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As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert broke down, the New Orleans Saints rank fourth in the NFL in "dead money" on their 2014 salary cap. They have $10.45 million in leftover signing-bonus charges from players no longer with the team.

That’s not surprising, considering the Saints just released three of their highest-priced veterans last week (Will Smith, Roman Harper and Jabari Greer), who account for a combined $8.7 million of that total. Kicker Garrett Hartley, who was released late last season, counts for another $1 million. And former linebacker Chris Chamberlain counts for $400,000, among several other small charges.

That’s not ideal, obviously. As former NFL executive and current NFL business analyst Andrew Brandt said, “Dead money catches up to you. Because you’re not playing on a level playing field if the cap is $128 million, and you’re only playing with $115 million.”

That being said, it doesn’t mean the Saints were wrong to part ways with those veterans at this stage of their careers. They saved millions more in cap space -- and in real money -- by cutting their large salaries. And next year, that dead money will be off the books, which will give the Saints some wiggle room to sign free agents into future years.

Read more: Saints morning report: Dead money - New Orleans Saints Blog - ESPN

hagan714

done deal so who's next?

TheOak

Product of the Smith cut for the most part. Historically we've never had a problem.

As my mother-n-law would say, Loomis was takin dat dope for Smiths contract.

Danno

I think its a product of continually over-paying players instead of standing by our guns and offering fair market value. It goes all the way back to Deuce, Grant, Smith, Harper, Vilma...

I still think Loomis is one of the best, but he does tend to overpay.

TheOak

We normally do not carry more than $200-$400 k in dead money a year.

Is say yes and no, or perhaps there is more to it than just that. To be fair to Loomis where was our defense when those contracts were signed, where were those players when those contracts were signed.

Most importantly Loomis is all numbers and makes work what he is asked to make work. Smith, Greer, Harper account for 8.6m in dead money, aren't their contracts all products of Greg Williams? Someone asks Loomis to keep or get certain players and recommends their top cost.


It almost looks like someone was planning Hatpers exit for at least a year or so.

QBREES9

Good read.