The New Orleans Saints are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason, as they will be replacing their head coach, their star player is involved in a criminal investigation, and their salary cap outlook is bleak at best.
Sean Payton ended up walking away this offseason after 15 seasons leading the Saints, having taken the team to nine playoff berths and one Super Bowl (XLIV) win. Plenty of players experienced career years on Payton’s team, and New Orleans will forever have Payton as one of its, if not the, best HCs in franchise history.
Alvin Kamara was arrested after being involved in a fight at a nightclub in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend that resulted in serious injuries to a man, and with video evidence putting Kamara at the scene and involved in the events that took place, Kamara’s future in the league looks quite muddy.
Their money issues are well documented and could be a big reason as to why Payton decided to leave now and hand the keys over to Dennis Allen. Large deals tied to Taysom Hill and others are going to hold this team back and keep them in cap hell, ultimately ruining their chances of likely fielding a competitive team in 2022 and beyond.
Household names may very well be on the move this offseason for the Saints as they try their best to cut off dead weight and save some money, which is why well-known options like the following player may be looking for a new team very soon.
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Surprising Saints Roster Cut in 2022 Offseason
Safety Malcolm Jenkins has suited up for the Saints for seven total seasons – having begun his time in the NFL back in 2009 all the way through 2013, and then back again starting in 2020 until now. Jenkins has been a healthy presence on the backend of the defense for the Saints, but being 34 years old and having a base salary increase of over $5 million makes him a likely option to be cut.
As consistent of an option as Jenkins has been as this unit’s captain, Jenkins is at the point of his career where he will likely be looking elsewhere for employment, likely ending his second stint with the Saints after only two seasons.
His contract is at a point where the team can move on from it with a minimal penalty, as a post 6/1 release would only put him on the books for dead cap at $3.95M apiece for both the ‘22 and ‘23 seasons, while ultimately saving $7.75M on this year’s cap sheet.
Any sort of move that sees Jenkins off of the roster after June 1st (release/cut or trade) would save this team money, but there are not many teams that would prefer to trade for a 34+-year-old safety that has an $11.7M cap hit.
The Saints have plenty of things they need to work through this offseason, mainly surrounding what they want their team to look like in the aftermath of Payton leaving and Allen taking over, but Jenkins has potentially played the last snap of his career as a member of the Saints, leaving a huge leadership hole on defense that will not easily be replaced.
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