re: Cowherd says Kellen Moore will not last four years in New Orleans

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I can make it work numbers wise WITHOUT touching Carr this year.

2025 Current situation: -54mil cap space
2026 outlook: +58.6mil cap space

Moves:
Cam Jordan: Restructure +9mil
- This is his last year, give him his hoorah and move along. We'll have to eat dead cap, but this at least spaces it over time. There's more lost if we cut him. Accept reality.

Taysom Hill: Restructure +5.8mil
- Last year, last hoorah; move money back. Cutting him gets you nothing, post June 1st saves 10mil. This is the lesser of two evils I guess since he is still a solid scatback player.

Erik McCoy: Restructure +6.7mil
- He is your anchor, accept it and move onto the next problem.

Demario Davis: Restructure +5.6mil
- He is your franchise captain. Last year of his deal. Give him his hoorah as well, I don't want to keep him any longer than 1 year, cutting him does zero for you.

Cesar Ruiz: Restructure +6.4mil
- We need a better OL, but we're stupid to commit to him before this. Cutting him isn't an option til next year. This year: get a damn LG and figure his situation out in 2026.

Ryan Ramczyk: Post June 1 Retirement +1.25mil
- Accelerate the dead cap (11mil), but its time for him to retire and live a happy life. Knee issues for his life before he turned 30 last year is a devastating reality

Carl Granderson: Restructure +5.25mil
- He's a solid rotation. Not the worst. Not the best. Just solid enough that you keep him here.

Tyrann Mathieu: Restructure +4.5mil
- The trio of Jordan/Davis/Mathieu are necessary bodies at this point. All 3 of them are on their last legs, give them their sendoff this year because cutting them brings you nothing anyway. Loose replacements are not the way to go because we need cap space to be compliant. Bring in a young safety for him to help (just like a DE, LB for the other 2)

Pete Werner: Restructure +2.5mil
- easy, move along

Foster Moreau: Restructure +2.0mil
- This is one option, the other is to extend him. He's in his last year, but all 3 years he's been rather productive. Not the worst backup to have and help groom a true #1TE (its not juwan).

Nate Shepherd: Post June 1st Cut +5.3mil (1.7mil dead)
- Seriously this run game is ATROCIOUS and one of he or Saunders has to go. Picking him because he's older, more expensive, and worse.

Rashid Shaheed: Restructure +2.07mil
- Easy decision or give him an extension IMHO. Just see what we can do

Jamaal Williams: Post June 1st cut +3.15mil (700k dead)
- Goodbye

JT Gray: Restructure +1.23mil
- Easy decision for your ST ace

Cedrick Wilson Jr: Cut +2.4mil (1mil dead)
- Such a lackluster pickup, thought it'd be better...young guys need to step up

After all that: +9.3mil over the cap for 2025. Carr can be cut next year to save 32.8mil (with 28.7mil dead, but nonetheless...nothing past that).

This is your projected players before free agency:
Offense:
QB: Carr/Rattler/Haener/Hill
RB: Kamara/Miller/RB3/Hill
WR: Olave/Shaheed/Austin/Means/Mims/Tipton
TE: [TE Starter]/Moreau/Hill/Holker
T: Fuaga/Penning/[Missing backup]
G: [Left Guard Starter]/Ruiz/Saldiveri
C: McCoy/[Missing backup]

Defense:
DE: [Missing Starter]/Granderson/Jordan/Foskey/[Another body]
DT: Bresee/[Missing NT starter]/Saunders/Ridgeway/Boyd/[Another body]
LB: Davis/Werner/[3rd linebacker]/Ford/Jackson
CB: [#1 CB]/McKinstry/Taylor/[Another body]
S: Mathieu/Howden[Another body]

ST:
K: Grupe
P: Hayball
LS: Wood

Really gotta knock this draft out...

Also moving forward
2026: +61.9mil cap space
2027: +187.9mil cap space

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No more restructuring. Or make it minimal. That's how we got in this situation to begin with. Hard reset.

Thought y'all didn't listen to Cowherd?

Moore will be given grace dt the position ML is putting him in. Good thing fans also realize we will be bad so that pressure is off. Let's support the guy and the players through this rebuild.

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He's right. Kellen is a sacrificial lamb to get New Orleans through what's going to be a rough stretch of years due to cap issues.

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They would have hired Rizzi if this was the case.

This is the way forward. The only thing I would change would be cut Carr and bring back Jameis to back up Rattler. Give Rattler a season to see what you have. If he ain't it, draft Nuss.

It will be 2-3 years before it's fixed unless Loomis tries to find "the missing piece" in FA and overspends on some FAs.

Per OTC, Saints have $58M in cap space in 2026 with about 30 players on the roster. Then you have about $15M for this year's rookie class leaving about $43M. Loomis also needs to park $54M from the 2025 cap somewhere, even if all of it can be spread over 5 years, that is another $11M now; then they have to move more money after the draft to sign this class and other FAs to fill the roster. If there is any cap room in 2026, that is because Loomis screwed the 2027-2029 cap with void years.

2027 will probably be the earliest we see cap relief (if Loomis doesn't go crazy in 2025 or 2026 FA). Only 12 players under contract in 2027 (McCoy, Ruiz, Granderson, Werner & Zach Wood only ones not on rookie deals), so if they don't get too crazy it will be a great time for a complete roster flip

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I'm kinda of the opinion we take whatever damage now rather than later. I know most think Carr is untradable but all the cap guys seem to think it's still the best path forward.

There are a few teams that need some more stable QB play that Carr may be able to help with. Indy and both NYs come to mind. May have to take on a portion of his salary to facilitate a trade but it's still better than nothing.

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Carr can't be traded until May 12th when the official 2025 League year starts which means a trade of Carr does nothing to help the organization become cap compliant for 2025. The second issue is Carr's no trade clause. Personally, I'm in agreement that trading him is the best option but certain stipulations make this option very complex.

Trading him only shaves $11M from the cap, and a restructure/extension would go a lot further. But, "IF" he could be traded on 3/12; "could" it be coincided with the beginning of the new year and help with the cap figure, or would it have to occur after cap compliance is required?

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The second issue is Carr's no trade clause. Personally, I'm in agreement that trading him is the best option but certain stipulations make this option very complex.

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Yea, the first is the real issue. But I don't think you would have a tough time selling Carr on a new situation. I think for a team like the Jets who had initial interest he would waive it.

You could I guess work out the trade details and have everything worked out when that date hits. Make all your moves before hand and then make that your last.

I wasn't optimistic about Moore's tenure until now. Cowherd is notoriously wrong most of the time.