According to the NFLPA, the New Orleans Saints picked up an addition $5.75 million for the 2017 Salary Cap. Entering today, the team has an estimated $30 million of space to work with entering free agency, but the exact number will fluctuate once the league determines the final figure. The even better news is that the team could make more space by moving some money around, if they wanted to.
Last season, the Saints were one of three teams (Broncos, Rams) that did not choose to carryover the full amount of money. The team only used $1.4 million in 2016.
Whether it be a coincidence or not, the ‘bottom of the barrel’ teams like the Browns ($50.1 million), Jaguars ($39.3 million), and 49ers ($38.7 million) have a lot to work with entering the new season.
The top priority for the Saints looks to be locking up defensive tackle Nick Fairley to a longer deal, and negate him from even hitting the open market. In my opinion, other players that should be brought back would be fullback John Kuhn, running back Tim Hightower, and cornerback Sterling Moore.
They clearly have an opportunity to pick up some key free agents in the offseason, and in a season that the Saints must get into the playoffs, let’s just hope they are wise about it.