It’s June, which means it’s time for NFL writers to sit back and browse Over The Cap so they can grade teams’ homework. And as always, they’re quick to criticize how the New Orleans Saints spend their money. Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon says the Saints have given out two of the worst contracts in the NFL.
We won’t argue about Derek Carr, but they need to lay off of Taysom Hill. Here’s why Kenyon ranks Hill’s contract sixth-worst in the league:
Let’s check those numbers. Of the 184 players with a cap hit over $9 million, including Hill, 99 of them play offense, and 19 of them are starting quarterbacks. Remove the quarterbacks and offensive linemen and you’re left with 42 skills position players who make up Hill’s peers. And out of that group, he’s one of 21 who scored at least six touchdowns last season. Whittle it down further and you’ll find he tied with Courtland Sutton in converting 37 first downs as a runner and receiver, ahead of guys like David Njoku (35) and Mark Andrews (27, though he missed seven games with an injury). That’s right behind Cole Kmet (38) and Brandin Cooks (39). Hill may not draw a hundred targets or a dozen carries per game, but he consistently makes plays when given an opportunity.
The Saints aren’t paying Hill to be an every-down player; they value his utility and work on special teams on top of what he can do with the ball in his hands. And if early returns at spring training is anything to go off of, he’ll have a heavier workload with Klint Kubiak calling plays instead of Pete Carmichael. NFL writers like to point to 49ers fullback Kyle Jusczyk, an eight-time Pro Bowler, as an example of how Hill ought to be used (and, that implies, paid). Jusczyk has earned $40.57 million in his NFL career. Hill has brought in $42.67 million while scoring more touchdowns and gaining more yards than Jusczyk in 83 fewer games, including the playoffs. Still, Kubiak is installing some plays that Jusczyk ran well and that could put Hill in a better position to make more plays.
But enough about Hill. Kenyon ranked Derek Carr’s contract third-worst in the NFL, and he isn’t wrong to do so:
The Saints gave Carr a big bag last season, telling their fans and all the world that they believed Carr was good enough to be the face of their franchise; someone who was talented enough to fix an underperforming offense and guide them back to the playoffs. That didn’t happen. Carr’s shortcomings got the entire offensive coaching staff fired at the end of the year and the Saints are stuck with him for at least another season. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got back to the postseason with Baker Mayfield playing on a $4 million deal after being cast out by his old team just like Carr.
At least the early word out of spring practices is encouraging. Carr hasn’t seemed to experience as many of the early struggles he’s known for when learning a new system, and Kubiak’s emphasis on motion and play action passing — something Carr has executed well throughout his career — could be good for him. It needs to be. Because, as Kenyon said, the Saints are going to be starting Carr in 2024 and likely 2025, too. Maybe Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler develops into someone who could viably take Carr’s job in a year or two, but that’s a long time to sit around and wait. It’s best for everyone if Carr picks up Kubiak’s offense quickly and dispels the narratives surrounding him. Until that happens his contract is going to keep weighing the team down.
