Playing General Manager for the Saints
The New Orleans Saints are going to have their hands full with many player decisions soon, as the start of the new league year is just a few weeks away. On Wednesday, March 18, free agency starts, which coincides with the beginning on the new league year. Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis face their most important offseason yet, as this is likely the final season with Drew Brees and their stellar 2017 draft class. If one were to play general manager for the Saints, which is absolutely not an easy thing to do, then here's a few thoughts and priorities on how to execute over the next month.
Tender Taysom Hill high
This seems to be a top priority for the team, as Hill is headed to the market as a restricted free agent. That means that Saints do have the final say on any potential suitors that would like to pry him away from New Orleans. If you recall, the Saints used this to their advantage a couple of years ago on Cameron Meredith. Meredith was given just an original round low-tender by the Bears, and the Saints swooped in by offering him a 2-year, $9.6 million deal with $5.4 million in guarantees. Chicago had the option to match the deal, but did not and received no compensation as a result. Naturally, the move didn't work out for the Saints, but it's a good example of how restricted free agency can be a real gamble.
That's a huge reason why you're hearing about the top tenders being thrown out by Sean Payton. If someone were to try to get Hill away from the Saints, New Orleans could get compensated with a hefty draft pick if they didn't feel like they wanted to match a deal. Now, Loomis and company could also use this to their advantage to help negotiate a deal of their own. In essence, it's pretty difficult to figure out how you pay Hill. However, that's a problem better suited for 2021. Place the highest tender on Hill, and let him make north of $5 million for the new season. Even if he is your primary backup, that's not a bad price tag.
Be prepared to find another Left Guard
Andrus Peat is better suited to test free agency, and it's not like he isn't irreplaceable. Peat's versatility was coveted, being able to fill in at left tackle for Terron Armstead at times during his stint with the Saints. In-house options could include Will Clapp and Nick Easton, who are currently under contract for 2020. The team could also look at bringing back Cameron Tom, who is set to become a restricted free agent. Competition won't be a bad thing for New Orleans, who is likely making their last run at it with Drew Brees at the helm.
The Saints offensive line has a standard of being stellar, and it wouldn't be too surprising to see them make a play for one of the bigger names out there. New England's Joe Thuney makes a lot of sense as the top draw, and he's due a pretty large contract hitting the open market. Brandon Scherff is another top guard on the market, and should also command a fairly large deal. An underrated name to consider would be Quinton Spain, who made the most of his one-year prove it deal with the Bills last season.
Ultimately, the question that needs the biggest answer is whether or not Nick Easton's sample size was enough to have the Saints roll with him as their starting guy. His contract is not totally desirable, but some quick work could be made to shift his base salary into a signing bonus to help create some cap space.
Upgrade Wide Receiver in free agency and the draft
The Saints wide receiving corps doesn't scare anyone if you're not named Michael Thomas, and there's no easier way to put it. New Orleans has tried to get better at this position, but most all of the moves have not panned out. The biggest point to make is this. If Drew Brees truly doesn't have the deep ball like he used to, then you're going to have to help get weapons around him that can take the shorter to intermediate routes and make something of it - similar to a Calvin Ridley.
Most of the luster comes in the way of players like A.J. Green, Amari Cooper, and Emmanuel Sanders. However, that's not the space the Saints should play in. Yes, any of those veterans can help, but the price tag doesn't seem desirable. Plus, durability is a concern for someone like Green. Demarcus Robinson, Keelan Cole, Rashard Higgins, and Breshad Perriman headline the list of players to target for the Saints.
Shore up depth, let several players walk
Linebacker and the secondary are going to be big areas of concern for the Saints in 2020. A.J. Klein, Manti Te'o, and Stephone Anthony are all set to hit free agency, leaving Demario Davis and Kiko Alonso as the main guys for the new season. The team will presumably get back Alex Anzalone and Kaden Elliss, but the durability of Anzalone is something you may be hard-pressed to gamble on. Also, Craig Robertson enters the final year of his contract. New Orleans ultimately doesn't have to go out and get the next Demario Davis, who is also facing the final year of his contract, but they'll need to look at a few potential guys to get in the building if they can't re-sign Klein, which is a move that I could see happen.
As for the secondary, Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, and P.J. Williams aren't currently in the picture for the new year. Bell and Apple figure to test free agency and have plenty of suitors, while Williams is a question mark. Given the way things played out in 2019, it wouldn't be surprising to see C.J. Gardner-Johnson get the nod as the compliment to Marcus Williams. If that truly happens, then Williams would be a priority re-signing to help cover the slot and be a reserve safety.
Work the contract situations out with the big cap hits
Janoris Jenkins would be the best option for the Saints opposite of Marshon Lattimore, even with his small sample size with the team. The cap hit appears that it isn't 'friendly' at $11.25 million, but to put that in perspective, that's 15th-highest out of all cornerback hits in 2020. For even more perspective, Patrick Robinson ranks 29th at $6.15 million.
As for Michael Thomas, one of the suggestions I surfaced when tackling how the Saints could create more cap space for the new season was to shift some or most of his base salary into a signing bonus to help create room. His $11 million base ($15 million total cap hit for 2020) is well worth the price tag, and it's not like the move would make Thomas have any less money. This could be a strategy the Saints use with several of their existing players who carry high base salaries.
Kiko Alonso is a low-hanging fruit the Saints can work with, as his $6.4 million cap hit could almost all be savings. Alonso has played well and found a nice spot with the team after being traded by the Dolphins, and looks to be ahead in the rehab process. Alonso could be a contract extension candidate, and it's a clear need for the team to keep him with Klein, Te'o, and Anthony becoming unrestricted free agents. Again, with Klein, I'd imagine he'll test the free agency market, but an attempt should be made to get him back in New Orleans.
The NFL Combine is currently taking center stage for the league, but we should be hearing about some of the moves being made ahead of the new Saints season. Other teams have already started trimming their rosters, which could also present some intriguing options for New Orleans. This is simply the offseason where the team has to hit in just about every category, and it feels like they have the tools to do it to be a heavy contender in 2020.
