Photo Courtesy of MSN.
We are on the brink of another exciting season of Saints football. Training camp is right around the corner for the Black and Gold. Like always, there will be players that will attempt to have an exceptional season that would allow them to earn a new contract in the future. One particular player for the Saints in that situation will be cornerback Eli Apple. For those that do not know, here is where Apple currently stands in regards to a new contract with the Saints front office.
The New Orleans Saints reportedly declined the fifth-year option in cornerback Eli Apple‘s contract Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
By declining the option, Apple can become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 season provided he and Saints don’t come to terms on a contract extension.
Had New Orleans exercised the option, it would have paid Apple nearly $13.7 million during the 2020 season.
To read the full article at the Bleacher Report, click here.
From the looks of it, 2019 is a make or break year for Eli Apple. He did an exceptional job when the Saints acquired him from the New York Giants last season. However, Sean Payton and the rest of the team office want to see more out of the four-year corner out The Ohio State University.
In the past, this ball club has been burned by defensive backs that they decided to pay significant amounts of money to in the future. Does anybody remember Brandon Browner and Jarius Byrd? It took a long time for the Saints to recover from the effects of signing those two individuals mentioned.
What separates Eli Apple from Brandon Browner and Jarius Byrd is that he is showing traits of playing as a reliable cornerback for the Saints secondary. He was able to make crucial plays that would allow the team to win a few ball games last season, especially the Monday Night matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The interception by Apple below explains it all.
In 2019, he will have the opportunity to prove his worth to the Saints front office by becoming the starting cornerback that will lineup opposite of Marshon Lattimore. There is no doubt that every quarterback will test Apple that the Saints shall face this season.
The only way that he forces signal-callers into coming up with another option in the passing game is by continuing his reliable performance that we witnessed late last season. If he fails to do so, Apple will be out of New Orleans as soon as possible. He probably will sign with another team, but will not get the type of money that he is seeking right now. With that being said, 2019 is a make or break year for Eli Apple.
