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ESPN Insider- Field Yates is a fantasy football expert and NFL draft analyst for ESPN. You can find him on Fantasy Football Now on Sunday mornings and regularly on NFL Live throughout the week, as well as the Fantasy Focus and First Draft podcasts. A graduate of Wesleyan University (CT) and native of Weston, Mass., Yates has previous experience interning with the New England Patriots on both their coaching and scouting staffs.
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ESPN Staff Writer- Covered Saints for eight years at New Orleans Times-Picayune
- Previously covered LSU football, San Francisco 49ers
- Iowa native and University of Iowa graduate
The New Orleans Saints exercised their fifth-year option on Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Jordan, a league source told ESPN. The one-year option is worth $6.969 million.
Jordan, 24, had a breakout year in the national spotlight in 2013 with a career-high 12.5 sacks and his first Pro Bowl invite. But he has been a full-time starter and steady producer for the Saints ever since they drafted him with the 24th pick out of California in the 2011 draft.
The 6-foot-4, 287-pounder has proven to be a versatile lineman as both an end and tackle in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. He has 21.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in his career.
This is the first year that these fifth-year options have been available to NFL teams as part of the new collective bargaining agreement that was completed in 2011.
The Saints had two first-round draft picks that year, when they also traded up to select running back Mark Ingram with the 28th pick. But it seems less likely that the Saints will pick up their option on Ingram, which would cost $5.211 million.
The Saints are still high on Ingram's potential -- especially after he finished so strong in 2013. However, he remains a part-time player, and that price tag is high compared to the going rate for free-agent running backs these days.
Teams have until May 3 to exercise the fifth-year options. Several others around the league have already been exercised, including fellow defensive linemen J.J. Watt (Houston Texans), Corey Liuget (San Diego Chargers) and Muhammad Wilkerson (New York Jets).