New Orleans Saints might have to wave goodbye to these 3 cap casualties

The Saints need to clear cap space if they want to add talent in free agency. That puts these three New Orleans stars in danger of being cut. 

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Saints have the ugliest cap sheet in the entire NFL. Over the Cap currently projects New Orleans to be more than $63 million over next year’s projected cap. Heads need to roll in The Big Easy before the 2021 regular season kicks off.

In fairness to the Saints front office, they’re absolute magicians when it comes to manufacturing cap space out of seemingly thin air. They look to be financially hamstrung every offseason before finding a miraculous way to slide just under the cap before Week 1 arrives. New Orleans fans should not be in panic mode.

They should, however, be on the lookout for stars on the current roster who are overpaid. Letting go of a few veterans can help the Saints free up a lot of cap room for 2021. Saints fans should focus on these three stars.

3. Latavius Murray

Murray was a valuable backup running back for the Saints last season, but they could easily find a cheaper option via the draft. Cutting him after June 1 would save New Orleans $3.3 million. That isn’t an insignificant amount of cash for New Orleans considering their current cap situation.

Murray’s age should also be a factor in the Saints’ thinking. He’s a running back who is on the wrong side of 30. That’s the point in careers where rushers start to see their production fall off a cliff. As good as Murray was in 2020, there’s significant risk he becomes unplayable in 2021 due to age-related regression. Cutting Murray is a risk, but it’s one worth taking for the Saints.