Saints Cap Moves: $28,318,521 cap space ….. 8 restructures, 3 extensions, 3 pay cut, 1 release [All current cap moves are in OP]

[livefromDC]

Correct, if you are satisfied with the talent/age on this roster then there is no problem with how the Saints are handling the cap. Some people want better even if the team has to take a step back to get there.

Don't confuse the salary cap with roster management. The salary cap isn't the issue. The beef you have with the talent/age on the roster should be taken up with Dennis Allen. The Saints gave out contracts to the players he wanted to retain or sign. They still have to deal with those players. But that's why Allen isn't coach any longer. He had a predilection for Raiders players and veterans.

The step back you're seemingly implying would be to cut players and replace them league minimum guys because you have to take the whole of their cap hit. The cap is in pretty good condition right now. What would even be the point besides wanting to lose games? Taysom Hill, Jordan, Mathieu are still here. They are still better than the league minimum guys you'd have to replace them with and the Saints have $30 million in cap space. So what would what would have been the point? Is it to be like the Patriots? Have $80 million in cap space. So much so that you have to give a 32 year old WR coming off injury a $69 million cap space to avoid the salary cap's minimal spend obligation?

 

[Saint KayBee]

Don't confuse the salary cap with roster management. The salary cap isn't the issue. The beef you have with the talent/age on the roster should be taken up with Dennis Allen. The Saints gave out contracts to the players he wanted to retain or sign. They still have to deal with those players.

But that's why Allen isn't coach any longer. He had a predilection for Raiders players and veterans.

This has always been a curious criticism of DA, to me - he was fired from there a few games into 2014, then returned to New Orleans the next season as senior advisor, then named DC in 2016 and promoted to head coach in 2022. I think the “former Raiders” thing is more apocryphal than actual, because it’s not like they were signing 10-12 year, lifelong Raider veterans or even many guys who overlapped with him there at some point, he’s made way more hay as a Saints coach than anyplace else. I thought, for example, that Foster Moreau’s LSU pedigree would have cross-canceled the former Raider aspect, plus the fact that he was only drafted the spring after the NOLA No-Call, four years into DA’s stint as DC… but even that signing was criticized under the same broad brush stroke.

It’s all water under the bridge now because he’s fired, working in Chicago now, and can’t hurt this team anymore. I’ve always wondered why it ever came up, but only am addressing it now because at least one member of the board rather tackily thinks I’m his paramour or something.

Agree with the rest below.

The step back you're seemingly implying would be to cut players and replace them league minimum guys because you have to take the whole of their cap hit. The cap is in pretty good condition right now. What would even be the point besides wanting to lose games? Taysom Hill, Jordan, Mathieu are still here. They are still better than the league minimum guys you'd have to replace them with and the Saints have $30 million in cap space. So what would what would have been the point? Is it to be like the Patriots? Have $80 million in cap space. So much so that you have to give a 32 year old WR coming off injury a $69 million cap space to avoid the salary cap's minimal spend obligation?

 

[MG3n2K5]

Don't confuse the salary cap with roster management. The salary cap isn't the issue. The beef you have with the talent/age on the roster should be taken up with Dennis Allen. The Saints gave out contracts to the players he wanted to retain or sign. They still have to deal with those players. But that's why Allen isn't coach any longer. He had a predilection for Raiders players and veterans.

The step back you're seemingly implying would be to cut players and replace them league minimum guys because you have to take the whole of their cap hit. The cap is in pretty good condition right now. What would even be the point besides wanting to lose games? Taysom Hill, Jordan, Mathieu are still here. They are still better than the league minimum guys you'd have to replace them with and the Saints have $30 million in cap space. So what would what would have been the point? Is it to be like the Patriots? Have $80 million in cap space. So much so that you have to give a 32 year old WR coming off injury a $69 million cap space to avoid the salary cap's minimal spend obligation?

Salary cap & roster management go hand in hand. The mistake was everything done in those areas since Drew & Sean left. It would've been nice to see the older vets go to better opportunities for a few mid to late round picks, it also would've been nice to use the money that went to Carr to take cap hits without restructuring those older players. These past few years have been an aimless waste of time. But it's time to move on & time will likely resolve those issues.

All Carr has to do is say no to an extension & he'll be cut saving $10M.
Taysom, Cam, Demario, and Tyrann all enter their void year. Hopefully they take the dead money hit on all of them but I expect one or two will get a one year extension at a cheap price that lowers next years cap hit. All that'll be left to do is fill out the rest of the roster with $130M of dead money if Carr is cut (Carr + Ram + Void Players) and a roster of about 25-30 players plus whoever Saints draft and sign to multiyear contracts.

 

[Tapxe]

What if we trade 93 for Joe Milton

Why Chris Olave-Joe Milton Trade Would Make Sense For Saints, Patriots

The Saints need to plan for the future at quarterback, and the Patriots need to give Drake Maye a No. 1 receiver. So, how about a blockbuster trade that would h

www.si.com

Patriots get: WR Chris Olave, 2025 sixth-round pick (184)
Saints get: QB Joe Milton III, 2025 third-round pick (69), 2025 fifth-round pick (144)

 

[DSnfla]

None of the moves the Saints have done moves the needle for me. I don't think the roster is nearly as bad as some people think but you haven't done enough to escape the perpetual tires spinning in the mud of mid.

None of these moves take you from 7 to 10 wins. There could be a surprise rise of someone under a new coaching staff. Still gonna be .500 football if the injuries aren't bad.

