Friday 22 March 2019 13:10, UK
Free agent tight end Jared Cook is close to a contract agreement with the New Orleans Saints, NFL Network reported on Thursday.
Cook turns 32 next month but has been productive in stints with the Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans.
The Saints had a hole at tight end with Benjamin Watson opting for retirement.
Last spring, the Saints made a run at free agent Jimmy Graham, but he landed in Green Bay.
Cook had 68 receptions for 896 yards and six touchdowns with the Raiders in 2018. He has 39-plus catches in seven of the past eight seasons.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Cameron Meredith agreed to a pay cut that saves the team $2.3m in cap space for the upcoming season.
Meredith's new base salary is $1.3m, down from the $3.4m deal he signed last year. But his cap hit is now $4.15m, down from $6.45m.
A knee injury limited Meredith, 26, to just six games in the 2018 season. He has 86 catches and five touchdowns in his three-year career.
