New Orleans Saints 2020 Free Agency Primer

NFL free agency is right around the corner, and we give you an overview of what the Saints are working with for 2020.

It's just a few days away from the start of the NFL's new league season, which is great news for Saints fans. There's a ton of hysteria in the sports world currently with the outbreak of COVID-19, which has seen the NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA and the XFL put a halt to their seasons. As for the football world, we have seen the NFL cancel its annual March meeting as well as teams cancelling, limiting and restricting operations. 

As of right now, things are still going as planned for the new league year, as the official free agency legal tampering period opens on Monday, March 16 and extends to Wednesday, March 18. Most of the big deals will get done at that time. At 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, teams are allowed to begin signing players. 

Here's an overview of where the Saints stand.

2019 Record

The Saints were thought to have a big hangover following the infamous no-call in the NFC Championship game against the Rams following the 2018 season, but responded with a 13-3 regular season record. However, that was only good enough to be the NFC's No. 3 seed, which saw the Saints host the Vikings in the opening Wild Card round. The Saints offense didn't look particularly good, but rallied from a 20-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to tie things and send the game into overtime. The game was lost after the Vikings drove down the field with the OT kickoff and the Saints were sent home early in yet another disappointing postseason.

2020 Unrestricted Free Agents

• Drew Brees, QB (41)
• Teddy Bridgewater, QB (28) 
• A.J. Klein, LB (29) 
• Eli Apple, CB (25) 
• Ted Ginn Jr., WR (35)
• Andrus Peat, T (26) 
• P.J. Williams, CB (27) 
• Zach Line, FB (30) 
• Vonn Bell, S (25) 
• Johnson Bademosi, CB (30) 
• Patrick Omameh, T (30) 
• Stephone Anthony, LB (28) 
• Josh Martin, LB (28) 
• Manti Te'o, LB (29) 
• David Onyemata, DT (27) 
• Noah Spence, DE (26) 
• Dwayne Washington, RB (26) 
• D.J. Swearinger, DB (28)

2020 Restricted Free Agents

• Zach Wood, LS (27)
• Justin Hardee, DB (26) 
• Cameron Tom, G (25) 
• Krishawn Hogan, WR (25) 
• Austin Carr, WR (26) 
• Taysom Hill, QB (30)

Salary Cap Space 

According to Over The Cap, the Saints have just over an estimated $9.3 million ($9,323,192 actual), which is close to being dead last. That can quickly change, as the Saints are likley to make cuts and restructure contracts over the next few days. We played general manager for the team at the end of February, tackling what we'd do if we were Mickey Loomis. We also previously talked about some of the players and moves that could potentially create space through converting base salaries into signing bonuses for several players.

Free Agent Game Plan

The biggest free agent the Saints have going into the offseason was Drew Brees, and he kept true to his word on making a decision on coming back, although he has yet to sign Naturally, it was New Orleans or no one. The other big name that kept popping up for the Saints to keep was multi-faceted quarterback Taysom Hill, who is set to become a restricted free agent. Sean Payton gave him a first-round tender and could still work out a long-term deal. He continues to be a top priority.

Most of the Saints unrestricted free agents could look to cash in on deals elsewhere, with the top names being Teddy Bridgewater, Vonn Bell, Eli Apple, and Andrus Peat. David Onyemata reportedly could command big money on his next deal, while players like A.J. Klein and P.J. Williams could stay or go. Due to injuries last season, the Saints brought in veterans Noah Spence and D.J. Swearinger and it would make sense to bring them back and let them compete for a roster spot in training camp. At this point, the only one who is truly out the mix for the Saints is Zach Line, who opted to retire in mid-January.

Five Free Agent Targets

1. Jamie Collins, LB - This seems to be the biggest name tied to the Saints right now, which makes a lot of sense. New Orleans Football's Nick Underhill reported that the team had interest recently. New Orleans has A.J. Klein, Manti Te'o, and Stephone Anthony all hitting free agency, while they'll get back Alex Anzalone and Kaden Elliss from injured reserve to go along with a stellar Demario Davis and Craig Robertson, both who are in the final year of their contracts. Kiko Alonso, who is recovering from an ACL injury, could become a cap casualty for the Saints, which would free up nearly $6.4 million. Either way, New Orleans is going to need another linebacker, and their free agency track history over the past 10 years has proven they aren't shy about spending there, as they've dumped nearly $94 million in free agent acquisitions in that time frame.
2. Chase Daniel, QB - While it won't be the flashiest of moves, the Saints are going to need another quarterback with Bridgewater seemingly on his way out as he seeks a starting job. The logical choice is reuniting with Daniel for a third stint in New Orleans. Hill is used many ways by Payton and Daniel's history as a backup and being capable of stepping in if something happened to Brees would make keep the offense running.
3. Demarcus Robinson, WR - Much is made of the Saints drafting wide receivers in April, and I firmly believe that is the case regardless of how free agency plays out. However, that doesn't mean it won't stop them from potentially targeting a wide receiver. Outside of Michael Thomas, this is an unproven and inconsistent group. Robinson is a receiver that reminds me a lot of a younger Ted Ginn Jr. with more upside. Perhaps a bigger role is in order, as he could replace Ginn Jr. and challenge for a more prominent role in New Orleans. He's the type of player that if you just get the ball in his hands, good things can happen.
4. Graham Glasgow, OG - As of right now, it doesn't appear that Andrus Peat is in the plans for 2020, which means the left guard spot is up for grabs on the Saints offensive line. They may choose to do something with Nick Easton's contract and use him as a potential starter, or could even opt to re-sign restricted free agent Cameron Tom to compete. However, the last guard they signed from the Lions (Larry Warford) turned out to be pretty good. Glasgow is arguably the second prize on the guard market behind Joe Thuney, and it feels like New Orleans won't be able to play in his price range. Glasgow would be an excellent consolation prize.
5. Chris Harris Jr., CB - The Saints don't necessarily have to go after a cornerback, as they have Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins under contract. Many have pointed out the high cap hit from Jenkins at $11.25 million, but the reality is that it's only 15th-highest among all cornerbacks in 2020.  Every team needs three first-rate corenrs and Harris could play the slot. It depends on how things play out with Vonn Bell, Eli Apple, and P.J. Williams. It seems that in all likelihood that C.J. Gardner-Johnson may be primed for Bell's old spot, and that Apple is headed elsewhere for a pay day. Williams could be brought back for slot duty and serve as a reserve safety, but Harris alongside Lattimore and Jenkins would be a pretty solid trio.