Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

The New Orleans Saints shoehorned their way under the projected 2014 salary cap Wednesday by releasing veteran defenders Will Smith, Roman Harper and Jabari Greer. The move saved the Saints around $17 million and pushed the Saints somewhere between $3 million and $4 million under the projected $126 million salary cap.

Yet the Saints will need to create more salary cap space with players like Jimmy Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, Zach Strief and Brian de la Puente all being potential free agents. So more moves (releasing players or restructuring contracts) will have to occur to make any ground in bringing any of the Saints' possible free agents back to New Orleans.

Below is an updated list of the Saints' top 20 salary cap figures with Smith, Greer and Harper no longer on the team (Jonathan Vilma wouldn't have counted against the 2014 cap anyway since he was set to be a free agent).

Top 20 salary cap figures for New Orleans Saints entering 2014 season | NOLA.com

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

If anybody's interested, restructuring the following player contracts would create the corresponding amount of cap room:

Brees $6,530,000
Evans $4,296,666
Grubbs $3,430,000
Colston $3,096,667
Bunkley $2,363,333

Post-June 1:
Cutting Bunkley would save $4,500,000
Cutting Moore would save $3,800,000
Cutting Grubbs would save $6,100,000

Mostly likely scenario is that we restructure Evans and either Grubbs or Colston, then cut Moore and Bunkley after June 1. That would create something in the area of $16-16.5 million of cap room, putting us roughly $20 million under. That would be just about enough to keep Graham under the WR franchise tag (obviously a long-term extension would be preferable), re-sign Strief and De la Puente and have just enough room for rookies and a couple of mid-level free agents.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Brees said he was willing to do whatever it took to keep Jimmy! So I can see him adding a couple of yrs to be with SP on contracts which will lower the cap number for the next few yrs.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

There is only 1 year separating Drew and Seans Contract expiration.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

The best thing possible would be to let Jenkins go.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

John? Malcolm is gone.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Need to remember to factor in dead money.
Cutting Bunkley saves 1.275m (4.837m dead)
Cutting Moore saves 2.5m (2.5m dead)
Cutting Grubbs saves 100k (9m dead)

Here is a good site to use if you want to play with our cap. Looks to be updated with the recent moves.

Salary Cap Calculator - Over the Cap

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

I did. My numbers are accurate.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Salary Cap Calculator - Over the Cap

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

I'm using the same site. My numbers are accurate. If you are subtracting dead money from the projected gain/loss column you are doing it wrong. It's already done for you. The projected gain/loss column is the only one you need to look at.

EDIT: Nevermind, I see what you are doing. Notice I said June 1 cuts. Go back in, change it to June 1 cut and see what happens. :)