The cap situation is not nearly as bad as you think it is. Carr's cap hit for this year is only 7.2 million. Theres only two players with cap hits of 20+ million. Cam Jordan and Lattimore. Theres only 8 players making 10+ million a year and this is with a cap of over 220 million. Those 8 players with the highest cap hit make up roughly 130 million of the 220 million cap. And thats including Jameis who is likely gone. The cap is projected to go up 20 million a year. That makes it very easy to keep kicking the can down the road. The team really only got tripped up because of the pandemic year. The cap situation is actually getting a lot better now that things are back to normal. After this year with paying Carr only 7.2 million in cap space that will be 3 straight years they havent had to pay a premium price for a QB. Brees's cap hit carried over a year but thats given 2 more years to rehab the cap.
Saints are going to be getting under the cap but mainly by converting guys like Peat Lattimore, and Kamara, Cutting Jameis (which is the only big savings converting to next year) and cutting Thomas post June 1. THey cna get under the cap this year and be fine. It's more next year I'd be worried about. All those restructures push that salary to next year. SO you save 12M on Lattimore's cap hit this year, but hten what you save this year gets punted into the next 3 years and makes him harder to cut later. Right now the saints can cut Lattimore after 2024, and save 5M that year but doing this would put them on the hook to basically carry him through 2026. Right now Kamara is potentially cuttable after this season, But with that restrucure it will be tighter.
Saints will get under the cap. But they're set up poorly right now in 2024 without rookies. THey're already about 40M over the cap without factoring in what those conversions are.
I think you are describing what you want to happen rather than what will actually happen. Been going through this every year for 10 years now. The only way Mike Thomas is being cut is if they don't believe he can stay healthy again. Cutting him after June 1st saves about 1.5 million in cap space. No point in cutting him to save cap space this year. Kamara sure as he'll ain't being cut. He could probably miss some of the season from suspension which lowers his cap hit already. I understand the sports media says the Saints are hopelessly over the cap. It's not true. It was only true one year because of the pandemic. It won't be next year either.
Panthers trade for the top pick.
Traded: DJ Moore, 9th overall this year, 61st overall this year, 24 1st, and 25 2nd. Costly move.
I mean from what I've read from multiple people is that Thomas is a lock to be cut post 6/1.
https://saintswire.usatoday.com/lis...-restructure-salary-cap-hit-contract-changes/
"Now, that’s not completely true. This is an ideal scenario for the Saints to exercise the post-June 1 designation and reap greater salary cap benefits. As observed by Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, the Saints did this restructure with Thomas on the last day they were allowed to in order for him to be eligible for a post-June 1 release. By releasing Thomas in March (before the trigger date guarantees that $31.755 million for 2024) and designating him as a post-June 1 cut, the Saints will carry his $13.15 million salary cap charge until June 2. At that point it reduces to $11.993 million, and New Orleans will be left with a $14.181 million dead money charge in 2024."
Saints will get under the cap. Their methods have been dumb though. Falcons took 1 year of getting kicked in the teeth and already are looking solid in the cap. Chiefs did some work and look solid in the cap while still winning. Like every team deals with cap issues, Saints continue to pay aging former stars big bucks and suck instead of cutting bait and rebuilding.
Costly move, but Panthers aren't a bad team, coudl win the division as I assume they're taking Young and Young should be ready to go right away. I can't imagine them trading up for a project.
Bears got exactly what they wanted. a talented WR, and a lot of Draft picks. The risk is they lost the best player in the draft. THey lost out their choice of S tier defensive linemen. But they still should be quality DL or OL there.
If the Jets trade a 1 for Rodgers but don't make an offer on Lamar I'd question their decision making. I'm not saying I want my team to go hard after Lamar, but Rodgers showed some signs of slowing down last year. With the Jets weapons I think he'll be much better, but he had far and away the worst season of his career and will be turning 40, I wouldn't gamble on that. I'd much rather have the 26 year old QB even though I don't think Lamar has long in the league before he's injured out of it.
Personally I am glad the Panthers made that trade. If their choice at number 1 doesn't work out they pretty much killed their franchise for the next 5 years. I would be surprised if they finished top 2 in the division this year.
Disagree. Not only is Rodgers better, but he's more healthy and comes with less financial risk.
It'd have to be pretty substantial overpay in draft picks for Lamar to be better option than Rodgers.
I like what the Falcons did today signing Bates, the Saints DT, extending Lindstrom, etc.
Very excited to see how it all blows up in their faces next year!
Mike Thomas re-signed BTW, like I said, he ain't going anywhere. Also signed some other players despite the media saying they have no cap space.