The NFL training camp begins in July for the New Orleans Saints and the rest of the league. One of the main focuses up until that point will be ironing out some important contract extensions for players in the last year of their deals.
The Saints currently have 26 players on their roster that will have expiring deals next year. The mission will be figuring out who the most important players will be, in terms of securing their spots for the future and what price point you want to have these players at.
Here are the three most important players that the Saints need to prioritize:
DE Cameron Jordan
Jordan has become one of the franchises best players of all time and deserves to be a Saint until he eventually retires. He’ll likely close the conversation as the team’s all-time sack leader this season, sitting 7.5 behind Rickey Jackson’s unofficial total at Pro Football Reference. He’ll be 35 next season, so we’re reaching the times where he’ll either get one last contract or switch to one-year deals, but whatever the case this shouldn’t be his last season in New Orleans unless he retires.
He’ll be important in the growth of Isaiah Foskey and even other young edge rushers on the roster such as Payton Turner. The Saints have reportedly already started contract talks with Jordan’s agent, so this one should get done.
RG Cesar Ruiz
The conversation around Ruiz has been really interesting. He started out as a pariah of the fan base. He was one of the most hated players on the team, but has come around to become a solid offensive line option. He grew a lot last season, one can only hope that continues.
The Saints didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, which would have come in at $14.175 million, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be back next year. An extension for him will likely come in at a lower number. There aren’t a ton of solid offensive line options available, so the Saints shouldn’t let Ruiz walk.
LS Zach Wood
Wood is one of the highest-paid long snappers in the league, and for a good reason. He’s been extremely reliable for his entire tenure as the Saints long snapper since 2017. The old saying, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, applies greatly to the long snapper position. Having an unreliable long snapper can mess the game up more than you would imagine. It wouldn’t make sense to replace him now, especially with the relationship he’s built up with the current special teams staff. We aren’t too far removed from the Saints cycling through a series of long snappers in training camp.
Who else could be considered?
More than a few fans have said Rashid Shaheed should sign an extension this summer, but that isn’t possible under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. Shaheed won’t be eligible for an extension until he’s played three years in the league — so not until 2025 at the soonest.
Looking ahead to the Saints’ 2024 free agent class, there just aren’t many players who should be candidates to sign extensions ahead of schedule. They restructured contracts with guys like Andrus Peat, Michael Thomas, and Wil Lutz to put them on the path towards free agency next year. Jameis Winston and Tre’Quan Smith are their most-notable free agents among those we haven’t already discussed. Blake Gillikin needs to return to form and prove he’s earned a long-term deal this season.
