Saints aren’t tendering wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.
Get ready for a new-look New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps in 2024. The Saints will not be tendering veteran wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.
This isn’t too surprising in itself. Bowden primarily worked as a blocker and decoy for the Saints, only drawing 16 targets in 15 games last year while catching 11 passes for 83 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. He also recorded 5 rushing attempts for 32 yards on the ground, moving the chains three times. He was a serviceable emergency returns specialist, averaging 7.6 yards per punt return and 21.3 yards per kick return. That isn’t production teams pay top-dollar for.
But things are interesting under the surface. Fowler specifies that Bowden was an exclusive rights free agent, not a restricted free agent, which is what had been previously reported on multiple outlets as well as the team’s official website. Not tendering Bowden as a restricted free agent would have made sense because it costs at least $2,985,000. Instead, he’s an ERFA, so the tender would have been the league-minimum salary of just $985,000. So the Saints didn’t want to pay Bowden at the minimum.
How are ERFA’s determined from RFA’s? The difference lies in accrued seasons, which are years in which a player is on a team’s 53-man roster, injured reserve, or physically unable to perform list for at least six games. If they have two accrued seasons they’re an ERFA. If three, an RFA. Bowden earned an accrued season with the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and the Saints in 2023, but didn’t do so in 2021 or 2022 (when he was on the New England Patriots practice squad, appearing in one game).
Maybe he returns later as a minimum signing, but it’s just as likely that the Saints will be moving on as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revamps the receiving corps. Bowden is the fourth wideout from New Orleans’ 2023 team to depart thus far. Let’s break it down:
Michael Thomas will enter free agency on Wednesday after being released from his contract
Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after his practice squad deal expired
Shaquan Davis chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in similar circumstances
Kirk Merritt is playing for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks
Jontre Kirklin is with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas as well
Keith Kirkwood will be an unrestricted free agent, too
If you’re curious, the Detroit Lions signed Tre’Quan Smith
Which leaves Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry as the only receivers returning for the 2024 season (so far). It’s possible Kirkwood and Bowden return at some point but Kubiak has a big opportunity to retool this depth chart. Stay tuned to learn what his plan for accomplishing that is.
