saintsfan1976

This is the best article I've seen weighing options with DC contract:

https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2025...t-roster-cuts/

BakoSaint

This is a fine article, very similar to what I wrote:

https://www.firemickeyloomis.com/202...nts-salary-cap

But I think the Saintswire article may be missing a few details.

This is an extremely esoteric cap rule and I could be wrong but I believe that if we designate Carr a post-June-1 cut and he signs with another team for say $25 million a year on the third day of free agency, since his $10 million guaranteed roster bonus with the saints is subject to offset, the Saints may receive that $10 million cap credit the second he signs with another team. I can't find the exact rules anywhere on how the combination of a post-june-1 cut designation and offset language interact. Most of the articles I read say that for a post-june-1-cut designation the team still has to carry the players salary to june 1, but for offset language they say that the teams salary cap is credited when the player signs elsewhere, so which is it? This would matter a lot as it could give the Saints an extra $10 million for the second half of free agency if Carr lands on his feet.

I think it is very unlikely that Carr will be traded because I don't think another team would want to pay his current contract and I think the Saints are better off using the Post-June-1 designation. I think Carr would waive his no trade clause in a second to keep his current contract, but the reality is that in a market where Carr, Rodgers, Wilson, Cousins, and Stafford are all likely available, nobody is paying Carr $40 million in free agency.

There are a lot of small restructures that help the Saints get under the cap. Any other veteran agreeing to take a pay cut is also a wildcard, and that did happen last year with a couple.

Restructuring Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu is not ideal, but both took true pay cuts last offseason which Carr has refused to do. And their tape looked better than his when they took pay cuts. Combined restructures of Davis and Mathieu only kick the can on a total of $10 million and that can all be paid out of the extra $30-50mil cap we will get June 1 when the designations fully vest, if we just roll over $10 mil of that money. I think Mathieu and Davis, having contributed to signficant playoff wins early in their career, are better role models for a rebuilding team than Carr. It is also possible that one could elect to retire, cutting their salary to $1 million, then retiring June 1. This would save more. Same goes for Taysom Hill or Cam Jordan.