Tag: Erik McCoy

Tracking Saints’ moves to get under the 2024 salary cap

We’re tracking New Orleans Saints’ moves to get under the 2024 salary cap. It’s a mad dash to the finish line ahead of free agency:

It’s time for one of the most interesting parts of the New Orleans Saints season: how they manage to get under the salary cap once again.

There was good news for the Saints recently as the NFL announced the 2024 salary cap with a big raise — the cap went up $30.6 million from last year to $255.4 million. That will give the Saints more room to maneuver around, given that they are used to making it work with a lot less.

A lot that will be done over the next few weeks will be restructuring existing contracts. They keep restructuring in mind when forming their contracts in the first place, just one tool that the front office uses to stay ahead of things. They will also likely cut some players that they consider to be a bad value.

Here is a running tracker of every move the team makes to get under the salary cap. Our numbers are approximate, give or take a couple million dollars, and there are so many moving parts this time of the year it’s near-impossible to nail things down to the nth degree. So check this space often for updates:

Saints work towards salary cap compliance by restructuring Nathan Shepherd

The New Orleans Saints are continuing to work towards salary cap compliance by restructuring their contract with Nathan Shepherd:

Here’s your next New Orleans Saints salary cap maneuver: ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the team restructured their contract with defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd to save “just north of $3 (million)” following similar moves with quarterback Derek Carr and center Erik McCoy. Another restructure with right guard Cesar Ruiz is also in the works, per ESPN.

There’s just one thing: the math doesn’t check out for this to yield more than $3 million in savings. Shepherd was due $4.1 million in base salary with a $1 million signing bonus payout in 2024 prior to this restructure, which made for a $5.1 million cap hit. Lowering his salary to the minimum ($1.125 million) and converting the difference into a new signing bonus ($2.975 million paid out over five years for accounting purposes) would yield $2.23 million in savings, dropping his cap hit from $5.1 million to just $2.72 million.

So maybe that’s a typo or mistake from Yates. $2.23 million could be credibly described as “just north of” $2 million. We’ll see if Yates shares a clarification or if there’s something else going on here. Either way, whether it’s $2 million or $3 million, every dollar counts for the Saints. Few teams spend more than they do.

Shepherd’s base salary for 2024 was already guaranteed when he signed with the Saints last year, so he was going to get this money regardless. It’s just being paid out differently to better work around the salary cap. After restructuring their deals with Shepherd, Carr, and McCoy with Ruiz’s expected restructure factoring in, the Saints should be over the cap by about $33.2 million. That’s already $50 million less than where they started in offsesason projections.

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Report: Saints plan to restructure their contract with guard Cesar Ruiz

ESPN reports the New Orleans Saints plan to restructure their contract with right guard Cesar Ruiz, saving another chunk of salary cap resources:

More moves are coming for the New Orleans Saints as they continue to work to reach salary cap compliance — ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Saints plan to restructure their contract with right guard Cesar Ruiz, having already done so with quarterback Derek Carr and center Erik McCoy.

Ruiz signed a deal last summer that was primed for restructure: his extension included a league-minimum base salary in 2024 along with an $8 million roster bonus. In order to restructure his contract, the Saints are going to  have to convert that roster bonus into a signing bonus and pay it out over the four years remaining on Ruiz’s contract, which will save $6,580,000 against the cap this year. It’s a smart move since the money was already promised, it’s just being paid out in a way that makes life easier for the team’s accountants.

According to estimates from the experts at Over The Cap, the Saints were in the red by about $53.7 million after restructuring their contracts with Carr and McCoy. Adding Ruiz to the list will drop them down to approximately $47.2 million. Still a ways to go before reaching salary cap compliance (with more needed to sign veteran free agents), but already nearly half where they started the offseason, without cutting a single player. This has been the plan all along. We’ll have to see if the changes to the coaching staff can make enough improvements to justify it.

