NOF: Saints in position to get under the cap with ease and create another $30+ million in cap space to add new players

St. Widge said
I agree that they could end up in that situation, but I disagree that is the situation with Cam Jordan. He's still good as a run stopper and he and Demario may be the only things holding that locker room together so letting him go would be a disaster. And, as far as his pass rush, he played half the year with a ankle injury that stopped him from being able to rush the passer. He's not the player he was, but he's still very good when you combine his leadership and run stopping skills. Plus, I don't think you are going to find a fee agent DE better than Cam even if you had the money they are paying him to use.

There are only two Edge rushers older than Cam Jordan in the NFL, though there are a handful the same age. Only a couple in his age range have a cap number as high as his, Khalil Mack and Von Miller. Mack had 17 sacks this season and Von Miller contract is admittedly one of the worst I've ever seen. Most others are on low cost contracts and cap numbers.

There are ZERO Linebackers in the NFL older than Demario Davis and he is carrying the 5th highest cap number of all linebackers. Davis has played well to this point, but it will not last. His contract is not bad though. We could actually save around $4.5 million by cutting him, but you won't replace his production with that $4.5 million. Better to just let his contract void next season with the $7.3 million dead cap.

Both have been great Saints, but you can't keep extending and restructuring players at these ages. Sure they're solid leaders, but that didn't amount to anything useful on the field this season and it's not something you pay that much for. They are only two examples. When you start looking at other players we'd have to do the same things for, it really begins to add up. Carr already has the 8th highest cap number for 2024 and that will surely get pushed back. But that will only further grow his cap number that was already going to rise by $10 million each of the next two years anyway.

My point to this is not to bash on our players. They didn't make this and they have earned their money. The point is the structures and how it limits our options when it comes to improving the team. It's also not to suggest that we should get rid of them now. My point is to stop making things worse. To give the team some hope of being able to field a team that has a good balance of cheap drafted players, solid mid priced veteran players and some low cost veterans at the end of their careers. Right now there is no margin to allow us to keep or go get the solid mid priced veteran players and we're over loaded with expensive veterans at the ends of their careers. That we haven't drafted particularly well certainly isn't helping either.