READY TO 'FLY'

The Saints have signed Will Clapp to a one-year deal.

The guard/center returns to the Saints after spending the last three years with the Chargers and Bills. He has started 22 career games -- including 11 with the Chargers in 2023 when Kellen Moore was the offensive coordinator. Clapp also worked with offensive line coach Brendan Nugent in both L.A. and when Nugent previously coached in New Orleans.

Clapp, a local native who played at Brother Martin and LSU, should provide depth and competition on the interior offensive line.

The Saints are signing Issac Yiadom to a three-year deal.

The deal is worth $9 million, according to a source, and gives the Saints some depth and competition at cornerback. 

Yiadom was previously with the Saints and gave the team good snaps as a backup cornerback and special teams player. 

The cornerback spent last season with the 49ers, where Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley worked as the assistant head coach. 

Mickey Loomis said the TE position would probably appear twice on the Saints’ list of 25 or so offseason priorities. And sure enough, the Saints have now signed two free agent TEs in the first week of free agency, agreeing to a one-year deal with fifth-year pro Jack Stoll after they previously re-signed Juwan Johnson.

Stoll (6-4, 247) has just 22 career catches for 193 yards. But he played in 62 games for the Eagles over the past four years, including the playoffs, after making the team as an undrafted rookie in 2021. He primarily served as a run blocker while playing under new Saints run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti.

Stoll actually left Philly to sign with the Giants last March but didn’t make the 53-man roster and wound up signing back with the Eagles’ practice squad and playing in seven games for the Super Bowl champs under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in 2004. Then he was waived in November and was claimed by the Dolphins.

Obviously this doesn’t count as a splash signing, but Stoll could certainly make the roster as added depth on offense and special teams. And the Eagles’ coaches now on the Saints’ offensive staff must have liked their previous experience with him.

The Saints also have veteran TEs Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau on the roster, but both are rehabbing from major late-season injuries. And starting FB Adam Prentice is an unrestricted free agent.

Cam Jordan is officially staying in New Orleans for his 15th NFL season. A source confirmed the news, which Jordan revealed through his latest Instagram post, which included the phrases “Yr 15 incoming,” “there’s more Levelz” and “Black and Gold 9…4ever Whodat!”

The franchise’s all-time sack leader was already under contract for this year, but the Saints were seeking a pay cut since Jordan was due $12.5 million with a cap charge of $20.061 million.

We’re still waiting on any new figures, but Jordan made it clear last season and throughout this offseason that he wanted to remain a Saint even if it meant adjusting his deal for the second time in three years. And more importantly, Jordan wanted to make sure the Saints envisioned a role for him in their new defense (likely one that will include more pass-rushing opportunities than he was seeing early last season).

From all indications the talks between Jordan and new DC Brandon Staley have been positive — though the Saints do have a lot of veteran depth to sort out including DEs Chase Young and Carl Granderson and DTs Bryan Bresee, Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders and John Ridgeway among others.

The Saints made their first big signing from the open market in free agency, agreeing to a three-year, $31.5M deal with former Chiefs safety and Prairieville, La. native Justin Reid, per sources. The deal includes $22.5M guaranteed.

Reid, who turned 28 in February, has been a full-time starter throughout his seven-year career with the Texans and Chiefs, with 10 career interceptions. The 6-1, 207-pounder projects as the starter alongside fellow southern Louisiana native and former Chief Tyrann Mathieu – who just reworked his own deal Tuesday.

The Saints lost veteran safety Will Harris in free agency Tuesday, and Mathieu is in the final year of his deal. So this clearly addresses a big long-term need for New Orleans.

The Saints announced that they re-signed veteran WR/KR Dante Pettis to a 1-year deal.

Pettis, 29, was a nice midseason pickup for the Saints last year. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder caught 12 passes for 120 yards and a TD in eight games played. He also returned seven punts for 90 yards and three kickoffs for 96 yards.

The former second-round pick began his career with the 49ers, Giants and Bears.

The Saints are keeping Juwan Johnson.

The tight-end has agreed to a three-year deal worth $30.75 million, and up to $34.5 million with incentives. The deal comes with $21.25 million guaranteed. 

New Orleans has a significant need at the position and retaining Johnson allows them some flexibility at the position. 

Johnson caught 50 passes for 548 yards and three touchdowns last season.