The New Orleans Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen on Monday, however that’s solely the beginning of what’s wanted to show issues across the Large Simple. The Saints are 2-7 and sitting in final place within the NFC South. They misplaced one among their greatest weapons for an unknown period of time when Chris Olave was carted off after an enormous hit in Week 9. Oh, and their wage cap state of affairs is going through a possible doom spiral.
The NFL commerce deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 5, and the Saints are among the many groups predicted to be sellers forward of the deadline. They’ve a number of veterans groups may be eager about, together with cornerback Marshon Lattimore. ESPN’s Adam Schefter famous that groups have inquired into the supply of the four-time Professional Bowler.
Can the Saints commerce Marshon Lattimore earlier than the 2024 NFL commerce deadline?
Technically, sure. I’ll undergo the wage cap numbers under, however certain, they will commerce anyone on their roster that doesn’t have a no-trade clause of their contract. The larger query is what wage cap penalties are they ready to face because of such a commerce?
What’s Marshon Lattimore’s cap hit and useless cash wanting like?
Lattimore’s contract could be simple for an additional group to tackle in a commerce. His cap hit the remainder of the 2024 season could be a prorated portion of his $1.21 million base wage. The remainder of his cap hit for this season consists of signing and choice bonus cash beforehand paid out. He’s due $18 million in whole 2025 pay and $18.5 million in whole 2026 pay, however none of that’s assured, per Over The Cap.
What does a Marshon Lattimore commerce imply for the Saints wage cap?
This commerce would clear a prorated portion of $1.21 million and the Saints would carry $13.4 million in useless cash in 2024. The place this will get tough for New Orleans is waiting for 2025. The group is at present projected to be $71,408,567 over the efficient wage cap subsequent yr, per Over The Cap. In the event that they commerce Lattimore, they might lock in $31.66 million in useless cash for 2025 as a result of it is a post-June 1 commerce. Which means the useless cash is cut up between the remainder of this season and subsequent season. (Lifeless cash is money already paid to a participant that hasn’t been accounted for on the wage cap.)
The Saints already have to clear greater than $71 million, and useless cash just isn’t one thing that may be cleared out as soon as a participant has been moved. In the event that they commerce Lattimore, they’re simply additional leveraging themselves in opposition to future years’ caps. They’d in flip want to seek out extra folks to commerce, reduce, or in any other case renegotiate contracts to clear extra cap house.
The Saints have lengthy been a part of a operating joke concerning the wage cap not being completely actual given how a lot they’ve kicked the can on it. Theoretically they will preserve kicking it, however we’re seeing the results of this technique: they’re a mediocre to dangerous group that can’t afford to improve their roster as a result of they’re too busy paying for the mediocrity that at present exists.
Sooner or later, the Saints must hit the reset button and take the ache of rebuilding every thing. It’s only a matter of once they’re keen to do it, and who will get to take the lumps throughout what can be some very lean years.
Will the Saints commerce Marshon Lattimore earlier than the 2024 NFL commerce deadline?
The Saints CAN commerce Lattimore, however the numbers above and their total historical past suggests they gained’t commerce Lattimore. It’s not how they function. They’ve by no means had a participant taking over $31 million of their cap house. The very best cap hit they’ve ever had in a single season was $24 million for Drew Brees in 2018. When he retired following the 2020 season, he and the Saints waited to file his retirement paperwork till June eleventh so they may cut up his remaining useless cap hit over the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Something is feasible, but when the Saints select to commerce Marshon Lattimore earlier than 4 p.m. ET on November fifth, I’ll print this text out and eat it (Disclaimer: I can’t print this text out and eat it).
