimmage. He was still showing the speed to carry vertical routes in bump-and-run looks. A defense looking to major in man coverage could be interested in Lattimore, depending on how his injury recovery is progressing.”
While 30 isn’t young for a cornerback, the most skilled players at the position find ways to continue making impacts past that. The injury complicates matters for Lattimore, but he’s still clearly a competitor and could eventually land a deal somewhere if he can prove that he’s healthy.
Why Is Brandin Cooks Still A Free Agent?
Cooks is in a similar boat to last season, when he spent a portion of the campaign on the open market.
He closed out last season with the Buffalo Bills, getting a tough break on what looked to be a heroic catch during the playoffs in what turned out to be their season-ending loss.
Regardless, Cooks doesn’t have a lot of years left, but he’s a proven contributor.
“The receiver market, like the edge market, has thinned out through the late spring and summer,” Popper writes. “Stefon Diggs signed with the Commanders. Keenan Allen signed with the Colts. Deebo Samuel Sr. signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Cooks is the best remaining player of this group. Tyreek Hill is still available, of course. But his injury situation is just too uncertain to make a roster at this stage. Hill is unlikely to be an option until much later in the season. Cooks can threaten defenses vertically. He is a refined and deceptive route runner. I like the Miami Dolphins as a fit here. Their offense is extremely thin at receiver. New quarterback Malik Willis needs some veteran help.”
It’d be interesting to see Cooks go to the Dolphins, a team that might have the least-experienced WR depth chart in the entire NFL.
Regardless of where he goes, Saints fans will be keeping at least a little eye out to see how he performs.
2 Ex-Saints Stars Surprisingly Are Still Free Agents