The State of the Saints - 2019 Cap and FA Information

[Dome]

Contracted Players

Player (41 total)	Base Salary (Guaranteed)	Bonuses				Cap Number		Dead Money & Cap Savings  Cut (pre-June 1) Cut (post-June 1) Trade (pre-June 1) Trade (post-June 1) Restructure Extension
		Prorated	Roster	Workout	Other
Drew Brees	$11,050,000	$10,500,000	$11,950,000	$0	$0	$33,500,000		$21,000,000	$12,500,000
Terron Armstead	$10,700,000	$4,200,000	$1,000,000	$100,000	$0	$16,000,000		$10,400,000	$5,600,000
Cameron Jordan	$8,000,000	$4,947,000	$1,000,000	$100,000	$0	$14,047,000		$6,694,000	$7,353,000
Larry Warford	$7,650,000	$2,100,000	$750,000	$100,000	$0	$10,600,000		$4,200,000	$6,400,000
Andrus Peat	$9,625,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$9,625,000		$0	$9,625,000
Max Unger	$5,100,000	$1,750,000	$1,850,000	$0	$0	$8,700,000		$1,750,000	$6,950,000
Demario Davis	$5,950,000 $5,950,000	$2,300,000	$0	$250,000	$0	$8,500,000		$12,850,000	($4,350,000)
Kurt Coleman	$4,250,000	$1,500,000	$500,000	$100,000	$0	$7,000,000		$3,000,000	$4,000,000
Cameron Meredith	$3,400,000 $1,000,000	$1,750,000	$1,550,000	$100,000	$0	$6,456,250		$2,750,000	$3,706,250
A.J. Klein	$4,100,000	$1,000,000	$800,000	$100,000	$0	$6,000,000		$2,000,000	$4,000,000
Patrick Robinson	$4,000,000 $2,000,000	$1,250,000	$0	$100,000	$0	$5,350,000		$5,750,000	($400,000)
Thomas Morstead	$2,950,000 $3,200,000	$1,000,000	$250,000	$50,000	$0	$4,250,000		$7,200,000	($2,950,000)
Marshon Lattimore	$1,096,500 $1,861,340	$2,327,679	$764,840	$0	$0	$4,189,019		$9,076,208	($4,887,189)
Sheldon Rankins	$2,195,679 $2,195,679	$1,877,572	$0	$0	$0	$4,073,251		$4,073,251	$0
Ted Ginn	$2,500,000	$1,000,000	$0	$0	$0	$3,500,000		$1,000,000	$2,500,000
Marcus Davenport	$779,632 $1,104,632	$2,018,527	$325,000	$0	$0	$3,123,159		$11,243,373	($8,120,214)
Eli Apple	$2,516,226	$0	$0	$0	$0	$2,516,226		$0	$2,516,226
Ryan Ramczyk	$1,273,346 $1,273,346	$1,151,693	$0	$0	$0	$2,425,039		$3,794,732	($1,369,693)
Josh Hill	$850,000 $850,000	$750,000	$250,000	$50,000	$0	$1,900,000		$3,350,000	($1,450,000)
Marcus Williams	$1,032,310	$669,620	$0	$0	$0	$1,701,930		$1,339,240	$362,690
Michael Thomas	$1,148,043	$480,722	$0	$0	$0	$1,628,765		$480,722	$1,148,043
Vonn Bell	$991,677	$272,236	$0	$0	$0	$1,263,913		$272,236	$991,677
Zach Line	$850,000	$100,000	$200,000	$50,000	$0	$1,200,000		$100,000	$1,100,000
Alvin Kamara	$807,500	$243,193	$0	$0	$0	$1,050,693		$486,386	$564,307
Alex Anzalone	$717,000	$216,148	$0	$0	$0	$933,148		$432,296	$500,852
Derek Newton	$930,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$930,000		$0	$930,000
David Onyemata	$720,000	$135,586	$0	$0	$0	$855,586		$135,586	$720,000
Trey Hendrickson	$668,000	$176,572	$0	$0	$0	$844,572		$353,144	$491,428
Tre'Quan Smith	$616,500	$204,256	$0	$0	$0	$820,756		$612,768	$207,988
Alex Okafor	$1,700,000	$750,000	$2,300,000	$100,000	$0	$750,000		$750,000	$0
Dwayne Washington	$720,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$720,000		$0	$720,000
Taysom Hill	$645,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$645,000		$0	$645,000
Austin Carr	$645,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$645,000		$0	$645,000
Will Clapp	$570,000	$18,284	$0	$0	$0	$588,284		$54,852	$533,432
Taylor Stallworth	$570,000	$3,333	$0	$0	$0	$573,333		$6,667	$566,666
Dan Arnold	$570,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$570,000		$0	$570,000
Simmie Cobbs Jr.	$570,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$570,000		$0	$570,000
Keith Kirkwood	$570,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$570,000		$0	$570,000
Travin Dural	$495,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$495,000		$0	$495,000
Teddy Bridgewater	$0	$1,355,000	$0	$0	$0	$0		$2,710,000	($2,710,000)
Josh Robinson	$790,000	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0		$0	$0

