The Saints have done a nice job retaining their key free agents, but they finally lost a key starter to free agency.
San Francisco agreed to terms on a three-year contract with center Jonathan Goodwin, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
The Saints wanted to keep Goodwin, but they didn’t seem to make him a priority. Second-year player Matt Tennant has been filling in as a starter in practice, and he’ll apparently stay there. Playing between Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans is a nice spot to be for any center.
We’ll have to see the contract terms, but it’s a smart deal for San Francisco. They were desperate to find someone to start at center after losing David Baas. Goodwin started 45 games over the last three years for New Orleans, including during their Super Bowl run.
UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Goodwin, who is turning 32, will get $10.9 million over three years, including $4 million guaranteed. Not crazy money but clearly the Saints were ready to move on.