re: Saints sign G Larry Warford

CONTRACT

New Saints RG Larry Warford's four-year deal is worth $34 million, and includes $17 million guaranteed.
Interior linemen are getting paid this year, and Warford was one of the five best on the open market. A starter since arriving as a third-round pick in 2013, Warford has stabilized after some inconsistency, and had a strong 2016. He's a sensible addition for the Saints' latest "get tough" effort.

Pretty close to the Sportrac estimate, a little higher average but 4 years instead of 5. Their value estimate was-
5 years $36,343,137 total $7,268,627 avg

Walter hasn't given out many A's on free agent deals, Warford is one of them...

Saints sign G Larry Warford (4 years, $34M; $17M guaranteed): A- Grade
We were once told that the Saints value interior blocking over exterior protection because Drew Brees hates getting pressured up the middle more than anything else. As a result, it's understandable why New Orleans is paying big bucks to Larry Warford.

There are other reasons why this signing makes so much sense. Warford fills a huge need, and he happened to be the third-best unrestricted player in the NFL Free Agent Guard Rankings. He's an excellent blocker and will surely improve New Orleans' offense. Also, the 2017 NFL Draft class is weak on the offensive line, so it would make sense that someone like Warford would get paid close to $9 million per season.

Because offensive line play is more important than ever in the post-CBA NFL, I'm going to give the Saints an A- for this signing. They've added a very talented player who will provide a big boost, all at a reasonable price.
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He's the mauler in the run game we've missed since nicks