As usual, the Saints exited a Combine with plenty of work to do in order to reach cap compliance. Mickey Loomis‘ latest round of moves will also need to give his team — one armed with a new coaching staff — some spending room, which will take considerable maneuvering.
The Saints are more than $47MM over the cap. This is the same franchise that once hovered more than $75MM over and carved out enough room to franchise tag Marcus Williams in 2021, so Loomis’ talents here should not be underestimated. As the Saints are planning to keep Derek Carr (and thus delay a rebuild further), they also have some defensive players in mind they would like to retain.
Both Paulson Adebo and Chase Young are set to hit free agency March 10. Both players (spoilers) will be included on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list following Tuesday’s franchise tag deadline, as each carries interesting appeal. Young stayed healthy after neck surgery. Adebo did not, but his age (26 in July) makes him an interesting free agent, as the market will include a host of older corners aiming to cash in on a third contract.
The Saints are believed to be interested in re-signing both players, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. This will take some doing on Loomis’ part, as he begins his 24th offseason as Saints GM, as both starters will draw extensive interest.
This market is light on proven edge rusher types, as could be expected due to the position’s place in the NFL hierarchy, but Young has an interesting case to make. The severe knee injury (ACL tear, patellar tendon rupture) sustained in November 2021 threw Young’s Washington path off track, and a neck injury both impacted his value at the 2023 trade deadline and again in free agency. After signing a contract containing much of its value in per-game roster bonuses, Young was rewarded upon playing all 17 Saints games.
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year (quietly) put together a decent season. While only registering 5.5 sacks, Young topped his career high with 21 QB hits. Young’s 34 pressures were tied for 13th. The Saints have Cameron Jordan going into an age-36 season, as the popular New Orleans staple is nearing the end of the line. They also missed on their 2021 Payton Turner first-round pick. This opens a door for Young to stay, but as he searches for a bigger-money deal than he landed in 2024, it will not be easy to keep the former Heisman finalist off the market.
Marshon Lattimore‘s injury struggles both rankled some in the Saints’ building and gave Adebo an extended run as the team’s No. 1 corner. The 2021 third-round pick held his own, yielding just one touchdown pass (as the closest defender) and holding QBs to a collective 62.7 passer rating. Adebo intercepted four passes and notched 18 breakups that season.
He had started off well in 2024, picking off three passes and defending 10 more in seven games. But a broken femur sustained in a Week 7 loss to the Broncos complicates Adebo’s free agency, though Fowler adds the four-year veteran’s height (6-foot-1) has helped provide intrigue as free agency nears. Broken femurs are not nearly as common in the NFL as ACL and Achilles tears, adding a high hurdle for Adebo to clear before the 2025 season.
As the Stanford alum determines his future, Fowler adds he is believed to be recovering well from the significant injury. While Adebo indicated an interest in staying, he stopped short of saying he would not thoroughly explore the market.