Blinksportsnews247The franchise might be undergoing a bit of an identity change after missing the playoffs for three straight seasons. They have a number of important personnel decisions to make in order to retool the team and attempt to make a run at the postseason, and they are currently deep in the process of selecting a replacement for longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.
This week, the Senior Bowl in Mobile brought together the Saints and a large portion of the NFL community to witness some of the best upcoming prospects for the 2024 draft. However, a great deal of other business was covered both prior to and following the player interview sessions and practices.
Following discussions at the Senior Bowl with many league sources, this is what we’re hearing.
The agreement with Derek Carr
This offseason, the Saints must decide who will start at quarterback. With Derek Carr’s contract slated to count $35.7 million against the 2024 salary limit, the Saints, who must free up tens of millions of dollars in cap space by March 13, have a big chance to do so.
Expect the Saints to take that route and rework Carr’s deal prior to the start of the upcoming league season, thereby binding them to the quarterback for the next two seasons, based on discussions that have taken place in Mobile.
The Saints theoretically have the option to find cap relief on the roster by not making any changes to Carr’s deal. They could have moved on from Carr the following year with only a little financial penalty if they had made such a move. Though legally Carr’s contract is still up for negotiation because they haven’t restructured it yet, it is anticipated that New Orleans won’t let Carr’s contract stand alone.
Carr’s base pay is expected to reach $30 million in 2024. The Saints could reduce Carr’s 2024 cap charge to roughly $14.2 million, clearing more than $21 million in immediate cap relief—and even more if they opt to add an empty year—if they took the most aggressive approach and converted all of the remaining cost space, which is $1.21 million, to a signing bonus.
Carr passed for 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions in his debut season with New Orleans; the majority of his statistical output came in the final stretch of the campaign. He was on track to throw just 14 touchdown passes by the halfway point of the season.
Carr sustained many injuries during his playing career, including two concussions, fractured ribs, and a damaged AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Although there is a legitimate argument regarding whether or not Carr should have been permitted to play despite his ailments, he did get some respect for his toughness in the building.
The Saints seem committed to Carr past the 2024 year, even after his erratic debut in New Orleans, and they think he is the ideal quarterback to guide the squad.
Search for an offensive coordinator
One significant absence from Alabama was that of head coach Dennis Allen, who did not travel the two and a half hours down Interstate 10 to watch and speak with prospects for the 2024 draft.
In order to support Allen with the interview process, at least one senior member of the Saints front office stayed behind while Allen conducted interviews for the team’s available offensive coordinator post in New Orleans.
When it comes to hiring, there doesn’t seem to be an exact deadline. The Saints are happy to wait however long it takes for them to be satisfied with the outcome of the procedure.
The 49ers assistants Brian Griese and Klint Kubiak, at least two of their possible prospects, are getting ready for the Super Bowl. Along with in-house candidate Ronald Curry, Ravens receivers coach Greg Lewis, Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Griese and Kubiak are two of the seven known candidates the Saints are still considering for the position.
A new chapter in history?
Given his previous actions on social media, this may not come as a huge surprise, but it seems like Michael Thomas has played his final game while wearing a Saints uniform.
His future in New Orleans is still up in the air, but after eight occasionally amazing and occasionally tumultuous seasons, it looks like the two sides are about to part ways.
This season, Thomas participated in 10 games, which is the most he has done in a single year since he damaged his ankle in Week 1 of 2020. Even though he never reached 70 receiving yards in a game and eventually sustained an ankle injury that kept him out of the final seven games of the season, he had some excellent moments throughout those games. He missed at least seven games for the fourth season in a row.
With an average of 117.5 receptions and 1,378 yards per season over his first four seasons as one of the NFL’s top playmakers, Thomas’s injury history has sadly derailed his path to the Hall of Fame. Despite playing in only 20 games in the four years afterward, Thomas has amassed 95 receptions for 1,057 yards.
If the Saints do move on, the expectation is that Thomas would be designated as a post-June 1 cut. In that case, the Saints would carry a $12.4 million cap hit for Thomas until June 2 but would spread out his dead money charge over the next two seasons.
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