Report: Saints Restructure Contract of C Erik McCoy

New Orleans creates more salary cap space by restructuring the current deal of one of their offensive stars.

ESPN Insider Field Yates reports on Monday morning that the New Orleans Saints have restructured the contract of C Erik McCoy. New Orleans has converted $10 million of McCoy's 2023 salary into a signing bonus while adding a void year onto the deal. The move creates $8 million in cap space, according to Yates.

A second-round pick out of Texas A&M by the Saints in the 2019 NFL Draft, McCoy has been a strength of the offensive line since his rookie year. He signed a five-year contract extension last year worth a reported $63.8 million. 

McCoy, 25, has started 60 of a possible 69 games in his fourth-year career. He was voted onto the 2019 NFL All-Rookie Team and is considered one of the league's better interior linemen. An outstanding technician, McCoy also has the athleticism to get outside effectively on off-tackle runs and screens. 

New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Andy Dalton (14) against the Arizona Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY

McCoy missed four complete games and most of a fifth in 2022 with a calf injury. In those five games, the Saints averaged just 58.8 rushing yards per game and 2.9 per carry. With McCoy in the lineup, New Orleans averaged 140.7 yards on the ground and 4.7 per rush.

New Orleans began the offseason a reported $59 million over the projected 2023 salary cap. The team restructured the deal for S Marcus Maye to create nearly $4.9 million last week and have opened up another $8 million with the reworked deal with McCoy. 

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