NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints are projected to be about $42 million over the 2024 NFL salary cap of $255.4 million.
The new salary cap ceiling was officially announced Friday. It is an increase of $30.6 million from 2023 and more than $10 million over salary cap projections from January.
That's good news for the Saints, who have started their annual work to get salary cap compliant. They must be under the new cap by March 13 when the new league year begins. New Orleans typically becomes compliant each offseason through a series of restructures, releases and pay cuts. The Saints will also need to free up more space to sign free agents and draft picks, put together a practice squad and function throughout the regular season.
Only the top 51 contracts count against the salary cap in the offseason, and the Saints currently have about $297.5 million in contract commitments.
Here's how they can get under the cap:
Moves the Saints have already made
Restructured DT Nathan Shepherd - Feb. 24
The Saints restructured Shepherd's contract Saturday, a source told ESPN's Field Yates.
By converting most of his base salary into a signing bonus, the Saints saved $2.82 million against the salary cap.
Savings: $2.82 million
Restructured QB Derek Carr - Feb. 23
The Saints restructured Carr's contract Friday, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Carr is entering the second season of the $150 million contract he signed last year and his $30 million base salary was already guaranteed.
By reducing his base to the veteran minimum and spreading it out, the Saints can save $23 million against the salary cap.
Savings: $23 million
Restructured C Erik McCoy - Feb. 21
The Saints reduced McCoy's $9.6 million base salary to the veteran minimum Wednesday, added a 2028 void year and converted his $500,000 roster bonus to a signing bonus, spreading it out over five years.
Savings: $7.18 million
Temporarily restructured CB Marshon Lattimore - Dec. 29
The Saints temporarily freed up $11 million in space by turning $13.79 million of Lattimore's base salary into an option bonus.
That frees up $11 million for the Saints to use in free agency and gives them the flexibility to trade Lattimore if they wish, although any move would likely not happen until after June 1 for more cap savings.
Lattimore will get his full base salary in any circumstance, as his converted contract calls for him to get the remaining $13.79 million whether or not the option is exercised.
Savings: $11.032 million
Moves the Saints could make
Restructure OT Ryan Ramczyk
Ramczyk's knee injuries are certainly concerning, but unless he chooses to retire after June 1, then the biggest avenue to open up cap space is to restructure it and hope they can find a solution to the problem.
A full restructure would save $11.8 million against the cap this season. The Saints could also add another void year to spread out the money even more, but that seems unlikely with Ramczyk's health status uncertain.
Savings: $11.84 million
Restructure DE Cameron Jordan
Jordan will be 35 going into the season and coming off a difficult season where he had only two sacks and several injuries. His $27 million cap hit is the second-highest on the team, so the Saints have to find some way to reduce that number.
Jordan has a $6.7 million roster bonus due this year in addition to his $6.3 million base salary. Converting both to signing bonuses and spreading out over five seasons will open up $13.8 million.
Savings: $13.8 million
Restructure LB Demario Davis
Davis will turn 35 this season, which could make extensions tricky at this point in his career. This is the final season of Davis' contract, with three void years left.
If the Saints do a simple restructure, they'll turn most of his base salary and his $2 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and spread it out over the remaining void years. The Saints can also add another void year for more savings.
Savings: $8.095 million
Restructure DE Carl Granderson
Granderson has a $9 million roster bonus due after the league year begins. That can be converted into a signing bonus, spread out over five years and lower his cap number from $12.45 million to $5.25 million.
Savings: $7.2 million
Restructure C Cesar Ruiz
The Saints purposely built in an $8 million roster bonus when they signed Ruiz to an extension last year. That will be converted into a signing bonus and spread out over five years, knocking his cap hit down from $10.85 million to $4.45 million.
Savings: $6.4 million
Release S Marcus Maye
Maye has played in only 12 total games since he signed with the Saints as a free agent in 2022. Maye is due $7 million in base salary, the final season of his contract, which is significant for his age (30), performance and availability.
The Saints could save money by releasing Maye and moving on to a younger player, like 2023 fifth-round draft pick Jordan Howden.
Savings: $1.1 million
Extend G Andrus Peat
Peat took a pay cut in 2023, reducing his $11.825 million base salary to $1.5 million and receiving a roster bonus of $4 million, for a total pay reduction of $6.3 million. That saved the Saints $9.5 million against the salary cap.
Peat's contract is set to void in the offseason, and it will cost the Saints $13.6 million against the salary cap if it does.
While Peat initially lost his starting job at left guard after returning on the reduced contract, he proved he still has value after subbing in at left tackle when Trevor Penning was benched.
If the Saints were able to re-sign Peat on a one-year deal at the same salary ($1.5 million, $4 million signing bonus), they could reduce his salary cap hit to $9.846 million, saving $3.792 million and keeping him on the roster.
There would be a lot of variables involved, such as what position Peat plays and how much the Saints value keeping him versus letting him test the market.
Additionally, they could structure the contract in different ways, so this number is just an estimate.
Potential savings: $3.792 million or more
Trade or restructure RB Alvin Kamara
Kamara turns 29 at the beginning of the season and is coming off a year in which he had the fewest yards from scrimmage (1,160) total of his career. His average salary of $15 million a year ranks second in the NFL behind San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
If the Saints restructured Kamara's contract this offseason, it will free up $8 million but result in a significant dead money hit in 2025 if they choose to move on next year.
Trading him would free up his $10.2 million base salary and $1.6 million in bonuses, but would only save $1.5 million against the cap. It would also leave the Saints in a precarious situation at running back after rookie Kendre Miller spent most of the season hurt and Jamaal Williams averaged 2.9 yards per carry.
Potential restructure savings: $8 million
Potential trade savings: $1.5 million
Release WR Michael Thomas as a post-June 1 cut
The Saints won't be able to use a Thomas or Jameis Winston release to get compliant at the start of the new league year, as they'll both have to be on the roster that day to be labeled post-June 1 cut. However, they can use the cuts to open up space for later moves.
If Thomas is designated as a post-June 1 cut, the Saints will get his $1.21 million base salary back after that date.
Savings: $1.21 million
Release QB Winston as a post-June 1 cut
Winston recently restructured his contract in a way that would allow the Saints to release him as a post-June 1 cut and spread out his salary cap hit. He said that he still wants to be a starting quarterback somewhere, and it doesn't look like there's a path to doing that in New Orleans.
The Saints will get Winston's $1.21 million base salary credited back after June 1.
Savings: $1.21 million
Other savings: A pay cut for QB Taysom Hill?
Approaching players for pay cuts has been part of the Saints strategy for a while. Peat, Thomas and Winston took pay cuts to return in 2023. Former kicker Wil Lutz took a pay cut last offseason as well, but he was traded after training camp.
Players who take pay cuts are usually players who would be released at their current salary and would not be able to find similar compensation elsewhere.
Hill, who turns 34 right before the opener, is still highly productive in his unique role for the Saints, and he has led all players (other than the starting quarterbacks) in total touchdowns for the last three seasons.
The Saints could likely open up several million in cap space if Hill agrees to a pay cut to return.