New Orleans Saints cornerback Ken Crawley is expected to sign his restricted free agent contract tender when players return for offseason workouts on April 22, per Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune. Crawley’s tender will be a fully-guaranteed $2.025 million, but it will all come off the books if he is released or traded. Other teams have until April 19 to make him an offer, prompting a three-day period in which the Saints could choose to match it.
Crawley signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie out of Colorado back in 2016, starting five of the 15 games he appeared in and holding that position for the 2017 season. He held it down until 2018 when he hit a skid to start the year, and a series of poor performances pushed the Saints into trading for Eli Apple. Apple started the rest of the year with Crawley largely riding the bench.
The Saints go into 2019 with their cornerbacks depth chart intact. Apple and Marshon Lattimore sit at the top, with slot specialists Patrick Robinson and P.J. Williams behind them. Crawley rounds out the group with special teams ace Justin Hardee and punt returner Marcus Sherels.
It’ll be an uphill battle for Crawley to make the opening-day roster. It would be surprising if he displaces either Lattimore or Apple in the starting lineup, and he lacks the versatility to cover the slot or help out on special teams of other candidates. His starter’s experience could give him an edge but it’s tough to see him in black and gold this season.