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Saints kick off their annual restructures with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy

The Saints kicked off their annual salary cap strategy by restructuring their contract with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy:

The New Orleans Saints kicked off their annual salary cap strategy with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy, agreeing to a contract restructure that guarantees McCoy his money while helping the team’s accountants.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Saints are saving $7.18 million by restructuring McCoy’s contract — which they’ve done by converting most of his base salary and a $500,000 roster bonus due in March into a new signing bonus, adding a void year to spread out the signing bonus proration. The end result: McCoy’s salary cap hit drops from $13.7 million to about $6.5 million for 2024. He’s under contract through 2027.

McCoy earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl Games in 2023 as an injury replacement, and he was the Saints’ steadiest offensive lineman during their recent tumultuous season. They’ll be counting on him to anchor the middle of the line from the pivot spot for the foreseeable future. With Derek Carr returning at quarterback and Klint Kubiak installing his offense, having McCoy at the point is going to be good for all involved.

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Former Texas A&M OL Erik McCoy has been selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl

Former Texas A&M center Erik McCoy has made the 2024 Pro Bowl in place of Detroit’s starting center Fran Ragnow due to injury.

Ahead of this weekend’s 2024 Pro Bowl festivities, it was announced that former Texas A&M offensive lineman Erik McCoy had been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl roster in place of Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow, who has continued to deal with multiple injuries.

After five seasons as the New Orleans Saints’ starting center, McCoy, who didn’t miss a single game during the 2023 season, has remained one of the most dependable offensive linemen year after a year, outside of dealing with several injuries over the last couple of seasons.

Coming out of the 2015 recruiting class, McCoy was a highly underrated 3-star prospect out of Lufkin, Texas, redshirting during his freshman season before earning the starting center job during the 2016 campaign.

Adding weight and strength over the years, McCoy’s technically sound hands and feet, paired with a keen understanding of leverage, led to starting 38 games during his Aggies career, entering the 2019 NFL drafter after his junior season.

Erik McCoy is the first Saints’ starting center to be selected to the Pro Bowl since center Max Unger in 2018.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Erik McCoy named to his first career Pro Bowl Games appearance

Erik McCoy, a first-time New Orleans Saints team captain in 2023, has been selected for his first career Pro Bowl Games appearance:

Congratulations are in order for Erik McCoy: the New Orleans Saints center has been added to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games roster, where he’ll join two teammates — punt returns specialist Rashid Shaheed and linebacker Demario Davis.

McCoy was selected as an alternate, replacing injured Detroit Lions starter Frank Ragnow. He and Philadelphia Eagles icon Jason Kelce will be representing the NFC.

It’s the first Pro Bowl selection for McCoy in his NFL career, and it’s well-earned. He was the team’s best offensive lineman in 2023 and did a lot to stabilize a group that could have fallen into disarray after some early struggles. McCoy was also named a Saints team captain for the first time this season. Hopefully he and his family can enjoy this experience in Orlando before shifting gears to prepare for a pivotal 2024 season.

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Saints aren’t eager to explain in-game squabble between Derek Carr, Erik McCoy

The Saints are brushing off a squabble between Derek Carr and Erik McCoy. Dennis Allen says he ‘wouldn’t read too much into’ the heated altercation:

A lot happened in the New Orleans Saints’ win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday — both good and bad. But nothing caught fans’ attention more than the late-game altercation between quarterback Derek Carr and center Erik McCoy.

Carr picked himself up off the ground in a fury after being sacked by Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu, who beat right guard Cesar Ruiz to bowl Carr over as he dropped back to pass. Carr took aim at McCoy after the play, who responded in kind, and the pair had to be separated. Left guard James Hurst walled off McCoy as they returned to the sideline where backup quarterback Jameis Winston corralled Carr.

Other veterans on the team like running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. bridged the gap, and the pair eventually hashed things out together on the bench. The offense rallied to close out a 28-6 win. But there were few people in the locker room willing to discuss the incident after the game, including head coach Dennis Allen.

“These kinds of things happen on the field. I’m glad that both of them had the balls to stand up and fight,” Allen said after the game. “Guys, they get pissed. Sometimes things get emotional. I wouldn’t read too much into it. We addressed it. Let’s move on.”

