Actually, maybe they can. Every year or two the cap goes up. So by pushing dead money back you are paying salary later for cheaper. It’s like using your mortgage to pay off credit card money. Not only do you get a much lower interest rate but you spread the money over many years.
Businesses do this all the time. Even very profitable corporations will take a loan (or sell bonds) to spread expense over years so they have more cash today.
The problem with Wright’s take is (1) the Saints definitely signed Carr knowing these cuts were coming and so all this needs to be thought of as one move, not a desperate decision by a team wanting to win now, and (2) they actually got Carr at a good price. QBs cost $30 M a year these days, end of story. So if the Saints wanted a starter, this had to be done. It wasn’t a reckless move, it was a team that didn’t want to waste a year tanking only to miss out on the QB they wanted because someone traded up. The DLs they released can be replaced with FAs. Those three simply aren’t that good.