NOF: Saints in position to get under the cap with ease and create another $30+ million in cap space to add new players (1 Viewer)

[DSnfla]

They don't need to do much in FA

A new Sam LB (I like Baun but not that much) LB's don't cost much
Maybe another X receiver to pair with AT Perry (4th WR)
Resign Peat - Likely won't break bank.
Resign Isaac Yiadom
Extend Adebo
Perhaps a few othe rthings

Then lean towards the draft.

I think we need to sign 1 or 2 decent OL men. Can't rely on a rookie to start. Maybe Turner will come back but too many ??about the OL

 

[Chopper Man]

Not sure what we are allowed to share from that site since it’s paid, but here is the relevant info:

[PAID CONTENT REMOVED]

Whats this win now stuff Triplett is talking about?

 

[DSnfla]

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.

There are 6 LBs the same age as DD , he was just selected to the all-pro team he still playing at a high level and should continue to do so next yr. Will he do that for 3 more yrs? Probably not We can easily move on from him in 25 and if he plays 2 more yrs a real possibility we move on from him after 25 and it cost us nothing in dead cap

 

[DSnfla]

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.

Our drafts have not been so bad. You can't say about this yrs draft but Bressee and Miller look to be good. Howden has shown flashes. and Perry seems to be up and coming. If Saldivari and Foskey can produce it would turn out to be a great draft. EVERY player we drafted this yr made the team , that's RARE
in 20,21 and 22 we got 2 starters in each draft and Turner that has just been hurt but shown flashes when he's played in 19 we got 3 starters.
That's average to above average

 

[DSnfla]

But we're not getting better coaching either and the same person is responsible for that reality as well.

Most of our coaching issues are on the offensive side of the ball. Just about all of the experts expect changes to be made there. DA is not a bad defensive coach , Underhill said he was in the top 5 D coaches in the league.
With better coaching JUST on offense we're probably 11-7 even with DA as HC

 

[Elvis]

There are 6 LBs the same age as DD , he was just selected to the all-pro team he still playing at a high level and should continue to do so next yr. Will he do that for 3 more yrs? Probably not We can easily move on from him in 25 and if he plays 2 more yrs a real possibility we move on from him after 25 and it cost us nothing in dead cap

Who am I missing?

 

[DSnfla]

I know the question wasn’t to me, but I’ll answer for myself. Much stronger schedule and I’m also assuming Latt and AK get shipped off, based on all I’ve been reading about the culture issues. MT too but I don’t think the team will miss him.

It's NOT a MUCH stronger schedule we atr tied with ATL for the easiest sched. next yr . This yr we played 6 teams with winning records , next yr we play 8. KC and Dallas being the only harder teams , Philly is a mess
AK is not going ANYWHERE , I'll bet $ on that. Latt getting traded is not as big as you might think. Taylor needs to play on the outside and Adebo is a top 10 outside CB. Yaidom is up and coming. Latt has been disappearing in games the last 2 yrs and has only played in 17 games in two yrs . He missed the last 7 games and our record was 4-3

 

[DSnfla]

Who am I missing?

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/oldest-lb-in-the-nfl-this-year

 

[Elvis]

Our drafts have not been so bad. You can't say about this yrs draft but Bressee and Miller look to be good. Howden has shown flashes. and Perry seems to be up and coming. If Saldivari and Foskey can produce it would turn out to be a great draft. EVERY player we drafted this yr made the team , that's RARE
in 20,21 and 22 we got 2 starters in each draft and Turner that has just been hurt but shown flashes when he's played in 19 we got 3 starters.
That's average to above average

As has been pointed out before by others, we trade up more than any other team and pick less players because of that. That some of those players turn out ok is expected, but we aren't getting as many contributors as other teams and have been particularly poor drafting in the 1st round in the last 5 years. Those are picks that you just can't miss on when trading away picks to move up. It's a bad strategy for filling out the roster with rookie scale contracts that keep the cap in order.

 

[Elvis]

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/oldest-lb-in-the-nfl-this-year

Your list has outdated ages and lists Edge Rushers as Linebackers.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

It's NOT a MUCH stronger schedule we atr tied with ATL for the easiest sched. next yr . This yr we played 6 teams with winning records , next yr we play 8. KC and Dallas being the only harder teams , Philly is a mess
AK is not going ANYWHERE , I'll bet $ on that. Latt getting traded is not as big as you might think. Taylor needs to play on the outside and Adebo is a top 10 outside CB. Yaidom is up and coming. Latt has been disappearing in games the last 2 yrs and has only played in 17 games in two yrs . He missed the last 7 games and our record was 4-3

No need for all caps. It’s just my opinion and you certainly have the right to yours. It isn’t that serious to me.

 

[DaveXA]

Your list has outdated ages and lists Edge Rushers as Linebackers.

I'm not sure why you're getting hung up on DD's age. So what if he's near the oldest in the league if he's still playing at a high level. He played at an All-Pro level this year and while he's probably lost a step from his peak, he's still very effective and probably has at least another of not 2 more seasons producing at a high level. Even if he loses another half a step, he's still going to be better than most in his position. It's not something we'll need to worry too much about for another year at least.

 

[Elvis]

I'm not sure why you're getting hung up on DD's age. So what if he's near the oldest in the league if he's still playing at a high level. He played at an All-Pro level this year and while he's probably lost a step from his peak, he's still very effective and probably has at least another of not 2 more seasons producing at a high level. Even if he loses another half a step, he's still going to be better than most in his position. It's not something we'll need to worry too much about for another year at least.

I’m not hung up on him really, I’m hung up on pushing older players contracts back with more void year money like I suspect his will this off season. He is simply an example of the type of player that most teams are giving single year smaller contracts to and we’re going to do something quite different with. Under normal circumstances a team would pay him his salary and not push a 35 linebackers money into void years because the likelihood of extending that player into those void years to cover them up is much smaller than a 28-30 year old linebacker.

 

[DaveXA]

I’m not hung up on him really, I’m hung up on pushing older players contracts back with more void year money like I suspect his will this off season. He is simply an example of the type of player that most teams are giving single year smaller contracts to and we’re going to do something quite different with. Under normal circumstances a team would pay him his salary and not push a 35 linebackers money into void years because the likelihood of extending that player into those void years to cover them up is much smaller than a 28-30 year old linebacker.

I get what you're saying. He's not really your typical older player though.

 

[Elvis]

I get what you're saying. He's not really your typical older player though.

I understand that he had a good year. But age doesn’t wait for anybody in the NFL. If we add another void year and kick $10 million forward, we’re paying for him in a future year where he doesn’t play like we’re going to do with MT, Jameis and probably Peat in 2024. Add up a few more of those contracts and you have a problem fielding a team.