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By Ty Anania
New Orleans Saints DT Nick Fairley has reportedly decided to test the free agent market this offseason. And he may draw serious interest from some of the teams with cap space.
What to do with Nick Fairley is easily the toughest decision the New Orleans Saints front office has to make over the coming months. After signing a serious of one-year “prove it” deals, Fairley seems finally to have proved he deserves a long term contract. The question is who will give it to him.
Fairley put up career numbers in sacks and tackles in 2016, handling the brunt of DT snaps after rookie Sheldon Rankins broke his leg. His 6.5 sacks at DT are tied for 5th most in the league, along with the likes of Malik Jackson and Fletcher Cox. And while he’s not a run specialist, his 29 solo tackles are nothing to scoff at. DTs don’t typically put up big numbers.
The Saints would obviously love to have Fairley back in 2017. Their defense struggled through much of the season, and Fairley was one of the few bright spots. For a unit that’s trying to lift itself out of the NFL’s cellars, it’s typically imperative not to let talent like Fairley walk.
But the Saints simply don’t have the cap space to compete with some of the other teams that may have an interest in the former first-round pick. The Saints currently have a little under $30 million available. Compare that to the Browns, who have upwards of $100 million to spend this offseason. Now, granted, that number is a bit ridiculous, and the Browns have plenty of additions to make to their roster for 2017. But the same is true for the Saints. And their money might be better spent on other positions of need, like DE, MLB, OG, and CB...
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