Report: New Orleans Saints Will Not Tender WR Lynn Bowden Ahead Of Free Agency

A return to New Orleans could still be in the cards, but for now wide receiver Lynn Bowden will test free agency.

NEW ORLEANS -- The wide receiver room is going to look a lot different for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. Or at least presumably so. Veteran and longtime receiver Michael Thomas and the team are headed toward what has been a tumultuous split and several other wideouts will also be headed to free agency.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Saints will not pick up the restricted free agent tender for receiver Lynn Bowden, who joined the team last year late in the offseason. 

Lynn Bowden catches passes pregame / Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. (5) makes a catch during warmups before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Although New Orleans did not pick up any of the available tenders on Bowden's deal, the door for a return could still be open as the receiver recovers from offseason surgery. The Saints, like many teams around the NFL right now, could be interested in a return for the veteran wideout but not at the prices of the contract tenders.

Bowden joined the Saints on a veteran minimum contract last year. He served a slew of roles for the team, assisting in the return game, contributing to the run game as a blocker and of course catching passes as a receiver. His modest numbers, (11 receptions for 83 receiving yards,  five rushes for 32 rushing yards and no touchdowns) are likely to command a similar deal on the open market.

The prices to tender a restricted free agent are considerably higher:

• Right of first refusal: $2.98 million
• Second round tender: $4.89 million
• First round tender: $6.82 million

Some resources also list Bowden as an exclusive rights free agent as opposed to a restricted free agent. The difference between an exclusive rights and restricted free agent come down to accrued seasons. Exclusive rights is for a player who has two or fewer accrued years while restricted free agents have three. 

Accrued years are gained by being on a team's roster (active or inactive) for six or more games in a single season. Players on injured reserve and the physically unable to perform list also get that same credit.

So while the Saints are not picking up any of these pricey tenders, there is still a path back to the Big Easy for Bowden. New Orleans has just three receivers on their roster currently: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed (whose exclusive rights tender was picked up) and second-year pass-catcher A.T. Perry. With a new offensive system and staff on the way, the Saints look ready to rebuild the room around those three wideouts. Whether or not Bowden will be a part of that number now remains to be seen.