Saints could get to $14.61 million under the cap without restructuring Derek Carr, after Saints salary cap potentially increases by $5M (33 Viewers)

[greatshow25]

Car was 7 mil in his first year. The lowest you can go in year 1 in about 1.3 if there are no signing bonuses. Basically, that would never happen for anything but vet minimum. For example last year they signed Chase Young to a 13mil deal and had to pay 4 mil the first year. To do that they had to push 9mil to this year.

Again relying on the draft to fill all those holes is not a good move. If you want to draft well at least give yourself an option in FA so you don't have to reach.

Carr had a base salary of 1.5 with 5.7 as signing bonus which is apart of the 28 million total. The Saints may not be giving anyone that type of money this year. Chase deal was setup differently he had game bonuses which was guaranteed by playing which turned into a signing bonus. His base was 1.12 with a bonus taking it to 3.4. Still low base with bonus.

 

[saintsmarchin]

Move on next year from Carr, it's more cap friendly.

 

[SonOfNOLA]

If that were the case, it would essentially be the same plan as I laid out a couple of weeks ago, but with just a little bit more up front money available during free agency due to the cap increase announced today and using more of the options I made at the bottom of my post. So I don't think that is what he was getting at. I think he wants to pay Carr the $30m this year and carry him into next year.

Those restructures by themselves would be for ushering in a potential post June 1 release of Carr mentioned in the OP.

I’m reading the cap proposal thread and I see it’s the same restructures and goal. The available cap space amounts are stated here. I suppose now doing all of the 13 restructures and 2 cuts ahead of the cap compliance deadline for the HC’s potential clean slate at QB could be explored more by the FO due to the cap increase.

The highest cap hits of players that may not be here in 2026 but likely to restructure in 2025, are Cam, Demario and Taysom. The Saints’ initial projected 2026 available cap space is currently $64 million. Even after it’ll decrease by 15m-25m once the 2026 salaries of 2025 signings and draft picks are accounted for, the 2026 cap can still absorb portions of most of the 2025 restructures’ dead money. I believe Cam and Demario will retire in 2026 which would lead to restructures again in ‘26. Saints 2027 cap space will be able to practically absorb all dead money from previous restructures and still have around 75M-100M in cap space since the Saints won’t have many high cap hit vets by then.

 

[DSnfla]

My thing is that I don't want to restructure any of the again players like Mathieu , DD, Cam and probably Hill and AK so that we are either forced to keep them or pay them after they are gone. So I'm more for keeping DC another yr or even 2 to let our aging players phase-out. It also gives us a chance to get younger and better as a team to be better equipped for the franchise QB when we find him

 

[greatshow25]

Derek Carr Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Derek Carr contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

His dead money in 2025 now sits at $40.132 million an increase of $23 million from where it originally was. While this certainly does not guarantee him a roster spot in 2025 it will give him a much better chance of maintaining his status as starting QB even if he plays at an average or slightly below average level in 2024.

This is from over the cap about last years restructure. The 23 million was last years restructure. If they were to restructure the 30 million this year. It would increase Carr’s dead cap to almost 60 million for 27 and we would have to carry his 69 million of cap hit to a post June 1 cut. This is why people are saying cut him this year and be done with all of the dead money and trying to figure out how to maneuver around his salary.

 

[SaintKenn]

Sooo.....we goin sizzler?!

 

[nolaswede]

My thing is that I don't want to restructure any of the again players like Mathieu , DD, Cam and probably Hill and AK so that we are either forced to keep them or pay them after they are gone. So I'm more for keeping DC another yr or even 2 to let our aging players phase-out. It also gives us a chance to get younger and better as a team to be better equipped for the franchise QB when we find him

Agree, let’s don’t push the cap down the road. Hate paying for players that are no longer on the roster. Let’s take that hit right now, and hope to be more competitive closer to -26/27, because we are not getting far this upcoming season anyway.

 

[St. Geezy]

And that’s the big difference in these two approaches. The Saints could restructure Carr and make many of the same moves not out of survival, but with a goal of competing this season. If they cut Carr, they’re making those same roster decisions, plus more austere cuts and restructures, just to field a team in September.

If you’re curious, this plan (with no other moves) would leave the Saints with an estimated $54.6 million in salary cap space for 2026. It would raise Carr’s salary cap hit to $69.2 million next year, but the Saints could release him at that point and get back up to $50 million if they use the post-June 1 designation, or $9.5 million if it’s a standard release. The downside is releasing him with that designation next year, 2026, leaves behind $40.4 million as dead money in 2027. At the same time the salary cap could be well over $300 million by that point and you can justify taking that hit.

The bottom line: Restructuring Carr in 2025 does not mean he’ll return in 2026 so long as the salary cap keeps trending up.

How the Saints can get under the rising NFL salary cap, with or without Derek Carr

The NFL is raising its 2025 salary cap higher than expected. Here’s how the Saints can get under the cap, with or without Derek Carr:

saintswire.usatoday.com

Pretty good read. I tend to prefer option 1, as I feel like it offers the best short term flexibility while still leaving us in a spot to move on from him next year, likely with a post June 1 move.

