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Well that’s interesting. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler listed New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore as a contract extension candidate ahead of the NFL’s regular season, with the Saints scheduled to open up at home in the Caesars Superdome with the Green Bay Packers.
And he sees reason to believe Lattimore and New Orleans can cut a deal before that Sept. 12 kickoff. Fowler wrote:
“Lattimore wants a new deal, preferably before Week 1, so the clock is ticking. A 2022 free agent, he has been practicing and playing the good teammate role. But the Saints know he wants the extension, and they aren’t afraid to pay stars despite being perpetually tight against the cap. They also are light on cornerbacks this season, so keeping a pillar on the back end isn’t a bad idea. Lattimore, 25, ranked seventh among corners in an ESPN+ poll of league evaluators.”
Crossing Lattimore off the Saints’ to-do list would make sense. Right now, his asking price would probably settle around $18.5 million per year — slotting in right between Buffalo Bills standout Tre’Davious White ($17.25 million) and Baltimore Ravens star Marlon Humphrey ($19.5 million). If he plays really well in 2021 and tests free agency in 2022, his market price could challenge the $20 million that the Los Angeles Rams are paying Jalen Ramsey annually as the league’s top-paid corner.
It’s a little complicated, though, given Lattimore’s up-and-down history of play. But considering his age (he turned 25 in May) and lacking depth at the position in New Orleans, there’s an argument for extending his contract now before he heats his peak. That gets ahead of a potential rise in the market and helps to build some confidence in the unit overall. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any movement here after the Saints restructured Lattimore’s contract earlier this summer, which created short-term cap space while piling up $7 million in dead money should he leave in 2022.
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