Saints News Network

Saints are still Buyers in Free Agency

Almost two weeks into NFL free agency the New Orleans Saints still have the money to spend to acquire quality free agents.

Aaron Miller

As of March 18th the NFL spending frenzy known as free agency has seen several large contracts and player acquisitions. Between Drew Brees and Tom Brady each netting two-year, $50M deals, and Amari Cooper’s nine-figure pact to stay in Dallas, per Spotrac.com NFL teams have thus far doled out a cool $3.8 billion in deals. 

The New Orleans Saints have signed 11 players to just over $200M in total deals in the first couple weeks of the new league year.  ESPN’s Field Yates, tweeted that the Saints are 28th in the league in available salary cap space at $9,237,537. 

Saints' GM Mickey Loomis and his staff are customarily skillful for working and re-working the Saints numbers in free agency.  Loomis has long been praised for his wizardry managing the cap. The Saints routinely have been successful in recruiting talented free agents besides floundering in the bottom-third of the NFL salary cap space most offseasons.

Interestingly, and this is less common than many might think, the NFC South is currently in the bottom-half of the league in terms of available dollars.  Atlanta is 30th with $7.5M, Tampa Bay is 21st with almost $15M, and Carolina is 17th with almost $17M to spend. 

Several veterans remain on the board who can contribute to the Saints roster if signed today; there is slot CB Logan Ryan to LB Nigel Bradham (to make no mention of potentially very pricey players like Jadeveon Clowney).  Loomis and Sean Payton are persistent in their pursuit of quality players through the whole free agency period, and will remain vigilant in the coming weeks as they seek additions in critical positions. 

Stay tuned to Saints News Network for all Saints free agency and NFL Draft coverage. 

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Aaron Miller
AARON MILLER