Why make the move now while your salary cap is in peril where as you can wait a year and do it when you have much more flexibility over the next 2-3 seasons? You’d be choking yourself this off-season for limited benefit and really hamstringing your first year head coach. And it’s not like Carr is some god awful QB some make him out to be to where you should be THIS desperate to get out of the contract.

Use this as a bridge year. Find a reasonably priced veteran like Fields or Rush to bring in to compete and/or draft someone in the first three rounds if you really like a prospect. Prepare for life after Carr, but keep him on so you can actually make a handful of significant moves this off-season in the meantime as we usher in the new program.

 

[DSnfla]

Siglar is one of my least favorite guys covering the Saints, but this is spot on ( maybe his only good write up) It does too much damage to 6/1 Carr. It send a signal to the players, coaches and fans that 2025 is a wasted yr. Yes we get 30 mil back on 6/1 but not only will FA be pretty much over and the even middle FAs be signed already ( Including our own ) but our rookie class will have to wait till then to sign , so no rookie mini camp.

We'd pretty much have to roll with Rattler @ QB or waste 10 mil of that Carr savings on a cheap vet QB
If you think the fans are down on the Saints just wait till it's mid season and we've only won 1 or 2 games. Any excitement that a new coaching staff would have had will be mostly gone.

Nope , I'm not saying we mortgage the future in 25 , I'm saying we restructure DC, re-sign our own FAs that we want to keep. Add a couple young upgrades in FA to build with. Get 2-3 good promising starters in the draft and coach and develop the guys that didn't get it that we have now, and with a little luck from the injury gods maybe win the division.
Then next yr we can move on from Carr if we feel like we have THE guy @ QB in the building

 

[greatshow25]

Siglar is one of my least favorite guys covering the Saints, but this is spot on ( maybe his only good write up) It does too much damage to 6/1 Carr. It send a signal to the players, coaches and fans that 2025 is a wasted yr. Yes we get 30 mil back on 6/1 but not only will FA be pretty much over and the even middle FAs be signed already ( Including our own ) but our rookie class will have to wait till then to sign , so no rookie mini camp.

We'd pretty much have to roll with Rattler @ QB or waste 10 mil of that Carr savings on a cheap vet QB
If you think the fans are down on the Saints just wait till it's mid season and we've only won 1 or 2 games. Any excitement that a new coaching staff would have had will be mostly gone.

Nope , I'm not saying we mortgage the future in 25 , I'm saying we restructure DC, re-sign our own FAs that we want to keep. Add a couple young upgrades in FA to build with. Get 2-3 good promising starters in the draft and coach and develop the guys that didn't get it that we have now, and with a little luck from the injury gods maybe win the division.
Then next yr we can move on from Carr if we feel like we have THE guy @ QB in the building

And the light at the end of the tunnel is a very early estimate of more than $101 million in cap space for 2026. Those kinds of funds would give Kellen Moore the ability to rebuild the team however he wanted to in free agency.

This is the last part of option 2. Yes option 2 is the harder way, but I think it gets the Saints where they need to be quicker. They will have full funds with Carr off the books. They will have to carry Carr’s now 70 million cap hit to June 1. Yes you get 50 million back but the same thing you won’t be able to spend it until June 2 well after you may need it. Carr’s dead cap goes up to close to 60 million I think because his dead cap this year is the 41 million. This is from last years restructure. So cutting Carrin 2026 they will between 50-60 million of dead cap hitting 2027. Or cut him this year he will count 20 plus in 2026 and off the books in 2027.

The Saints likely converted the maximum ($28.79 million) of Carr’s $30 million salary to a bonus which would reduce his salary cap number by $23.032 million, going from $35.7 million down to $12.67 million. The move will increase Carr’s future salary cap numbers by about $5.76 million per season. Carr’s 2025 salary cap figure is now $51.46 million, 5th highest in the NFL.

His dead money in 2025 now sits at $40.132 million an increase of $23 million from where it originally was. While this certainly does not guarantee him a roster spot in 2025 it will give him a much better chance of maintaining his status as starting QB even if he plays at an average or slightly below average level in 2024.

 

[St. Geezy]

And the light at the end of the tunnel is a very early estimate of more than $101 million in cap space for 2026. Those kinds of funds would give Kellen Moore the ability to rebuild the team however he wanted to in free agency.

This is the last part of option 2. Yes option 2 is the harder way, but I think it gets the Saints where they need to be quicker. They will have full funds with Carr off the books. They will have to carry Carr’s now 70 million cap hit to June 1. Yes you get 50 million back but the same thing you won’t be able to spend it until June 2 well after you may need it. Carr’s dead cap goes up to close to 60 million I think because his dead cap this year is the 41 million. This is from last years restructure. So cutting Carrin 2026 they will between 50-60 million of dead cap hitting 2027. Or cut him this year he will count 20 plus in 2026 and off the books in 2027.

