The New Orleans Saints have been working to get ahead of the curve for quite some time now. Last year, they inked contract extensions ahead of schedule with players such as kicker Wil Lutz, wide receiver Michael Thomas, and defensive end Cameron Jordan. Each of those contracts were hammered out before their current deals expired, allowing the Saints to solve future problems before they could get bigger, and more expensive.

New Orleans has a long list of free agents to consider as it is, but they could create more salary cap space by signing some of these players to new contracts. They can also potentially save future funds by getting the jump on developing markets at safety and running back. Using salary cap data sourced from Over The Cap, we highlighted six players the Saints should prioritize this offseason:

Alvin Kamara

2020 salary cap hit: $1,220,693

Kamara is set to play at a bargain next year, but he’ll command big money on his next contract. The question is how much that new deal will cost. Going into the 2019 season, it looked like he was going to cash in somewhere close to the top of the market; he’d scored 32 touchdowns (22 as a runner, 9 as a receiver, 1 as a returner) in his first two years while averaging 101.5 yards from scrimmage per game.

Instead, he scored just six touchdowns in 2019 and was limited to 95 yards from scrimmage per game while dealing with leg injuries throughout the year. With new deals coming soon for running backs like Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Aaron Jones, the Saints could feasibly get Kamara to sign a long-term deal at a more-affordable price before the market strengthens. If they wait and risk one of those running backs resetting the market, Kamara could be priced out of their budget. Assuming he isn’t traded.