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 in every of their largest 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 is likely to be concerned about, together with cornerback Marshon Lattimore. ESPN’s Adam Schefter famous that groups have inquired into the provision 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 beneath, 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 on account of such a commerce?
What’s Marshon Lattimore’s cap hit and lifeless cash wanting like?
Lattimore’s contract can be straightforward for one more crew to tackle in a commerce. His cap hit the remainder of the 2024 season can be a prorated portion of his $1.21 million base wage. The remainder of his cap hit for this season consists of signing and possibility bonus cash beforehand paid out. He’s due $18 million in complete 2025 pay and $18.5 million in complete 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 lifeless cash in 2024. The place this will get tough for New Orleans is looking forward to 2025. The crew 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’d lock in $31.66 million in lifeless cash for 2025 as a result of it is a post-June 1 commerce. Meaning the lifeless cash is cut up between the remainder of this season and subsequent season. (Useless cash is money already paid to a participant that hasn’t been accounted for on the wage cap.)
The Saints already must clear greater than $71 million, and lifeless cash will not be 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 towards future years’ caps. They might in flip want to search 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 working joke concerning the wage cap not being solely actual given how a lot they’ve kicked the can on it. Theoretically they will maintain kicking it, however we’re seeing the results of this technique: they’re a mediocre to unhealthy crew 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 should hit the reset button and take the ache of rebuilding all the things. It’s only a matter of once they’re prepared to do it, and who will get to take the lumps throughout what will probably 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 general historical past suggests they received’t commerce Lattimore. It’s not how they function. They’ve by no means had a participant taking on $31 million of their cap house. The 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 might cut up his remaining lifeless 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 cannot print this text out and eat it).
