Will Saints Use Franchise Tag? New Report Provides Important Update

New Orleans has important decisions to make this offseason

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) heads to the locker room after the game against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

NFL teams have from Tuesday until 4 p.m. ET on March 4 to use franchise tags. Will the New Orleans Saints use one?

In a piece published Monday, ESPN's Katherine Terrell cast doubt on the possibility of the Saints assigning franchise tags to any players. However, she left the door open for one potential candidate.

"With the Saints needing to shed salary cap space, using the franchise tag wouldn't make sense," Terrell wrote. "They've used it sparingly in recent years, likely for this reason, with safety Marcus Williams getting tagged at the cost of $10 million in 2021.

"The only long-shot candidate would be cornerback Paulson Adebo, who is coming off a femur injury, and with several other young cornerbacks on the roster, that wouldn't be the best financial move for the organization."

As Terrell noted, the Saints must focus on shedding salary. New Orleans entered the offseason a league-worst $54 million over the salary cap.

As for Adebo, he's an intriguing young corner who could be worth keeping around, and his recent injury update indicates he's on track to participate in offseason activities. But with franchise tag salaries for cornerbacks currently set at roughly $20 million, New Orleans probably would be better off trying to re-sign Adebo on a more team-friendly deal.

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