New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints: Current and future dead money issues

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Saints have more dead money on their payroll than any other team in the NFL. That fact is going to weigh heavily on their future.

Money, Money, Money (Source: flickr.com)

Salary caps, dead money, and contracts are all a part of the issue. I see your eyes glazing over. Very few football fans want to have to think about this aspect of the game. They want to watch their team play and win, and they want the NFL money guys to handle the financial issues making that happen.

Unfortunately it’s part of the modern game, and there are issues the New Orleans Saints are facing now and in the future, that will ultimately have a lot to do with winning and losing. For the Saints, the NFL money man who matters is Mickey Loomis, the team’s Executive Vice President and General Manager.

Jul 25, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis addresses the media during a press conference prior to the start of training camp at the team practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Loomis came to the organization in 2000 and was named General Manager in 2002. In 2006, he was named NFL General Manager of the Year. Known to be a whiz at salary cap manipulation, many of Loomis’ moves are starting to come into question.

The Black and Gold lead the NFL in dead money. This is money paid to players no longer on the team’s roster. For the Saints, over the last two seasons, that number is to the tune of $70 million. This season alone the figure is $40 million, a full 25% of their payroll counting against the salary cap.

According to Jason Fitzgerald on the website Overthecap.com in a recent article titled “Mortgaging the Future” which you can read here,

The Saints are a massive backloader with $20 million being saved this year in back loaded dollars. However the impact of this may not be realized until 2018 and beyond, as even next year they are just $1.5M in cap above the APY of their top players. Given their cap room next year, they will basically return with the same quality roster in 2017, and they have limited avenues to cut at the top to add to the roster.

The situation is so dire at the moment, that the Saints had no choice but to release C.J. Spiller. The team wanted to cut him earlier, but couldn’t until Drew Brees gave the team a more cap friendly extension on his contract.

Like most fans, I don’t even want to know how that works. It’s too similar to weird mortgage deals and looking over your itemized cell phone bill. If I wanted to know about math, I’d be one of those guys doing computer things and wondering why people are so loud when they’re watching people playing sports.

Sep 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) catches the ball as New Orleans Saints cornerback Brandon Browner (39) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

What’s been weighing down the Saints is the number of questionable free agent signings in recent history. The wording on the contracts all looked like sure things on paper to be certain. Brandon Browner from the Legion of Boom. Absolutely. This would include the dynamic C.J. Spiller. Furthermore, the big contract awarded to the promising pass rush specialist Junior Galette.

Add to this list the misses in the NFL draft. Here are the Saints’ draft picks from 2014: WR Brandin Cooks, DB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, ILB Khairi Fortt, SS Vinnie Sunseri, OLB Ronald Powell, OT Tavon Rooks. Casual Saints fans would read this list, and for the most part ask “who?” And this is rightly so. Cooks is the only member of that draft class, a mere two years later still on the roster. Who Dat Nation can all agree those moves looked good at the time. However, hindsight is a fickle thing.

With Spiller being cut, there are still some players on the Saints roster who were high profile free agent acquisitions, who don’t look to be playing on Sundays for the Who Dats in the long term. First on that list is Jairus Byrd.

The former ball hawk for the Buffalo Bills has done little to warrant the pay day he received from the Black and Gold. As I’ve stated in the past, he seems to be around more than in plays. It’s a head scratcher as to why the Saints keep starting him. Byrd frequently seems to be more of a liability than an asset.

The Saints even let Byrd attempt a punt return in action against the Raiders. Trying, I’m assuming to increase his value as a trade target for other teams, though he was as ineffective in that role as he’s been in pass coverage and tackling. In 2015 he had one punt return for one yard, so yet another head scratcher.

Jun 17, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) and nose tackle John Jenkins (92) during minicamp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

At this point I’d add Dannell Ellerbe to the list. He’s certainly looked good when he plays. Unfortunately, when Ellerbe plays, it’s not very often. Since coming to the Saints last season from the Dolphins, the weak side linebacker has played in only six games. Those were last season.

He missed the Oakland game last week with an injury and is on the injury list again for this week’s contest against the Giants. Fortunately, the Saints have a little depth with Stephone Anthony and Craig Robertson behind him, but Ellerbe is starting to look like a bust.

Drew Brees is famous for making tight ends look good, and expectations were very high with the signing of Coby Fleener from the Indianapolis Colts in 2016 free agency. It’s way too soon to write him off but since the team has put on pads in training camp, Fleener has looked like a far cry from Jimmy Graham or even Benjamin Watson. Word is he’s having trouble with the play book, and both Brees and him aren’t on the same page. We’ll see.

At any rate, there will be cuts in the future from this crew that will add to the crazy dead money the Saints are already carrying. Thankfully the new deal with Drew Brees has given the Saints cap space to make an impact going into free agency next season. Hopefully, Loomis and crew make a play for Jason Pierre-Paul, Calais Campbell, Chris Baker, or Dion Jordan. The Saints need somebody to give a legitimate boost to the underperforming Saints defensive line that will in turn improve the pass rush.

Who Dat Nation can only hope the Saints can make the right decisions in the 2017 NFL Draft. Finally, the Black and Gold will need to address the glaring needs for a pass rusher and guard. The team’s ability to properly gauge talent is coming under increasing scrutiny with the moves they’ve made in the past few years. Another losing season will put the Saints brain trust firmly on the hot seat.