New Orleans Saints expected to sign Jonathan Goodwin this week
The New Orleans Saints have shown interest in reuniting with a few notable veterans this offseason, and reports linking the Saints to center Jonathan Goodwin have been brewing since April. It looks like a move to sign Goodwin is almost an inevitability at this point, as the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints are expected to sign him now that it’s past the key June 1st date. Per Rapoport, a deal “should happen this week”, so that’s definitely something for Saints fans to keep an eye on.
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Earlier this offseason, the Saints lost top-notch starting center Brian De La Puente to the Chicago Bears, so it definitely makes sense for them to reunite with Goodwin, who left the team for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. A solid starter for the 49ers in the last three seasons, Goodwin has plenty of experience at 35 and is still a quality starter in this league. He probably has about two years left in him, and I would expect any deal with him to be a one-year pact.
If the Saints elect to pass on Goodwin, then Tim Lelito will be the starter. Even if the Saints do sign Goodwin, he’s still expected to compete for the starting gig, and I have a feeling the Saints like him. Meanwhile, it’s interesting to see that nobody else is looking into Goodwin, who seems to only have interest from the Saints.