Who will be the New Orleans Saints’ biggest pending free agents in 2024? The team is already taking action to sign some of them to extensions before they reach the market, but the majority of their 35 projected free agents are going to have the opportunity to see what’s out there from other teams.
So which of their pending free agents could be drawing interest next year? Who has the most at stake going into the 2023 season? Let’s highlight some names to watch closely in the fall:
DE Cameron Jordan
The Saints have let it slip privately and publicly announced their intent to ink Jordan to a contract extension before training camp, but for now the deal he’s signed will expire in 2023. And many teams would love to have him — Super Bowl contenders and rebuilding programs alike, either as their missing piece from a title run or as a veteran presence for teaching young players how to be a pro.
QB Jameis Winston
Winston has done everything he can to earn the opportunity to start again in the NFL, putting in the work as a leader in the locker room and on the field. But too many injuries and too many inconsistent performances hurt the trust he worked so hard to win from the Saints. His best bet is to remain patient, make the most of any snaps he gets in relief of Derek Carr, and look for an opening in 2024.
RG Cesar Ruiz
Ruiz is coming off his best season as a pro, but it wasn’t enough to convince the Saints to commit to him beyond 2023 by picking up his fifth-year option for 2024. They can still extend him or let him test the waters in free agency (as they did with Andrus Peat a few years ago), but odds are an ascending 24-year-old wouldn’t last long on the open market.
WR Michael Thomas
Thomas returned for 2023 with the express purpose of reestablishing himself as an elite wide receiver around the league, and a year of good health and quality targets from Derek Carr would do a lot to help his case. We’re seeing how in-demand DeAndre Hopkins is right now, and Thomas could walk into a similar situation if he and the Saints can’t cut another deal in 2024.
DE Carl Granderson
Granderson is projected to start on the other end of the defensive line from Jordan this year, having earned the opportunity after playing well in a backup role the last few years. He has a couple of highly-drafted youngsters pushing him in Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey, so the Saints may let him walk next year and get a comp pick while putting one of them in the starting lineup.
LB Zack Baun
Things just haven’t worked out for Baun in New Orleans; the Saints’ coaches tried to make him something he’s not as an off-ball linebacker who can drop back into coverage after he excelled in college as an undersized pass rusher up on the line of scrimmage. But like Kaden Elliss before him, maybe he just needs his opportunity to start some games and build a resume before testing the free agent market.
OL Calvin Throckmorton
Throckmorton has played a ton of snaps for the Saints in a backup role, primarily at left guard, though he’s more experienced on the right side from his college career (where he also played right tackle). If he sticks around he could compete to start at one of those guard spots next year, but it could be tough for the Saints to hold onto him if another team makes him a compelling offer as a restricted free agent.
WR Rashid Shaheed
Shaheed will be an exclusive-rights free agent in 2024, so while you’ll see him included on these kinds of lists his only option will be to play for the Saints on a low-cost tender next season. He won’t have the opportunity to entertain offers from other teams or sign a multiyear extension until 2025 (as a restricted free agent) or more realistically 2026 (when he would have unrestricted status).
