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Report: Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis Rework Saints Contracts to Save Cap Space
March 6, 2021
The New Orleans Saints reportedly agreed to restructured contracts with defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis ahead of the NFL's new league year March 17.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Saturday the reworked deals will save the Saints $13.4 million toward the 2021 salary cap.
No team entered the offseason in a more dire cap situation than New Orleans.
The Saints have made progress, but Spotrac places them $58.9 million over the top-51 cap based on a $185 million cap projection.
Their front office is also contending with continued uncertainty about quarterback Drew Brees, whose contract includes a $12.3 million cap hit for 2021.
Although there was strong speculation before the Super Bowl that the 42-year-old was set to retire, he's yet to confirm that. His trainer, Todd Durkin, caused a stir last week when he posted a video of the future Hall of Famer going through an intense workout.
His decision will have a major trickle-down effect on the Saints' offseason since the team would likely want to bring in a proven signal-caller to compete with Taysom Hill if Brees retires, and the QB market is typically an expensive one.
In January, New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis called the cap challenge "daunting" but said the organization still planned to remain in the Super Bowl conversation.
"We've got a great roster, and I can't foresee a circumstance where we're not going to say, 'We're going to do everything we can to win, win now and compete for a championship,'" Loomis said. "But again, it's difficult to really get into specifically what we need to do until we get more information."
Retaining Jordan and Davis while shaving a chunk off the 2021 cap number is a good step.
Jordan, 31, has spent his entire career with the Saints since being selected in the first round in 2011. He's recorded 94.5 sacks in 160 games, including five seasons with double-digit sacks.
Davis, 32, signed with New Orleans as a free agent in 2018. He's tallied over 100 tackles each of the past three years to go along with 21 passes defended and 13 sacks in 48 games.
Both players should remain key pieces for the Saints defense in 2021.