Dustups do happen in pro football, but it’s unusual to see a franchise quarterback going back and forth like this with his center. The two players who touch the football on every single play should be in sync, and they clearly weren’t. Whether Carr misidentified the middle linebacker to set protection before the snap or McCoy failed to help Ruiz pick up the blitz is unclear, and they’re all more interested in moving forward than dwelling on it.

Both McCoy and Carr brushed over the issue after the game, reiterating Allen’s point that these things happen, they’re good now, and there are no divisions splitting the locker room apart (WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak shared transcripts from their postgame media availability here if you’d like to read full comments). So we aren’t likely to get any real resolution on the record any time soon.

Still: it’s near-impossible to watch this team each week, pay attention when guys are speaking on camera and into microphones, and not come away feeling that something isn’t right. Players and coaches and front office executives are not in lockstep and that discord is reflected in their losing record. Hopefully they can mend fences, build on this win, and work towards a run at the NFC South crown. There’s too much invested in these players and this coaching staff to settle for less.

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Saints Twitter reacts to Erik McCoy and Derek Carr’s onfield argument

Saints Twitter reacts to Erik McCoy and Derek Carr’s onfield argument

The frustration has reached new peaks with the New Orleans Saints as center Erik McCoy and quarterback Derek Carr were seen on the FOX broadcast walking off the field in a heated argument; Carr had just been bowled over by a blitzing Carolina Panthers linebacker.

It was shocking to see given the even-keeled personality of Erik McCoy, but fans were happy to see some accountability for the lack of offensive success. They made up on the bench with veterans like Alvin Kamara, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Keith Kirkwood mediating but it’s clear things aren’t in a good place.

Here are some reactions to the event from across Twitter and an update a little bit later into the quarter:

Saints upgrade several players on updated injury report for Week 14 vs. Panthers

The Saints upgraded several players on their injury report update for Week 14 vs. Panthers, but Chris Olave missed practice with an illness:

Let’s start with the good news. The New Orleans Saints upgraded several players on their injury report update for Week 14’s game with the Carolina Panthers, with defensive end Cameron Jordan (ankle) participating on a limited basis after he had to sit out earlier this week. Starting offensive linemen Erik McCoy (shoulder) and Ryan Ramczyk (knee) both practiced fully after previously being limited.

Now the bad news. Five players were absent on Thursday including star wideout Chris Olave, who missed practice with an illness. The Saints were also down quarterback Taysom Hill (foot/left hand) and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (thigh), plus rookie defensive end Isaiah Foskey (quadricep) and first-year running back Kendre Miller (ankle). And quarterback Derek Carr (concussion/rib/right shoulder) was limited again while remaining in the league’s concussion protocol.

Conversely, there were few changes from the Panthers, with two players who received rest days to start the week (cornerback Troy Hill and right tackle Taylor Moton) practicing on limited snaps. Outside linebacker D.J. Johnson was excused from practice for personal reasons.

Here’s the full injury repot for Thursday. Check back on Friday for game statuses:

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Referee Alan Eck assigned to his second Saints game this season

Referee Alan Eck assigned to his second Saints game this season

The New Orleans Saints will play their second game with referee Alan Eck on the field this season in Sunday’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers; they last saw him in Week 6, during their loss to the Houston Texans. Eck was promoted to referee this summer after previously working as an NFL umpire and side judge for seven years.

Eck’s crew averages fewer penalties per game (11.4) than most squads around the league, but he nearly met that total back in Week 6. New Orleans was fouled 7 times for 83 yards against just 3 penalties for 29 yards on the Texans.

Why such an imbalance? Pass interference penalties on Paulson Adebo and Marshon Lattimore cost the Saints 45 yards, and the offensive line combined for another 25 penalty yards (Erik McCoy and Trevor Penning were fouled for holding, Max Garcia had a false start). Derek Carr was flagged for intentional grounding, too.

Hopefully the Saints can cut down on those penalties; they’ve drawn exactly 6 fouls for 50 penalty yards in each of their last two games coming out of the Week 13 bye. Negative yardage and lost opportunities have held them back all season and time is running out to make up for those mistakes.

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