In 2024 and beyond, the New Orleans Saints will have one of the worst salary-cap situations in the National Football League. The Saints are apparently attempting to part ways with some of their best defenders in order to comply with the NFL salary cap, even after restructuring many contracts.
Tens of millions of dollars have already been removed from New Orleans’ cap requirements for the 2024 campaign. But even with the new league year starting on March 13, the Saints front staff is still making a lot of effort to formally fall below the NFL pay cap.
2024 cap space for the New Orleans Saints is -$10.912 million.
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Additionally, resolving their financial problems in 2024 is only a band-aid solution. New Orleans is left with additional debt for upcoming seasons for each contract they restructure this year. The squad is expected to be $60 million over the cap in 2025 as of March 11. Therefore, the club is looking into solutions for these problems.
The Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora reports that the Saints are “pushing to find a trade partner” for cornerback Marshon Lattimore and linebacker Demario Davis.
Demario Davis’s 2023 numbers include 121 total stops, 12 stops for loss, 11 quarterback hits, and 6.5 sacks.
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Entering his 36th season, Davis was exceptional in the previous campaign. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time and was named an All-Pro for the fifth year in a row. Davis is still regarded by many as one of the NFL’s top off-ball linebackers, despite his advanced age.
2023 statistics for Marshon Lattimore: 8 pass deflections, 1 interception in 10 games
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Entering his 30th season, Lattimore has not been selected to the Pro Bowl since he was selected three times in a row between 2019 and 2021. The 6-foot cornerback has participated in 17 games overall over the past two seasons, giving up 527 receiving yards on 48 receptions.
According to OverTheCap.com, a trade of Davis after June would result in cap savings of $12 million, while a move of Lattimore after June would result in cap room of $3.968 million. Given the dearth of elite linebackers available in the 2024 NFL Draft, Davis may draw a lot of attention in trade negotiations.