Total Cap Liabilities: $173,317,968 

Top 51: $169,110,924

Team Cap Space: $19.352m

 

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/new-orleans-saints/

[Dome]

Notable Saints Free Agents

Mark Ingram
Tyeler Davison
Dez Bryant
Teddy Bridgewater
PJ Williams
Ken Crawley
Wil Lutz
Manti Te'o

Chopping Block Candidates (I'll add other poster's candidates here too)

Andrus Peat (Saves $9.62m with $0 in dead money assuming he's healthy and can be released before the start of the 2019 season)

Max Unger (Saves $6.95m with $1.75m in dead money)

Kurt Coleman (Saves $4m with $3m dead money)

Cameron Meredith (Saves $3.7m with $2.75m dead money)

AJ Klein (Saves $4m with $2m dead money)

 

 

Notable 2020 Saints Free Agents ($102m cap room currently available)
Drew Brees
Michael Thomas
Sheldon Rankins
Eli Apple
Vonn Bell
David Onyemata

Notable 2021 Saints Free Agents ($164m cap room currently available)
Marshon Lattimore
Ryan Ramczyk
Marcus Williams
Alvin Kamara
Alex Anzalone
 

 

https://overthecap.com/calculator/new-orleans-saints/

[Dome]

Saints 2019 Needs (I'll take other posters thoughts here as well)

Combo TE (Ben Watson is gone, Josh Hill and Dan Arnold are pure receivers)

Deep threat (Ginn and Juice is about out of juice)

CB Depth* (PJ Williams and Crawley both could be resigned)

Left Guard* (Andrus Peat could be cut/restructured)

Center* (Unger could be cut, or restructured, or left alone to see the end of his contract) 

Swing Tackle (Armstead needs a full time backup)

Developmental QB (Teddy won't be sticking around IMO)

[Raves]

Potential cuts/restructures IMO:

Andrus Peat-I would prefer to keep him longterm because although he's not Nicks/Evans etc, he's still a more than capable and versatile LG when healthy and under the right contract.  If we can do an extension or whatever to make it a 5/30 deal and lower the hit this year to about 5 mil then I would be really happy.

Max Unger-When healthy and playing well, a great player for us, but he's been lacking in both departments.  He needs a restructure or just straight up release as we can get a quality younger center just for what his cap savings would be alone.

Kurt Coleman-Just overpaid.  We can just straight up cut him and save 4 million.  I would offer him the choice of doing a restructure/extension that lowers his cap total to about 2 mil a year just for the vet presence, but letting him go would be fine as well.

Cameron Meredith-Really hoped he would work out, but dude still can't get healthy see the field.  I almost htink he was a healthy IR because he just wasn't getting it.  Cutting him provides another $3.75 we can send Thomas' way.

Larry Warford-He's been good, and he's about to enter 2 years left and still fairly young for OL at 27.  I think if we can push his contract to go a little further we can clear up some money this year and keep him longer.

 

The big problem I'm seeing is in 2 years there is likely an NFL stoppage and teams are negotiating with that in mind.  I think we might not see any real big moves that are long term and players being more selective in the offers they take hoping to not be left out after a new CBA is worked out that might include a big influx in cap due to gambling money.

[Raves]

Whatever happens 2021 picks shouldn't be touched.

I think our best chance at getting a QB talent would be Josh Rosen actually.  Haskins is a much better talent than Rosen and the Cardinals new coach is in love with Kyler Murray.  So if Murray or Haskins is drafted by the Cardinals, I think the Saints definitely need to look at trading for Rosen.  He didn't do well in Arizona but really no one would've and would give us a QB talent to develop on a rookie deal to continue the run.

[Jlowe22]

We need oline depth, especially at Left tackle.  Having no back up plan for when Armstead goes down is killing the team.  Every team is hurt by injuries, but there's no excuse to go from the best oline in the league and scoring 36 points a game to looking like garbage.

We need a TE and another receiver.  Need a RB if Ingram leaves.

 

[Destructo Spin]

I don't think Unger is nearly as expendable as some of you seem to think. I know the middle of the line had its issues at the end of the season but I'm putting that on Peat and Warford way more than Unger. We simply had too many injuries and people trying to play hurt.

