Projected contract extensions for big-time Saints 2021 free agents

The New Orleans Saints have the resources to get a jump on contract extensions with key 2021 free agents like Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis

The New Orleans Saints freed up a ton of salary cap space by releasing Larry Warford earlier this month, but so far they’ve only used it to pick up free agents on one-year deals, at near-veteran’s minimum salary.

Names like Margus Hunt, Ty Montgomery, Anthony Chickillo, and James Hurst may not move the needle, but their impact could be felt in training camp later this summer. Having players with their NFL experience rounding out your roster instead of a crowd of undrafted rookies speaks volumes about the quality of this year’s Saints depth chart.

But at some point New Orleans is going to dig deep into their pockets and start planning for the future. That’s what they did last year by getting a jump on looming free agents like Wil Lutz, Cameron Jordan, and Michael Thomas. The Saints correctly identified each of those players as critical pieces to the locker room and rewarded them with new deals well ahead of schedule.

Here are several big names the Saints should consider, with projected contract extensions. Because this new money will be flowing in on top of preexisting deals, the Saints will have the option to restructure current-year cap hits and create more spending-room as they go along. It’s a tactic they’ve used often before.

And with even more lucrative contracts on the way for Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk (who each had their fifth-year options picked up as soon as the Saints were allowed to do so), getting these deals inked now lets the Saints know exactly what they have to work with in the future. It’s like ordering a drink before choosing your steak.

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Taysom Hill’s new contract frees up the franchise tag for Alvin Kamara

Taysom Hill will not be a candidate for the franchise tag in 2021, but Saints RB Alvin Kamara might face that hurdle before free agency.

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The New Orleans Saints’ decision to sign Taysom Hill to a two-year contract extension impacts more than the backup quarterback himself. While it does guarantee Hill will be around in 2021 (likely as the starting quarterback), his new deal sends a ripple effect throughout the roster. One teammate who could feel an immediate reaction: running back Alvin Kamara.

Kamara headlines a star-studded list of Saints free agents in the 2021 offseason, including veterans like Demario Davis, Jared Cook, Larry Warford, and Sheldon Rankins. Kamara can be counted among a group of young talents ready to cash in on their first big NFL contracts, along with Marcus Williams. Contract extensions with depth players and projected starters such as Kiko Alonso, Alex Anzalone, Craig Robertson, and Justin Hardee are also going to be on the docket.

Kamara stands apart from the rest as a prime candidate for receiving the franchise tag. While the number will go up as the salary cap rises and new contracts are signed with star players around the league, the 2020 franchise tag for running backs was valued at a fully-guaranteed $10,278,000. The less-valuable transition tag was worth just $8,483,000, but teams rarely use it because they receive no compensation should the player leave on a new deal with another squad.

Would New Orleans have considered using the franchise tag on Hill? Maybe. That might have led to arbitration hearings in which Hill’s camp could argue about which position he should be considered for the tag’s purposes, whether at quarterback, tight end, or even receiver. He wears more hats than anyone else in the NFL, so that might have gotten dicey. And deciding between Hill or Kamara could have been one really difficult conversation. Now, though, the Saints won’t have to worry about it.

If the Saints have a difficult time hammering out a new deal with Kamara this offseason (or if they simply choose not to try), tagging him in 2021 would be something they consider. The Saints have used the franchise tag before in retaining playmakers like Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham, eventually working out long-term extensions with both of them. It’s possible they try that approach again with Kamara, if need be.

It won’t come to that, hopefully. But the rising cost of running back salaries and the uncertain longevity of the position (as well as the Saints’ hesitance to pay skills-position talent) means it might be the only way Kamara plays for the Saints after the 2020 season. New Orleans made a strong effort to re-sign pillars of the team like Cameron Jordan, Michael Thomas, and Wil Lutz last summer. Maybe they’ll make Kamara a similar priority this year.

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Four 2021 Saints free agents who need contract extensions this offseason

The New Orleans Saints must get ahead of the curve and work out new contract extensions for players like Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis.

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NFL free agency is just weeks away, and it’s time for the New Orleans Saints to get to work negotiating new deals with pending free agents. But their discussions aren’t limited to just the players whose contracts expire in March; they must also begin to look ahead to the 2021 offseason, getting ahead of the curve on growing markets while restructuring contracts to create more salary cap space. And some players, such as Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk, have team options that must be triggered this summer (and they should be, without question).

Here are four 2021 Saints free agents who the Saints should consider signing to contract extensions sooner rather than later.

RB Alvin Kamara

The asking price for top-shelf running backs will only increase as new deals for Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry are handed out. Kamara will likely never be more affordable than he is right now, and the Saints can avoid a potential training camp holdout by signing him to an extension. Even when injured last year, he had the sixth-best yards per carry (4.7) among running backs who logged equal or greater total carries (171).

LB Demario Davis

Davis would be the best free agent signing in Saints history if not for Drew Brees. He’s an All-Pro talent on the field and a charismatic leader who takes charge both in the locker room and in his community. He’s everything you’d hope to add to your team when making this kind of investment. The Saints could lower his $9.9 million salary cap hit with a contract extension, retaining one of their best players for the rest of his career.

RG Larry Warford

Even if Warford may have taken a step back last season (Pro Football Focus rated his pass-blocking at 71.4, which is near the middle of the pack for guards), but he’s still a durable, positively-graded starter who’s played 91% or more of snaps in each of the last two years. Additionally, his 2020 salary cap hit is one of the highest on the team at $12.875 million, and the team could create a lot of breathing room by signing him to a new deal and converting much of his base salary into a signing bonus.

FS Marcus Williams

Williams is probably going to be the most controversial name on this list due to his high-profile gaffes, but he shouldn’t be. He was the best playmaker the Saints had in the secondary last year. He was the only Saints defender to intercept multiple passes (finishing the year with four). Depending on how contracts for talented safeties like Denver Broncos star Justin Simmons shake out, Williams could be in line for $15 million or more per year in 2021. The Saints need to get out in front of this development before they get priced out of a good player.

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