The New Orleans Saints aren’t out of the woods yet in their search for a replacement for Max Unger. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the league office rejected New Orleans’ free agent contract with center Nick Easton. While it’s likely just a procedural error that can be quickly amended, it’s not a good look for the Saints.
Unfortunately, the Saints have a bit of a history in submitting contracts to the NFL with too much gray area. Just last year, reserve/future contracts for wide receiver Josh Huff and linebacker Jayrone Elliott were disapproved by the league office. These problems can be due to anything from errors in contract language to spots occupied on the 90-man offseason roster. The Saints have just 57 players under contract right now, so that’s not the problem with Easton.
In 2012, the Saints had to remove a clause in a contract extension with head coach Sean Payton that would have allowed him to opt out of his contract should general manager Mickey Loomis be suspended, fired, or otherwise left the team. That would have established a bad precedent for the rest of the league, so the NFL did not allow it.
As for Easton, Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune reported that it was merely a language issue, which the Saints will correct and submit for approval later in the week. So while this specific instance is a bit of a nothingburger, it’s clear that whoever is drawing up contracts within the Saints organization needs to clean up their process.
