1. S Malcolm Jenkins
In his age-34 season in 2021, Jenkins was nearly an every snap player for the Saints–just as he has been throughout his career. And he was still quite good, registering 79 total tackles, five pass breakups and a 57.4 percent completion rate (and a 78.9 passer rating) in his coverage last season. A black mark from 2021 would be 12 missed tackles, which yielded a missed tackle rate north of 13 percent (according to Pro Football Reference).
Jenkins agreed to a contract restructure last offseason, so his willingness to do so again this offseason has to be a question. An $11.7 million cap hit for 2022 isn’t totally ideal, but it’s not as if Jenkins isn’t worth that based on being a key piece of the New Orleans’ defense and a capable player at this late stage of his career.
A move to cut Jenkins of course comes down to the finances, and a path to clearing cap dollars. A pre-June 1 cut would leave $7.9 million in dead money, with the remaining $3.8 million in cap savings. A post-June 1 cut almost completely flips those numbers for the Saints, with $7.75 million in cap savings (according to Over The Cap).
It’s patently unlikely the Saints cut Jenkins this offseason. But it is hardly out of the realm of possibility.
Bonus offseason possible surprise cut for the New Orleans Saints: DE Cameron Jordan