2022 NFL Free Agency: New Orleans Saints

AsylumGuido · 04-08-2021, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Boston Saint

It’s interesting to think about how the COVID situation has impacted the Saints this off season. Maybe this has been brought up and maybe I’m stating the obvious here. But a good portion of the “Salary Cap Hell” the team found itself in was due to the massive cap reduction caused by the pandemic. They would likely have been slightly over either way, but it’s entirely possible Jenkins, Rankins, T Rex or some of the other cap casualties would have been retained without that massive reduction. Heck, it might have indirectly had an impact on Brees retiring. Just thinking out loud.

The pandemic not only reduced the cap by around $16 million, but eliminated the $12-$15 million increase expected in 2022. That is up to a $31 million cap hit. Fortunately, with the new broadcast deals and the ever increasing popularity of the NFL this will be just a blip on the radar. There have been a record number of one year (or two to three year voiding to one) contracts that both the franchises and player/agents have agreed to this season to weather that blip.

04-08-2021, 09:23 AM	#11
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,677	Re: 2021 NFL Free Agency: New Orleans Saints Originally Posted by Boston Saint It’s interesting to think about how the COVID situation has impacted the Saints this off season. Maybe this has been brought up and maybe I’m stating the obvious here. But a good portion of the “Salary Cap Hell” the team found itself in was due to the massive cap reduction caused by the pandemic. They would likely have been slightly over either way, but it’s entirely possible Jenkins, Rankins, T Rex or some of the other cap casualties would have been retained without that massive reduction. Heck, it might have indirectly had an impact on Brees retiring. Just thinking out loud. The pandemic not only reduced the cap by around $16 million, but eliminated the $12-$15 million increase expected in 2022. That is up to a $31 million cap hit. Fortunately, with the new broadcast deals and the ever increasing popularity of the NFL this will be just a blip on the radar. There have been a record number of one year (or two to three year voiding to one) contracts that both the franchises and player/agents have agreed to this season to weather that blip.