Report: Saints Restructure Contracts of Davis and Hill

The New Orleans Saints restructured base salaries of two key players in an effort to attack the team's salary cap deficit.

Kyle T. Mosley | Mar 4, 2023

Report: Saints Restructure Contracts of Davis and Hill /

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans agreed with All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis and tight end Taysom Hill to restructure and convert their 2023 base salaries into signing bonuses, reported by ESPN's Field Yates. The conversions saved the Saints $12.724 million of cap space for 2023 as the team continues to get underneath the league-mandated $224.8 million salary cap.

Mickey Loomis (Executive VP/GM) and Khai Harley (VP of Football Operations) began the 2023 offseason with 56 player contracts yielding a ($54.9M) cap deficit, and an effective cap deficit of ($58.2M). Since, New Orleans has recently restructured several deals, the team's salary cap space is currently ($18.2M) and an effective cap space of ($21.4M), per OvertheCap.com.

Last week, Harley explained to Saints reporter Sean Fazende, "The main crux of my job is managing the cap, is negotiating player contracts." He continued, "Everyone looks at the salary cap in sort of this illusionary sort of way, and yet I look at it as more of an accounting mechanism."

NFL teams and experts have marveled over Harley's techniques for whittling down the Saints' massive salary-cap deficits. Khai Harley has the talent and skills to become an NFL general manager; however, another team hasn't given him an opportunity.

The Saints can still target the base salaries of DE Cam Jordan ($13.9M), CB Marshon Lattimore ($14.5M), G Andrus Peat ($11.8M), RB Alvin Kamara ($9.4M), and QB Jameis Winston ($12.8M) to position the club under the salary cap and avoid a luxury tax penalty before the new season.

Related Saints Articles