So this is interesting — the Carolina Panthers are closing in on a two-year contract with former New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Andy Dalton, who would be tabbed to mentor whichever prospect Carolina picks first overall in the 2023 NFL draft.
Okay, that in itself isn’t very interesting. The money involved is (Dalton is going to be earning about twice of what he got from the Saints last season) but the departure isn’t that noteworthy. What’s unique about this situation is the parting gift that Dalton is leaving behind.
Because the Panthers are going to sign Dalton after his contract with the Saints expired, he’ll be qualify as a compensatory free agent for the 2024 NFL draft. Normally, that means the Saints would stand to get comp pick for losing Dalton. Probably a sixth rounder next season. But the Saints have already qualified for the maximum four comp picks allowed for 2024, so they won’t get anything for Dalton after all.
But wait, there’s more. While the Saints aren’t going to receive a comp pick for Dalton, his departure does still work in their favor for this process. His loss will work as a buffer between the Saints and any compensatory free agents that they do sign in the days and weeks ahead. That means New Orleans could sign a qualifying free agent like, say, New York Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, and he wouldn’t count towards their total. Dalton and Rankins would cancel each other out as far as the comp picks formula is concerned.
Which means the Saints would still be getting the projected comp picks for losing defensive linemen Marcus Davenport, David Onyemata, and Shy Tuttle as well as linebacker Kaden Elliss in 2024 (a mix of fourth- and sixth-round picks). They could jeopardize one or more of those picks by signing additional qualifying free agents, but if the Saints are careful and play this right they could address their team needs and still come out ahead with multiple comp picks in 2024. That’s going to be huge for a roster looking for an injection of young talent on salary cap-friendly rookie contracts.
