New Orleans Saints Cap Moves (merged): Jamaal Williams cut, Erik McCoy restructured; cap space currently at -$39,539,537 (119 Viewers)

[St. Widge]

I don't like being trapped in ANY deals. I like normal signing bonuses and salary schedules that allow for maximum roster flexibility. I prefer mostly re-signing our own good players that we drafted to sensible deals over paying some other teams free agents that they let go. We know more about their fit on the field, in the community and locker room and are safer signings. I think we should maximize the draft by trading back to acquire more picks to build the foundation of the team and reward those that are successful.

I'm in full agreement with all of this. But, I will say that it's hard not to get trapped in ANY deals. It's the goal, but the reality is that it's near impossible to do and keep your young talented players.

The only way to do it is to just not sign any of the guys you drafted past their first deal unless it's a good bargain. And doing that means that you have to live with letting go of guys who may go on to be great with other teams. We are pissed about Hendrickson and Baun. Imagine how we would feel if that happened every other year.

The team that came the closest to doing that while having success was New England who regularly let their picks go after their first contract. They got away with it in part because they took so many picks, but we saw what happened to them when Brady left. So, it may be that it worked for them because they played in a weak division with a HoF QB, more than all those draft picks. So, while it's the goal, I'm not sure it's realistic to not get trapped in any deals. Probably the best you can do is only get trapped in deals with guys that are All Pro or at least Pro Bowl level talents.

But, having a franchise QB makes all this stuff so much easier.

 

[Elvis]

I also don’t like being trapped, but most teams are stuck on a few contracts for one reason or another. The Eagles are an interesting case—they are under the cap to start the year, but they also have $163m in option bonuses due to be paid this year after accounting for Slay’s eventual release. Most of those contracts with option bonuses have a lot of dead money, so cutting those players is tough.

If those option bonuses were salary or roster bonuses instead, the Eagles would be $100m+ over the cap right now and they would be restructuring all of those contracts. Instead, the Eagles pre-restructure their deals with option bonuses. To their credit, only one player with an option bonus is on the wrong side of 30, Lane Johnson.

Agree on trading back in the draft, after accounting for all of our possible restructuring capacity we have the second lowest space. More young talent will help us to get closer to normal.

They are very top heavy with players that are more expensive to cut than keep, but those option bonuses are accounted for at least and they are projected over the cap for the next 3 years. And more importantly, they've been to the Super Bowl 2 out of the last 3 years. They are in their window and have good players in their 20's, many of who were drafted by them.

None of those things can be said for our Saints. It's pretty sad really.

 

[AARPSaint]

Always hated trading up. The Saints have not drafted well for many years IMHO: very few all-pros. There have been busts like Davenport and Turner, but I would guess that the overall evaluation would be considered mediocre or average.

I’m coming around to the view that drafting more players is a better strategy. Targeting a specific player hasn’t worked in any case, at least for the most part. Instead, accumulate draft picks.

It’s the player evaluation that’s the core problem in my estimation. If you draft mid players, and then you extend their contracts, you’re going to get long term mediocrity.

 

[Elvis]

I'm in full agreement with all of this. But, I will say that it's hard not to get trapped in ANY deals. It's the goal, but the reality is that it's near impossible to do and keep your young talented players.

The only way to do it is to just not sign any of the guys you drafted past their first deal unless it's a good bargain. And doing that means that you have to live with letting go of guys who may go on to be great with other teams. We are pissed about Hendrickson and Baun. Imagine how we would feel if that happened every other year.

The team that came the closest to doing that while having success was New England who regularly let their picks go after their first contract. They got away with it in part because they took so many picks, but we saw what happened to them when Brady left. So, it may be that it worked for them because they played in a weak division with a HoF QB, more than all those draft picks. So, while it's the goal, I'm not sure it's realistic to not get trapped in any deals. Probably the best you can do is only get trapped in deals with guys that are All Pro or at least Pro Bowl level talents.

But, having a franchise QB makes all this stuff so much easier.

Perhaps I should have phrased that differently. I meant to say that we shouldn't get trapped in EVERY deal, which is pretty much where were are right now. The most cap we could clear by cutting a single player is Rashid Shaheed at $3.7m. Nearly every sizable contract would cost MORE cap space to move off of.

 

[St. Widge]

Perhaps I should have phrased that differently. I meant to say that we shouldn't get trapped in EVERY deal, which is pretty much where were are right now. The most cap we could clear by cutting a single player is Rashid Shaheed at $3.7m. Nearly every sizable contract would cost MORE cap space to move off of.

Totally agree with that. The team is in a situation where the vast majority of guys they could cut will cost money due to all the void years and restructures. I'm okay with the restructures for guys under 30, but the void years have really got to stop for anyone outside of All Pro and legit Pro Bowl level players.

 

[OzzieSaint]

I think it would be great to have a thread for cap updates before the new league year on March 12 with any moves made by the team with updated numbers.
I'm not great at doing the numbers but I know we have a lot of salary cap/number people on here.

 

[SonOfNOLA]

I think it would be great to have a thread for cap updates before the new league year on March 12 with any moves made by the team with updated numbers.
I'm not great at doing the numbers but I know we have a lot of salary cap/number people on here.

Jamaal Williams release and Erik McCoy restructure threads now merged. OP updated with current cap moves and current team cap space.

 

[Saint KayBee]

Speaking of…saw this while scrolling twitter just now.
I don’t recognize the middle player.

I wonder who got the last spot on this - Eli Apple or Brandon Browner

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

I wonder who got the last spot on this - Eli Apple or Brandon Browner

Just saw that it was Apple.

 

[RaginCajun83]

Who’s next to Micheal Thomas and who’s loved by fans yet bad player?

 

[solarbear88]

This is where the anger at Loomis starts. He has to keep extending players, past their prime, to get under the cap. This means the same non producing players will be here this year and at least one more.