I think if you polled knowledgeable reasonable( remember those last 2 words) Saints fans and asked what were our biggest issues last yr you would get coaching, specifically HC and injuries.
I would bet $$$ that without even watching CKM he will be a better HC than DA. I liked Kubiak and his O coaching staff, I would also bet $$$ that KCM and his staff will be a better coaching staff than them.
I think just the upgrade in coaching gives us 3 more wins than last yr.
That makes us 8-9

We were one of the most devastated teams from injuries last yr in the league , especially on O. If we have just a normal yr injury-wise especially form the showing we had in the 1 2 games we win at least 2 more games than last yr
Now we're 10-7

We upgraded our S position , we got a proven run stopping DT. Yes we lost Adebo and traded Latt, but both of them missed a lot of games last yr so how does that affect our record from last yr to this yr?
We added some depth to our WR room and better depth to the OL
And we haven't even gotten to the draft where we have 4 picks in the top 100, plus the 2nd wave of FA
So yeah, right now I'm thinking 10-7

 

[MG3n2K5]

Don't confuse the salary cap with roster management. The salary cap isn't the issue. The beef you have with the talent/age on the roster should be taken up with Dennis Allen. The Saints gave out contracts to the players he wanted to retain or sign. They still have to deal with those players. But that's why Allen isn't coach any longer. He had a predilection for Raiders players and veterans.

The step back you're seemingly implying would be to cut players and replace them league minimum guys because you have to take the whole of their cap hit. The cap is in pretty good condition right now. What would even be the point besides wanting to lose games? Taysom Hill, Jordan, Mathieu are still here. They are still better than the league minimum guys you'd have to replace them with and the Saints have $30 million in cap space. So what would what would have been the point? Is it to be like the Patriots? Have $80 million in cap space. So much so that you have to give a 32 year old WR coming off injury a $69 million cap space to avoid the salary cap's minimal spend obligation?

Patriots are young team that appears to have their QB of the future in place, a ton of money to build around him, & a premium draft spot to get a top 2 player this draft or trade down for a ransom. The Diggs contract is bad but they have the money to absorb it.

 

[Hedon James]

I think if you polled knowledgeable reasonable( remember those last 2 words) Saints fans and asked what were our biggest issues last yr you would get coaching, specifically HC and injuries.
I would bet $$$ that without even watching CKM he will be a better HC than DA. I liked Kubiak and his O coaching staff, I would also bet $$$ that KCM and his staff will be a better coaching staff than them.
I think just the upgrade in coaching gives us 3 more wins than last yr.
That makes us 8-9

We were one of the most devastated teams from injuries last yr in the league , especially on O. If we have just a normal yr injury-wise especially form the showing we had in the 1 2 games we win at least 2 more games than last yr
Now we're 10-7

We upgraded our S position , we got a proven run stopping DT. Yes we lost Adebo and traded Latt, but both of them missed a lot of games last yr so how does that affect our record from last yr to this yr?
We added some depth to our WR room and better depth to the OL
And we haven't even gotten to the draft where we have 4 picks in the top 100, plus the 2nd wave of FA
So yeah, right now I'm thinking 10-7

I'm finally with you on a thought process. 100% agreement with your thought process, rationale, and conclusions. I don't know you're right, but I BELIEVE it is likely that you are. And if so, Saints are probably NFCS Division Champs and CKM is probably in the conversation for Coach of the Year.

I fairness to Hubig....he references perpetual 0.500 football. I consider 8-9 and 9-8 to be 0.500 football, regardless of the actual math. By that metric, we're perhaps only in disagreement over ONE game?! But if I'm being honest, I'll take the 9-8 (and a winning record) and be thrilled with the improvement over 5-12. Anything more will exceed my "ask". Not my "hope" though!

 

[Merl]

Looks like the numbers for Cooks is finally in. $3.15M cap hit this year and $8.04M next year unless released. A release next year saves $3.15M. I have no problem with that.

 

[texasjefe]

Nobody should have a problem with Cooks' salary, with a 2 year base of $7M, and more importantly, having an offramp after 2 years. Very different than some of the delusional contracts Loomis was handing out chasing mediocrity. That's a good standard base for a veteran depth receiver, who may well start games.

I see the canard "would you rather have a gazillion dollars of cap space and overpay free agents" is still floating around.

Nobody should want that, and has anyone said they do? I doubt it. it's a strawman canard argument. If you ever find that strawman, bring it over and we'll all torch it to ash together.

I want a cap that:

a. Allows us to sign two $10M-$15M 2nd contract free agents. If it's an elite free agent, then one of them may be in the $25M-$30 range. The more of that contract that can be absorbed in available caps and not kicked down the road and not eating up future caps, the better.

b. I want a cap with no more than 5% allocated to dead cap. I showed a month or so ago that the Saints are always in the 10-20% range. That money, paid from past contracts, absolutely robs the Saints of 1-2 starters or main depth players each year.

c. I want a cap that can be cleaned up in one season, not three.

So far, and very much this offseason, Mickey is absolutely showing more cap consciousness and sanity in contracts. The dude over the past years has gone naked, drunk, and wild overpaying veterans in decline. He must've gone to Cap Anonymous after Gayle took his friend coach away.

 

[SoggyBottomBoy]

He must've gone to Cap Anonymous after Gayle took his friend coach away.

ML: Hi. I’m Mickey Loomis and I’m a capaholic.

Group: Hi, Mickey.