The new league year is about to begin.
As is usually the case just before the deadline, the New Orleans Saints have found a way to get under the salary cap for this season.
That in itself is unsurprising. The team always does some last minute jiggery pokery, contract restructures and pay cuts.
Many people have bemoaned this approach, akin to ‘kicking the can down the road’.
It is potentially a good way to go if you have a franchise quarterback, a pretty solid roster and a real chance of success in the short-term.
But the Saints do not have a franchise quarterback. They do not have a solid roster. And despite a pretty weak NFC South, not many fans will tell you that the team has a real chance of success – at least in the short-term.
Every year has been met with the same requirement – a lot of work in order to get to simply get to a place where they can comply with the cap and field a team in the forthcoming season.
But listen – and brace yourself as you might not believe this – the New Orleans Saints are also under the salary cap next season.
But hold on….
Now you have picked yourself up off the floor, let us get back to reality.
Moments after the team became compliant, tight end Juwan Johnson got a three-year $30m deal. Defensive end Chase Young picked up a three-year $51m contract. And unexpectedly, former Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid signed a three-year $31.5m deal.
General Manager Mickey Loomis does not waste time spending money, especially when it is future money.
It is also worth noting that the Saints only have 31 players on the 2026 books so it is highly likely we will find ourselves back in salary cap shenanigans next year.
However, this is still a huge jump from the last few years.
New Orleans is making a concerted effort to be back in the black and able to rebuild their roster.
To the draft
The Saints have lost a number of starters in free agency. The needs going into the draft have changed but they are still vast.
It is difficult to see how they could make the wrong decision in the early rounds. Every position group needs attention.
The team has eight draft picks this year and with pick nine in the first round, this feels like a great year to trade back and increase their picks in the rest of the draft.
That is unless head coach Kellen Moore decides one of the young quarterbacks is “his guy” and takes a shot early.
It feels more likely that the trenches are where the new coaching staff focus in the early rounds. After all, it does not matter who we have under-center if they get blown up within two seconds on every snap.
We will likely see a switch to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
That only grows the need to bring in new players who can play the positions. This process is going to take time and the constant salary cap battle does not lend itself to expediting it.
Onwards to 2028!
