Free agency is less than a week away, and the Saints find themselves $-10.9 million over the cap space limit.
This leaves a few remaining moves left for the Saints to get under the cap, and they can do it without releasing anyone else, while resigning/signing players. Let’s dive into it.
First priority should be to restructure Michael Thomas’ contract. He’s due $18.8 million in cap space during 2021. By restructuring Thomas’ contract it can save up from $7 to $9 million. Update: the Saints restructured Thomas’ contract, saving $8.7 million.
The second ideal transaction would be to restructure Terron Armstead who is due $16.2 million in cap space during 2021. By restructuring Armstead’s contract it could open up $5 to $8 million for the Saints.
These two moves could possibly put the Saints at about $-11 to $-13 million.
So, this leaves the Saints left to extend Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk. The exact number in savings would be unknown due to the contract details. The most likely number that will be saved in cap by extending then restructuring Lattimore’s contract would be around $7 million. Then a Ryan Ramczyk extension would save basically $7 million, putting the Saints $3 to $1 million under the cap.
The Saints wouldn’t be done yet though. Trading or releasing defensive tackle Malcom Brown would save $5 million. Update: Brown is expected to be released.
While this puts the Saints under the cap to about $6 to $8 million, don’t be surprised if Patrick Robinson gets released (would save about $2.6 million). The Saints wouldn’t be done at this point due to the fact that they wanna sign players in free agency, but the “hard part” is over.
For the remaining free agents here are my realistic predictions on what will happen:
*bold means it already happend
QB Jameis Winston (resign)
FS Marcus Williams (franchise tagged)
LB Alex Anzalone (release)
DE Trey Hendrickson (release)
CB/S PJ Williams (resign)
TE Jared Cook (released)
OT James Hurst (resign)
DT Sheldon Rankins (release)
LB Craig Robertson (resign)
DB JT Gray (resigned)
FB Michael Burton (resign)
CB Justin Hardee (resign)
RB Dwayne Washington (resigned)
S DJ Swearinger (resign)
RB/WR Ty Montgomery (resigned)
WR Bennie Fowler (release)
CB Ken Crawley (resign/practice squad)
WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (resign/practice squad)
IOL Cameron Tom (resign/practice squad)
CB Johnson Bademosi (release)
WR Jake Kumerow (release)
DE Noah Spence (resigned)
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Written By Kadin Janisch
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