Peat I'm on the fence about. We know how good he can be when he is healthy. He was not ever healthy this year. But even if he is 100% I don't love him at that cap number.

I don't think Ingram is at all expendable either. We clearly had issues on offense when he was suspended those first 4 games. We need that dude. You're not going to draft a RB who will just waltz in and fill his shoes like nothing ever happened.

And obviously we need a TE. We at least need somebody on Watson's level, doesn't have to be a superstar just a guy who can block and catch 45-50 passes.

[Destructo Spin]

I would lose Coleman, Crawley and Teo (I like Teo but hell he wasn't even active most of the season).

I'm also not sure we need a 32-year-old Patrick Robinson at $5.4 million.

[Dome]

6 hours ago, Destructo Spin said:

I’m also not sure we need a 32-year-old Patrick Robinson at $5.4 million.

I agree, but there’s really nothing we can do about that one. Cutting him costs us more than keeping him. Trade would be the only option for 2019, otherwise he’s coming back. 

[tyler735]

On 1/21/2019 at 8:03 AM, Dome said:

Notable Saints Free Agents

Mark Ingram- Hope we attempt to resign him. Doubt he asks for too much $$$ given his age, and seeming to be pretty happy in New Orleans.
Tyeler Davison
Dez Bryant- If he is recovered from the Achilles I hope we bring him in at some point. Seems he is all about joining the Saints.
Teddy Bridgewater- Hope he is brought back. I still think he could be our next QB after Brees. Might be tough to convince him to be a backup for another season though.
PJ Williams
Ken Crawley
Will Lutz- Needs to be resigned. Has been great for us.
Manti Te'o

Chopping Block Candidates (I'll add other poster's candidates here too)

Andrus Peat (Saves $9.62m with $0 in dead money assuming he's healthy and can be released before the start of the 2019 season)- Cut him.

Max Unger (Saves $6.95m with $1.75m in dead money)- Torn on this one. Would be tempted to try and restructure him as he is getting up there in age.

Kurt Coleman- Cut him

Cameron Meredith (Saves $3.7m with $2.75m dead money)- Cut him

AJ Klein (Saves $4m with $2m dead money)- Bring him back. He's been solid for us, and I'd hate to break up a LB core that appears to be a quality unit for us. He's still fairly young.

 

Notable 2020 Saints Free Agents ($102m cap room currently available)

Michael Thomas- Resign ASAP
Sheldon Rankins- Resign ASAP
Eli Apple- Likely look to resign as well if he doesn't ask for too much $$$.
Vonn Bell- Same as Apple
David Onyemata- Hold off until the time comes and make a decision

Notable 2021 Saints Free Agents ($164m cap room currently available)

Drew Brees- Retire
Marshon Lattimore- Resign ASAP
Ryan Ramczyk- Resign ASAP
Marcus Williams- Hold off see how he develops
Alvin Kamara- Resign ASAP
Alex Anzalone- Hold off and see if he can stay healthy
 

 

https://overthecap.com/calculator/new-orleans-saints/

We have a very talented core both on offense and defense. Brees is obviously the question mark as we just don't know if we see a drop off in play from year to year. I think if we can convince Bridgewater to resign, I'd be all for it. His brief audition against Carolina wasn't really something we can put much weight in given how many starters we rested on offense, but I think there are tools there with him to keep us a competitive team if Brees gets hurt, or his play level drops dramatically next year. That said, I'd imagine that will be a tough sell to keep Bridgewater around another year as a backup. Wouldn't mind getting rid of Peat and looking elsewhere for a LG. I also wouldn't be opposed to adding a young explosive WR to groom in opposite Thomas via draft or free agency.

[navysaintsfan]

Brees is under contract for two more years? I thought he was just under for 2019?

[Dome]

1 hour ago, navysaintsfan said:

Brees is under contract for two more years? I thought he was just under for 2019?

You’re right. His contract has 2020 listed with a salary, but there’s a clause where it will automatically void at the end of the 2019 year, making him a FA a year before his contract is officially up.

 

Same with how Teddy is a FA this year but is technically only on year 1 of a 3 year deal. Just moving money around and being sneaky with it.

I caught it with Teddy’s contract, but not Brees lol.

[Dome]

So that $16m cap hit on Armstead is really glaring.

I think we restructure him or try to trade him, we can't pay a perpetually broken man $16m in what will now be the most important season in Saints history. 

[Canadian Saint]

6 hours ago, Dome said:

So that $16m cap hit on Armstead is really glaring.

I think we restructure him or try to trade him, we can't pay a perpetually broken man $16m in what will now be the most important season in Saints history. 

I think we'll see a bunch of restructures.

Armstead, Peat and possibly Unger come to mind.

Coleman, Klein and Meredith will be cut.