There’s a cost to keeping All-Pros and very productive starters/top 10-15 players at their positions. The only cap hits hindering the team are Jordan and Ramczyk as two declining former star players close to retirement this year and next. We’re getting production out of the rest.
If you aren’t keeping Davis, Hill, McCoy, Ruiz, Granderson, Mathieu, Carr, and Kamara, you’re replacing them with either below average players or draft picks who will also be due for the same big contracts/cap hits that each of those 8 players have.
The team isn’t mediocre because of restructuring at all. We’ve lacked offensive coaching ‘22-‘23 and a viable starting QB in ‘21-‘22. The Saints built Super Bowl contenders and playoff teams primarily from drafts, not cap space or cleared finances. Most of the star players on all those playoff teams were on cheap rookie deals or cheap vet deals before they were due for significant raises or top 5 salaries at their positions.
If you aren’t re-signing your stars and core players who make you a productive team, then you’re recycling rookie deals. You’re letting most of your drafted star players and most star vets walk after their rookie deals and original contracts which doesn’t happen. Teams value good players more than cap space when putting a longterm playoff team together. Core players won’t be temporary midlevel players. The salary cap can always be manipulated to GMs likening every offseason.