NFL Trade Rumors
Projected Cap Space: -$52.6 million
Draft Picks: 8
Notable Free Agents:
1 – Quarterback
The first domino that will need to fall for the Saints to direct the course of where the franchise goes from here with new HC Kellen Moore is quarterback. Veteran Derek Carr is under contract with the Saints for two more years. He’s due $40 million in 2025, $50 million in 2026. Right now the only guarantees are a $10 million roster bonus in 2025 but on March 15, the remaining $30 million of his 2025 salary becomes guaranteed.
If the Saints were run differently, it might be an easier decision to move on from Carr. It would save $30 million in cash and lower Carr’s 2025 cap hit by a million or so. However, by cutting Carr the Saints would lose the ability to create over $30 million in cap savings by restructuring his contract. It wouldn’t prevent them from getting under the salary cap but it would severely restrict their options with other players and likely signal a lean year.
There’s also a pretty good chance whoever replaces Carr is worse, at least at first. Carr’s closer to average than bad and has had productive years when his supporting cast is strong. The Saints like backup QB Spencer Rattler as a developmental project but he showed last year he needs more seasoning, and there aren’t a lot of obvious solutions at quarterback available this offseason. If the Saints kept Carr, they would still have an out in his contract in 2026 plus significant financial flexibility even with adding $30 million to his dead money hit.
We can guess what Saints GM Mickey Loomis would do based on the fact he signed Carr in the first place and added void years to his deal to accommodate planned restructures, including a year that’s currently empty but would facilitate a Carr restructure this offseason. It’s not clear what Moore would do or how much sway he has in the decision. Moore reportedly had initial reservations about Carr, but came around and ended up taking the job. He didn’t tip his hand at his introductory presser either.
But with Carr’s guarantee coming up soon, this decision won’t drag on long.
2 – Edge Rusher
The Saints still have to go through the interview process but the current favorite to be defensive coordinator under Moore is former Chargers HC Brandon Staley, who runs a variant of Eagles DC Vic Fangio‘s defense. That scheme is quite...