The Saints likely converted the maximum ($28.79 million) of Carr’s $30 million salary to a bonus which would reduce his salary cap number by $23.032 million, going from $35.7 million down to $12.67 million. The move will increase Carr’s future salary cap numbers by about $5.76 million per season. Carr’s 2025 salary cap figure is now $51.46 million, 5th highest in the NFL.

His dead money in 2025 now sits at $40.132 million an increase of $23 million from where it originally was. While this certainly does not guarantee him a roster spot in 2025 it will give him a much better chance of maintaining his status as starting QB even if he plays at an average or slightly below average level in 2024.

It goes back to the question of how much cap space do you really need? Do we really need $100m in cap space in 2026? It sounds nice but using that much space on other team’s players doesn’t appeal much to me unless 2026 is set up to be some monster year for free agent availability.

Restructuring Carr this year cosmetically lessens next year’s availability, however that cosmetic gets fixed with a June 1 cut that pushes money into the FAR better off 2027 league year.

We can make the money work to get the guys we want in those years, while also giving ourselves significantly more wiggle room for this year.

2027 is setting up to be a prime absorption/catch-up year while also offering space to operate, barring a COVID-like catastrophe between now and then.

Cap dollars are quite literally worth more today than they are worth a year/two years from now.

 

[JackDiesel]

What's the math/cap implications look like if you restructure Carr then cut him after June 1st?

Restructure now to make room then cut him when you can spread the cap hit out over multiple years. I played with the numbers on overthecap and it looks like you clear $24 million this year while only increasing dead cap by $6 million for the next few years. Not sure if that's right though.

 

[greatshow25]

It goes back to the question of how much cap space do you really need? Do we really need $100m in cap space in 2026? It sounds nice but using that much space on other team’s players doesn’t appeal much to me unless 2026 is set up to be some monster year for free agent availability.

Restructuring Carr this year cosmetically lessens next year’s availability, however that cosmetic gets fixed with a June 1 cut that pushes money into the FAR better off 2027 league year.

We can make the money work to get the guys we want in those years, while also giving ourselves significantly more wiggle room for this year.

2027 is setting up to be a prime absorption/catch-up year while also offering space to operate, barring a COVID-like catastrophe between now and then.

Cap dollars are quite literally worth more today than they are worth a year/two years from now.

I think some of the money will be used on our own guys. The 110 million doesn’t include Olave’s 5 option if they pick it up or his extension. They will have to extend Shaheed also that year. Penning will be a free agent. I don’t think they will pick up his 5th year option. If Penning has a good 2025 he will be resigned. Then they can look at a couple free agents. I’m not saying spend it all but they will be able to retain their own guys and maybe pick up a few missing pieces. Especially if they don’t hit in the draft this year.

 

[Merl]

I think some of the money will be used on our own guys. The 110 million doesn’t include Olave’s 5 option if they pick it up or his extension. They will have to extend Shaheed also that year. Penning will be a free agent. I don’t think they will pick up his 5th year option. If Penning has a good 2025 he will be resigned. Then they can look at a couple free agents. I’m not saying spend it all but they will be able to retain their own guys and maybe pick up a few missing pieces. Especially if they don’t hit in the draft this year.

I agree that Penning will likely not be given the 5th year option but it will be an interesting decision on Olave. They have I believe until May to decide on the option but it could be risky to use it on him since it is a fully guaranteed salary of $15.5M and with his concussion issues they might not want to take the risk.

 

[Elvis]

Those restructures by themselves would be for ushering in a potential post June 1 release of Carr mentioned in the OP.

I’m reading the cap proposal thread and I see it’s the same restructures and goal. The available cap space amounts are stated here. I suppose now doing all of the 13 restructures and 2 cuts ahead of the cap compliance deadline for the HC’s potential clean slate at QB could be explored more by the FO due to the cap increase.

The highest cap hits of players that may not be here in 2026 but likely to restructure in 2025, are Cam, Demario and Taysom. The Saints’ initial projected 2026 available cap space is currently $64 million. Even after it’ll decrease by 15m-25m once the 2026 salaries of 2025 signings and draft picks are accounted for, the 2026 cap can still absorb portions of most of the 2025 restructures’ dead money. I believe Cam and Demario will retire in 2026 which would lead to restructures again in ‘26. Saints 2027 cap space will be able to practically absorb all dead money from previous restructures and still have around 75M-100M in cap space since the Saints won’t have many high cap hit vets by then.

My apologies. I guess I misread the part about Carr being a June 1 cut as an additional option, not as part of the plan. If it’s part of the overall plan then I am on board. That is the quickest way to clear the roster of Carr and all of the old players. At that point we’ll have the ability to mold the roster, especially on the defensive side, to what the new staff wants between drafted players and a few choice free agents. It will also allow for moving off of other bad fits. Exciting times ahead.