How much do Saints value Taysom Hill? He’s the only NFL restricted free agent to receive 1st-round tender

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill looks to pass during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, in Carson, Calif. | Kelvin Kuo, AP

It became official Wednesday that New Orleans placed a first-round tender on the former BYU quarterback. Another former Cougar, cornerback Michael Davis, received a second-round tender from the Los Angeles Chargers.

SALT LAKE CITY — New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has likened Taysom Hill to Steve Young. There are some who believe Hill is the heir apparent to All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees with the Saints.

Perhaps it’s little surprise, then, that the former BYU quarterback received something no other restricted free agent in this year’s NFL free agency class did: a first-round tender.

It was a move that was reported more nearly two weeks ago and became official Wednesday, when the league announced its 510 free agents this year, as the NFL opened its new league year at 2 p.m. MDT.

Taysom Hill is the only restricted free agent to get a first round tender pic.twitter.com/FahQRbXiRJ

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) March 18, 2020

What that means is if a team wants to sign Hill away from the Saints, they’ll have to give up a first-round draft pick to do so. New Orleans will still have the option to match any offer sheet Hill receives to retain the player who’s become a valuable utility player on offense and special teams.

The 41-year-old Brees, who reportedly contemplated retirement following the 2019 season, agreed to a two-year, $50 million deal to return to the Saints on Tuesday, per ESPN, and potentially serve as a mentor yet again to Hill, who turns 30 in August.

“A testament to how much the Saints value QB Taysom Hill: he was the only restricted free agent in the NFL to receive a first-round tender,” ESPN’s Field Yates wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “That pays him $4.641M in 2020 if no new deal is worked out.”

A testament to how much the Saints value QB Taysom Hill: he was the only restricted free agent in the NFL to receive a first-round tender. That pays him $4.641M in 2020 if no new deal is worked out.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 18, 2020

Hill wasn’t the only former Cougar in restricted free agency to get a tender from his team. The Los Angeles Chargers placed a second-round tender on cornerback Michael Davis on Tuesday. Davis entered the league the same year as Hill in 2017, both as undrafted free agents.

Davis has emerged as a key piece in the Chargers secondary, particularly over the past two seasons. In 2018, he had 50 tackles and eight pass deflections while starting nine games, then added 39 tackles, nine pass deflections and his first two career interceptions last season while starting 12 games.

Other local free agent news

Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, Timpview High: On Wednesday, ESPN’s Ben Baby reported Su’a-Filo agreed to terms on a three-year, $10 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Su’a-Filo spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys on a two-year, $1.64 million contract, per Spotrac, before becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Su’a-Filo spent four years with the Houston Texans from 2013-17, then an offseason with the Tennessee Titans before landing in Dallas. He started 12 games over the past two seasons for the Cowboys, including four last year at left guard, before ending the 2019 season on injured reserve when he suffered a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula in week 16.

Tim Patrick, WR, Utah: On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos placed a low-round tender on Patrick, an exclusive rights free agent. Patrick had 39 receptions for 533 yards and a touchdown for the Broncos over the past two seasons while missing half of last season with a broken hand. As an exclusive rights free agent, which is any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract, he cannot negotiate with other teams.

Kyler Fackrell, LB, Utah State: Fackrell is headed to the New York Giants on a one-year, $4.6 million deal, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. Tuesday’s news signaled the end to four seasons with Green Bay for Fackrell, a 2016 third-round pick of the Packers. The unrestricted free agent had his most successful season in 2018, when Fackrell finished with 42 tackles and a team-high 10.5 sacks.

Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU: Van Noy agreed to a four-year, $51 million deal with the Miami Dolphins on Monday, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Van Noy earned two Super Bowl rings playing for New England the past 3 1/2 seasons and $30 million of the contract will be guaranteed, Rapoport reported. Van Noy, an unrestricted free agent, had 56 tackles and a career-best 6.5 sacks to go with three forced fumbles and three pass deflections for New England last season.

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