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The New Orleans Saints are one of several teams taking advantage of the new CBA’s veteran salary benefit, allowing them to retain players with four or more NFL seasons behind them at a lower salary cap charge. According to a report from ESPN’s Field Yates, the Saints are using this tool again by signing running back Ty Montgomery and offensive lineman Patrick Omameh.
Under the new CBA, these benefits manifest in a one-year contract valued at the minimum base salary for that player’s accrued NFL experience, as well as an additional $137,500 paid out through a signing bonus, roster bonus, or other incentives. But the benefit for teams comes around in these contracts equaling the salary cap charge of a player with just two seasons credited to them.
So of course the Saints are going to take advantage of a salary cap loophole. They’re always working overtime in trying to retain high-priced talent, and this is an opportunity the NFL drew up for them — no smoke and mirrors needed. But what does it mean for Montgomery and Omameh?
Per Yates’ report, Montgomery received a $137,500 signing bonus (as expected) and a base salary of $910,000. Omameh also agreed to a contract with a $137,500 signing bonus, but his base salary is valued at $1.05 million. Both deals will count just $887,500 against the Saints salary cap due to the new benefit rule.
Other Saints players who have qualified for this benefit:
- Defensive lineman Margus Hunt ($1.05 million base salary)
- Fullback Michael Burton ($910,000 base salary)
- Cornerback Johnson Bademosi ($1.05 million base salary)
- Running back Dwayne Washington ($910,000 base salary)
This sort of salary cap manipulation is par for the course in New Orleans, allowing the Saints to compete for free agents despite their limited resources on paper. It’ll be fascinating to see what new maneuvers the Saints find to work around the cap as we move deeper into the decade of this new CBA.
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