WhoDat!656

As the Saints try to deal with an aging defense and an untenable cap situation, several players who have been key components of the franchise’s recent success could soon be out the door.

Per a league source, linebacker Will Smith and safety Roman Harper could both be cut, as soon as Wednesday.

Smith has a cap number of $13.9 million, thanks in large part to a $10.4 million base salary. He tore an ACL in August and missed all of the 2013 season.

If healthy (and there’s no reason to think he won’t be), the 2004 first-round pick could still be an effective 4-3 defensive end — possibly joining the rotation for a team like the Seahawks, if Michael Bennett moves on.

Harper, a second-round pick in 2006, is due to earn a base salary of $2.35 million. He carries nearly $3.6 million in cap money for bonuses previously paid.

It’s also highly likely, we’re told, that linebacker Jonathan Vilma won’t return. The impending free agent appeared in only one game last year due to a lingering knee problem. He was acquired via trade from the Jets in 2008 after the team that drafted him in the first round switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense.

The Saints could end up making other cuts in order to re-sign tight end Jimmy Graham and otherwise manage a salary structure that devotes $18.4 million in cap space to Drew Brees this year — and $26.4 million next year.

Will Smith, Roman Harper could be dumped very soon by the Saints | ProFootballTalk

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

alleycat_126

The games are a foot.... Take no prisoners Micky!!!!

RaginCajun83

Good start Loomis, Vilma and Jenkins need to be next

Jack Vegas

LOL, PFT absolutely loves talking junk about the Saints' cap situation. every single year, it's a bunch of noise about how the Saints are going to lose all their good players, every single year we keep the guys we need, sign/draft good replacements for the ones we didn't keep and win double-digit games and playoff berths. You would think they'd have learned their lesson by now.

The Dude

Thanks for the memories guys but your time is up. In Vilmas case his time was up 2 years ago. He has been kept on to keep his mouth shut and nothing else.

jeanpierre

PFT hired a Panthers' Beat Writer who can't stand Sean Payton - so there's that...

TheOak

"untenable cap"
"Key components of the franchises recent success"

K Major

No so much his mouth, but his inability to stay healthy more than anything else. He has had a bad wheel (knee) for a few years now & father time has caught up with him.

hagan714

writing has been on the wall for what? 2 yrs now. earth shaking news

ChrisXVI

Now that Gregg Williams is the DC of St. Louis it would be nice to trade Harper to them even if we only get a 7th round pick in return. Gregg loved sending Harper on blitzes... But something tells me we might stay far away from being involved with him in any way.