NFL Rumors: Taysom Hill, Demario Davis Restructure Saints Contracts Ahead of FA

The New Orleans Saints have restructured the contracts of tight end Taysom Hill and linebacker Demario Davis ahead of free agency, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Hill and Davis had their base salaries converted into signing bonuses, which created $12.7 million in salary-cap space, Yates noted.

Hill, who will not become an unrestricted free agent until 2026, was set to have a $6.9 million cap hit in 2023, per Spotrac. Davis, who is under contract through 2027, was set to have a cap hit of $7.6 million next season.

New Orleans has been in need of cap flexibility after entering the offseason $55 million over the 2023 salary cap. Restructuring the contracts of players such as Hill and Davis was expected.

The Saints entered Saturday nearly $31 million over the 2023 salary cap, per Over the Cap, despite having already restructured Tyrann Mathieu's contract.

Hill and Davis have proved to be important to the Saints.

Hill, who can play all over the field, though he is mainly a quarterback-tight end, rushed for 575 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games during the 2022 season. He also caught nine passes for 77 yards and two scores and threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

Davis has been a staple in the defense since 2018, earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019 and three straight second-team All-Pro selections from 2020 to 2022. Last season, he posted one interception, six pass breakups, one fumble recovery, 6.5 sacks and 109 tackles in 17 games en route to a Pro Bowl selection.

The Saints will likely continue to restructure contracts, and they could free $1.6 million by releasing wide receiver Michael Thomas with a post-June 1 designation. They could do the same with quarterback Jameis Winston ($12.8 million) and wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith ($2.9 million).

The Saints have been heavily linked to veteran quarterback Derek Carr this offseason. If they want to sign the former Las Vegas Raider while also making other additions, clearing a good chunk of cap space is a must.