Saints could get to $14.61 million under the cap without restructuring Derek Carr, after Saints salary cap potentially increases by $5M
Per Over The Cap’s Saints cap figures, Saints went from an estimated -$52 million over the cap to now sitting at an estimated -$47.18 million over. The additional $5 million estimate is really helpful for the Saints to have extra room for a few key re-signings and viable low cost FA signings, depending on how the (re)signings’ first years are structured.
Since the cap increased, Saints could now further afford to not require restructuring Derek Carr to become cap compliant and even create additional positive cap space without relying on his contract.
11 current key players/starters would be restructured to get under by the new league year date. That’s if the FO’s plan would be to designate Carr’s release as a post-June 1 release which would come with 30M cap space but after June 1.
The initial 11 restructures to become cap compliant would be
JT Gray (1.2M savings)
Erik McCoy (6.7M savings)
Demario Davis (5.6M savings)
Carl Granderson (5.25M savings)
Tyrann Mathieu (4.5M savings)
Alvin Kamara (1.39M savings)
Cesar Ruiz (6.38M savings)
Pete Werner (2.46M savings)
Foster Moreau (2.05M savings)
Cam Jordan (restructure or paycut to around 9M savings)
Taysom Hill (restructure or paycut to around 5.83M cap savings)
Restructuring those 11 players potentially clears $50.38 million and would put the Saints’ cap space at about $3,197,713 under the cap when the league year starts on March 12. Based on OTC figures.
Releasing Jamaal Williams ($1.59M cap savings), Cedrick Wilson Jr. ($2.4M cap savings), and Nathan Shepherd (1.235M cap savings) (32 years old in Oct), and restructuring Khalen Saunders (1.9M savings) (29 years old in Aug) could bring the Saints cap space to about $10,320,213. If Nathan Shepherd is restructured (3.05M cap savings), instead of released, the available cap space could reach $12,133,963 from those moves.
Saunders and Shepherd are becoming older DTs and haven’t produced like starters. But the Saints need DT depth going into the offseason to not create an overly urgent hole to address with the 9th pick. It seems realistic to keep both Saunders and Shepherd for another season and utilize the 5M combined cap savings from their restructures.
If the Saints agree to an extension with Rashid Shaheed during the beginning of the 2025 offseason, his extension could bring $2.48M cap savings according to Over The Cap’s figures. Saints could then reach $14,613,963 in available cap space after Rashid’s potential extension.
Paycuts for Cam and Taysom wouldn’t impact the Saints’ 2026 cap as much while the majority of Carr’s contract is off the books in 2026 due to a possible post-June 1 in 2025.
This could be an option if Kellen Moore wants a fresh start at QB with younger QBs in year 1. $10-14.6 million in available cap space seems to be viable to operate with at the beginning of the offseason. FA signings could still be made and there’s enough to sign draft picks. But draft pick signings could wait until June. 31M cap space would be available after June 1 from Ramczyk’s retirement and Carr’s post-June 1 release.
Per Over The Cap’s Saints cap figures, Saints went from an estimated -$52 million over the cap to now sitting at an estimated -$47.18 million over. The additional $5 million estimate is really helpful for the Saints to have extra room for a few key re-signings and viable low cost FA signings, depending on how the (re)signings’ first years are structured.
Since the cap increased, Saints could now further afford to not require restructuring Derek Carr to become cap compliant and even create additional positive cap space without relying on his contract.
11 current key players/starters would be restructured to get under by the new league year date. That’s if the FO’s plan would be to designate Carr’s release as a post-June 1 release which would come with 30M cap space but after June 1.
The initial 11 restructures to become cap compliant would be
JT Gray (1.2M savings)
Erik McCoy (6.7M savings)
Demario Davis (5.6M savings)
Carl Granderson (5.25M savings)
Tyrann Mathieu (4.5M savings)
Alvin Kamara (1.39M savings)
Cesar Ruiz (6.38M savings)
Pete Werner (2.46M savings)
Foster Moreau (2.05M savings)
Cam Jordan (restructure or paycut to around 9M savings)
Taysom Hill (restructure or paycut to around 5.83M cap savings)
Restructuring those 11 players potentially clears $50.38 million and would put the Saints’ cap space at about $3,197,713 under the cap when the league year starts on March 12. Based on OTC figures.
Releasing Jamaal Williams ($1.59M cap savings), Cedrick Wilson Jr. ($2.4M cap savings), and Nathan Shepherd (1.235M cap savings) (32 years old in Oct), and restructuring Khalen Saunders (1.9M savings) (29 years old in Aug) could bring the Saints cap space to about $10,320,213. If Nathan Shepherd is restructured (3.05M cap savings), instead of released, the available cap space could reach $12,133,963 from those moves.
Saunders and Shepherd are becoming older DTs and haven’t produced like starters. But the Saints need DT depth going into the offseason to not create an overly urgent hole to address with the 9th pick. It seems realistic to keep both Saunders and Shepherd for another season and utilize the 5M combined cap savings from their restructures.
If the Saints agree to an extension with Rashid Shaheed during the beginning of the 2025 offseason, his extension could bring $2.48M cap savings according to Over The Cap’s figures. Saints could then reach $14,613,963 in available cap space after Rashid’s potential extension.
Paycuts for Cam and Taysom wouldn’t impact the Saints’ 2026 cap as much while the majority of Carr’s contract is off the books in 2026 due to a possible post-June 1 in 2025.
This could be an option if Kellen Moore wants a fresh start at QB with younger QBs in year 1. $10-14.6 million in available cap space seems to be viable to operate with at the beginning of the offseason. FA signings could still be made and there’s enough to sign draft picks. But draft pick signings could wait until June. 31M cap space would be available after June 1 from Ramczyk’s retirement and Carr’s post-June 1 release.