Cameron Jordan's extension last year turned out to be a big mistake. The decline we knew was coming sooner or later came and we paid a lot of money for 2 sacks and now his 2024 salary is guaranteed at the level of a well above average starter while we debate using our first round pick to replace him. It's not that Jordan is a bad guy, he is a team leader, but we are stuck paying $14 million for two sacks in 2024, no matter how many future years we refinanced that cash to. Had we simply waited, we could be paying him more like $6-8 million as a team leader whos production has dropped to a point that we would be looking to rotate younger players in on passing downs and his snaps may be a lot less than years past.

Extending players like Mathieu, Davis, and Kamara would be a similar folly if their contracts guarantee salary like Jordan's did. If its like a $2 million bonus but the 2025 salary is not guaranteed it is less risky.

Extending Kamara would be the biggest disaster. Virtually all running backs decline around his age. He is already declining unlike Mathieu and Davis. Even if he could still be elite, its a stretch for him to achieve that behind our oline. The rest of the league is getting out of big contracts to declining RB's and if we kick the can its a disaster.

Like I said with Jordan, its not like these players at their age are going to earn massive raises. There is not a realistic scenario, especially with this market collapse for safeties, where there is some bidding war to pay Mathieu $15-20 million per year in 2025. We are buying at the ceiling a year before we need to. I am not a big fan of restructures but they could save the same money at least without guaranteeing future years base salaries too. What would be the harm in waiting until mid-season to make sure they have not already declined in 2024 before we lock them in at 2023 performance pay for 2025-2026?

Part of your problem is you look at players as interchangeable parts. Real fans want to see the players they love out there on the field. I want Saints institutions like Jordan, Kamara, now Davis and Mathieu in the black and gold until they decide to retire.

That said, I for one am expecting far more production from Cam given the fact he was dealing with an ankle injury all season long and was still drawing double teams.

I only look at players as interchangable parts if the goal is to win championships. If the goal is friendly mediocrity then the players are irreplacable family until they say what most of us think about the coaches and then they are gone. Football is a business. How do you expect to win making decisions based on nostalgic emotion?

Part of your problem is you look at players as interchangeable parts. Real fans want to see the players they love out there on the field. I want Saints institutions like Jordan, Kamara, now Davis and Mathieu in the black and gold until they decide to retire.

That said, I for one am expecting far more production from Cam given the fact he was dealing with an ankle injury all season long and was still drawing double teams.

"Real fans", huh?