The New Orleans Saints have been working to get ahead of the curve for quite some time now. Last year, they inked contract extensions ahead of schedule with players such as kicker Wil Lutz, wide receiver Michael Thomas, and defensive end Cameron Jordan. Each of those contracts were hammered out before their current deals expired, allowing the Saints to solve future problems before they could get bigger, and more expensive.
New Orleans has a long list of free agents to consider as it is, but they could create more salary cap space by signing some of these players to new contracts. They can also potentially save future funds by getting the jump on developing markets at safety and running back. Using salary cap data sourced from Over The Cap, we highlighted six players the Saints should prioritize this offseason:
Alvin Kamara
2020 salary cap hit: $1,220,693
Kamara is set to play at a bargain next year, but he’ll command big money on his next contract. The question is how much that new deal will cost. Going into the 2019 season, it looked like he was going to cash in somewhere close to the top of the market; he’d scored 32 touchdowns (22 as a runner, 9 as a receiver, 1 as a returner) in his first two years while averaging 101.5 yards from scrimmage per game.
Instead, he scored just six touchdowns in 2019 and was limited to 95 yards from scrimmage per game while dealing with leg injuries throughout the year. With new deals coming soon for running backs like Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Aaron Jones, the Saints could feasibly get Kamara to sign a long-term deal at a more-affordable price before the market strengthens. If they wait and risk one of those running backs resetting the market, Kamara could be priced out of their budget. Assuming he isn’t traded.
Marcus Williams
2020 salary cap hit: $1,985,585
Williams has been on the wrong end of too many big moments early in his career. Whether it’s the Minneapolis Miracle in 2017 or George Kittle’s catch-and-run on fourth down last season, it’s just felt like he’s been in the wrong spot at the wrong time in highest-leverage situations. The vibe surrounding him has portrayed the Saints’ starting free safety as someone who misses too many tackles and comes up small in clutch moments.
Fortunately, that perception is not reality. Williams is a playmaker, having led the team with four interceptions (and being the only defender to pick off multiple passes). Pro Football Reference credited him with a missed tackle rate of 14.5% (missing 9 times on 62 attempts), close to average for the position. If the Saints move on from Williams, it’s more likely they’ll regress rather than upgrade. Free agents like Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye, and Malik Hooker will raise the top-shelf price soon, which Eddie Jackson just set at $58 million over four years. The longer the Saints put off a new contract for Williams, the higher his price tag will climb, and the less-replaceable he’ll become.
Demario Davis
2020 salary cap hit: $9,900,000
Davis has been everything fans hoped to see at linebacker. He’s a leader on and off of the field, having been immediately elected a team captain after signing back in 2018. His elite level of play earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 2019. He’s been a popular pick among film gurus as the best three-down linebacker in the NFL, thanks to his abilities to defend the run, blitz the quarterback, and run with receivers downfield in coverage.
He’s exactly the sort of player the Saints must keep around post-Drew Brees. Davis is a galvanizing force in the locker room and a field general who eases communication between the front four and the back seven. Rewarding him with a long-term contract would make sense for all parties involved, but it won’t be cheap. Davis is 31, and his contemporaries include Bobby Wagner (who signed a three-year, $54 million contract) and Dont’a Hightower (playing on a four-year, $35.5 million deal). The three-year, $24 million the Saints first signed him to will probably look small in comparison to his looming extension.
Janoris Jenkins
2020 salary cap hit: $11,250,000
How clutch of a pickup was Jenkins? He made an immediate impact down the stretch, closing out the regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers with an end zone interception and erasing Stefon Diggs in the playoffs (unfortunately, Marshon Lattimore picked the worst time to have his worst day in the office against Adam Thielen). Jenkins was a welcome addition of splash plays and veteran experience on the back end of a young Saints defense.
Hopefully they can keep him around. $11.25 million is a hefty price to pay for a number-two cornerback, but with just three corners on the roster right now between Jenkins, Lattimore, and Patrick Robinson, it would be tougher for the Saints to justify cutting him than keeping him. The best resolution would be a short-term contract extension for a year or two to spread out these cap commitments and build a powerful one-two punch in the secondary.
Larry Warford
2020 salary cap hit: $12,875,000
Warford might be the third-best free agent signing in the Sean Payton era, behind only Brees and Davis. He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years on the team (each time as an alternate, admittedly) and provided stout protection at right guard. He’s reliable in pass protection — except when asked to solo-block Aaron Donald, the best defensive lineman in football — and a real force when paving the way on the ground. This is what a home-run hit in free agency looks like.
So keeping him around longer should be a top priority. Warford is heading for a contract year in the final leg of his four-year, $34 million deal, and he’ll be just 29 when it expires. He’s got plenty of football left to play and the Saints would be wise to retain him as an important bridge between second-year center Erik McCoy and Ryan Ramczyk, who is on his way to being the best right tackle in the league. With McCoy and Ramczyk both still on their rookie contracts, the Saints should have enough room in the budget to make Warford a Saint for life. Lessening his 2020 cap hit would only be added incentive.
