CSC Mailbag: Will the Saints extend their young players before the season?

The 2021 NFL Draft might be over, but the offseason is still in full swing. As we head into training camp, there are a lot of open battles on the roster, including quarterback, cornerback, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive tackle, and more. With that in mind, there are plenty of questions about what the Saints will do before the start of the 2021 season. There might be more questions than answers right now, so we took a few of your pressing questions off Twitter in this week’s CSC Mailbag:

I’ve covered my personal predictions here before, but understand my predictions are just that. I don’t have any insider information. That being said, here were my thoughts from when Marshon Lattimore’s arrest originally hit the news cycle:

I could see Lattimore agreeing to plead guilty to the failure to notify charge (the misdemeanor) in exchange for having the receiving stolen property charge dropped...If he pleads guilty to the misdemeanor charge, I could then see the NFL taking action. Remember, while failure to notify of the concealed firearm is a first degree misdemeanor, so too is a DUI. We saw the NFL suspend Saints cornerback PJ Williams two games for a DUI to start the 2019 season, and I could see the NFL similarly suspending Lattimore for one or two games to start the 2021 season based off of this.

Bottom line: I’d predict a two-game suspension for Lattimore to start the season and be pleasantly surprised if there’s anything else.

I think the Saints would be foolish if they weren’t at least trying to extend some of their young players. Mickey Loomis has said the same himself:

As to why the Saints haven’t announced anything on these players yet, I don’t necessarily think it’s a matter of the Saints “waiting to extend these guys,” but rather that it takes two to tango. Both sides have to be in agreement for a contract extension. Once an agreement is reached, I would expect the team to announce a contract extension shortly thereafter.

Don’t forget: Both Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas’s extensions came right before the start of the season. Demario Davis’s extension came during the season’s first couple of weeks. My prediction? Ryan Ramczyk is extended before the start of the season.

There aren’t many “big name” free agents left as it relates to current on-field performance. The biggest names out there are are just that, names. Sheldon Richardson, Richard Sherman... There are free agents out there who are past their prime and provide on slightly more than name recognition alone. If I had to guess, I’d think the Saints try kicking the tires on Sherman some time after June 1st.

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