The Saints were working with another group towards a distinct sign-and-trade deal that wouldve maneuvered around income cap constraints to bring the free-agent Clowney to New Orleans. Talks fell apart over the NFLs desire to authorize such an offer, and Clowney wound up concurring to terms with the Tennessee Titans on a 1 year offer late Saturday night.
The Saints continued to try to revamp their deal late into Saturday night, but without help, they couldnt match the Titans offer. And after 5 1/2 months on the free-agent market, Clowney decided to head to Tennessee instead.
Just one problem: The groups got word late Saturday the NFL was not likely to approve such a deal.
The sides discussed parameters of an offer in which Team X wouldve signed Clowney to an one-year, $15 million agreement and paid him a $5 million finalizing reward. Group X wouldve immediately traded Clowney to the Saints, who wouldve sent Team X a second-round draft choice, as well as a gamer to take extra wage off New Orleans books. The Saints wouldve paid Clowneys remaining $10 million wage.
The Saints have long wanted to transform large base incomes to signing benefits or add voidable years to agreements to maximize short-term cap space. There is terrific uncertainty about the 2021 wage cap, given a projected multibillion-dollar earnings deficiency related to COVID-19 that could cause it to drop from $198.2 million per club in 2020 to as little as $175 million. Entering this weekends cuts, the Saints had over $260 million in cap commitments for 2021, according to NFL Players Association records.
According to sources notified of the talks, the Saints didnt feel they could compete economically with the Titans deal– $12 million, plus $3 million in rewards– provided monetary reasons. The sides discussed criteria of a deal in which Team X wouldve signed Clowney to an one-year, $15 million contract and paid him a $5 million signing benefit. Team X wouldve right away traded Clowney to the Saints, who wouldve sent out Team X a second-round draft pick, as well as a gamer to take additional income off New Orleans books.
A number of executives from various NFL teams said they could not recall any other group carrying out such a deal including a totally free representative who was actually just signed to trade him. One exec summarized the interpretation of the leagues laws as: “Fundamentally, you cant trade cash.”.
Making a last push late Saturday to land star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, the Saints got imaginative, trying to pull off a relocation thought to be the very first of its kind in NFL history– but could not get last clearance from the league.
According to sources notified of the talks, the Saints didnt feel they might complete economically with the Titans offer– $12 million, plus $3 million in incentives– offered financial reasons. They approached another group to find a workaround. (Sources didnt verify the other group, which hereafter is referred to as “Team X”, but it is believed to be the Cleveland Browns, who have adequate cap space and a front workplace known for having a propensity for imagination, most memorably on display in their 2016 trade for quarterback Brock Osweiler.).
Other teams have, in essence, paid money for picks in the past, consisting of the Browns, who consented to handle Osweilers $16 million guaranteed income in a deal that netted them a second-round draft pick. In 2015, the Dolphins paid Ryan Tannehill a $5 million finalizing reward on a restructured agreement to send him to the Titans. And Clowney himself got a $7 million signing bonus last August from the Texans to help finish a trade to Seattle.
