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A ton of movement is expected around the NFL in the next week, with the league and players union hammering out the details on an official 2021 salary cap and dozens of cap cuts preceding free agency. The New Orleans Saints are one of nine teams currently in the red against the projected salary cap of $180 million, and the MMQB’s Albert Breer reports several veteran players could be moved as the Saints continue to chase cap compliance.
Breer reports that running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders are both available in trade talks, and conversations have also surrounded injured linebacker Kwon Alexander (though Breer adds he’s more likely to be released than traded while recovering from Achilles surgery. Whether he’s traded, cut, or reworks his deal, there’s no way the Saints are on the hook for the $13-plus million Alexander’s contract is worth as it stands).
It would hurt to see either Murray or Sanders go. Murray has done nothing but made the most of his opportunities behind Alvin Kamara on the depth chart, often sparking arguments among fans about whether he deserves even more touches. Sanders came on strong after a slow start in his first year with the Saints, peaking in Week 5 with a career-high dozen catches for 122 receiving yards. Neither player has been a featured weapon with Kamara and Michael Thomas on top of the roster, but they’re exactly the sort of established compliments you want on your team.
But the cap crunch is real, and while the Saints could make it work without Sanders and Murray, they’ll need all the resources they can get their hands on. It helps that they have some promising backups ready for more looks like Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harris, and Ty Montgomery, but that’s small consolation against what losing these players could do to hurt the overall group. You’d want more experienced help to surround whichever quarterback replaces Drew Brees.
At the same time, you’d want more players on team-friendly, cheap rookie deals. And that’s what promoting Callaway, Harris, and Montgomery (among others) into more prominent roles would accomplish. Life after Brees will mean even tighter salary cap accounting than we’re already used to in New Orleans, and the Saints will have to make tough decisions to accomplish that. Offloading Sanders (saving $6 million against the cap in a trade, $4 million in a release) or Murray (a little over $2.4 million either way) makes sense, to an extent. At this point, Saints fans should be ready for anything.
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