Once Carr's contract is restructured there could be enough money to attract the right FAs. Loomis stated publicly they'd be more active in FA this season. But you can never take what he says to be true so who knows what he actually means by "active".

Bottom line, the right players are more important than number of players.

Like I said before Mekhi Becton at LG would solidify the line. That's our biggest expense but worth it - ask Kellen...

Noah Brown (worked with Moore in Dallas) 35 receptions, 453 yards, 86.4 passer rating when targeted, offers dependable hands and depth at a bargain price. He’s worked with Moore in Dallas (2018-2022), ensuring scheme familiarity. At 29, he’s a low-risk, high-reward No. 3 receiver behind Olave and Shaheed.

Dalton Risner could be a budget move...a 29-year-old guard from the Vikings, excels as a run-blocker and offers solid pass protection (66.7 PFF grade in 2024). Moore’s offense leans on a strong interior line to protect Carr and open lanes for Alvin Kamara. Risner’s durability (15+ starts in four of six seasons) addresses the left guard hole.

Alim McNeill a 24-year-old Lions standout, is a rising star on the interior (5 sacks, 33 tackles in 2024). Staley’s 3-4 scheme thrived with Aaron Donald in 2020; McNeill’s disruptiveness (80.2 PFF run defense grade) can anchor the Saints’ front, plugging their run defense woes alongside Bryan Bresee.

Ernest Jones, a 25-year-old former Ram traded to the Titans then Seahawks in 2024, is a tackling machine (138 tackles across two teams in 2024) with improving coverage chops (80.3 PFF grade). Staley coached him in LA (2021-2023), making him a plug-and-play fit for the Saints’ 3-4. His run-stopping (46 stops) would pair with McNeill’s interior presence to fix the Saints’ 31st-ranked rush defense, while his youth signals a post-Davis future.

Nick Bolton, (my favorite) a 24-year-old Chiefs star (106 tackles, 3 sacks, 11 TFLs in 2024), is the full package—aggressive downhill against the run (83.2 PFF run defense grade) and adequate in coverage (89.4 passer rating allowed). He’s been a three-year starter on a dynasty defense, logging 40 postseason tackles in 2024 alone. For Staley, Bolton’s a dream: a tone-setter akin to Fred Warner, capable of masking secondary weaknesses and leading the Saints’ front seven. He’d transform their defense alongside McNeill.

I appreciate your thorough explanation and thought 76. I understand we can always get under the cap to make things happen in free agency to an extent, and we can build a decent roster that way, but it always seems like our teams are thin.
Also by continuing to keep restructuring contracts it keeps us constantly in the hole and keeps us with players longer than we should. If we were succeeding with this formula I’d be fine, but we’re not. Our 5-12 record shows that.
I really just want a young competitive team with good depth and it seems like this is not the proper way to go about it. I haven’t seen anything indicative of that.

Yes, the practice of restructuring can and will leave you with other, less productive players but I would argue a more likely reason for the "thin" roster is continual trading up in the draft.