Saints have key positions to shore up in free agency
FILE - New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara warms up for the team's NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Oct. 30, 2022, in New Orleans. Kamara, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chris Lammons and co-defendants Darrin Young and Percy Harris pleaded not guilty in state court in Nevada on Thursday March 2, 2023, to charges they beat a man unconscious at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub before the NFL’s 2022 Pro Bowl. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File) Credit: AP/Tyler Kaufman
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-10)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: QB Andy Dalton, RB Mark Ingram, RB Dwayne Washington, RB David Johnson, WR Jarvis Landry, WR Deonte Harty, TE Nick Vannett, OT Ethan Greenidge, DE Marcus Davenport, DT David Onyemata, DT Shy Tuttle, DT Kentavius Street, LB Kaden Elliss, CB Bradley Roby, CB Chris Harris, S P.J. Williams, S Justin Evans, S Daniel Sorensen.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Juwan Johnson, WR Marquez Callaway, DT Albert Huggins, LB Chase Hansen, DT Malcolm Roach, LB Andrew Dowell, P Blake Gillikin.
NEEDS: Second-year coach Dennis Allen is looking to bolster an offense that ranked 19th in yards per game and 22nd in scoring. After signing Derek Carr at quarterback, the next priorities become receiver and running back because of uncertainty at each position. The Saints will have to either cut top receiver Michael Thomas or renegotiate his pay because of his current contract’s heavy salary cap burden. Meanwhile, top running back Alvin Kamara faces a potential suspension in connection with a criminal court case in Las Vegas. Kamara is accused of beating of a man in a casino hotel during the weekend of the 2022 Pro Bowl. Defensively, the Saints ranked fifth in yards allowed, but have several key regulars on the defensive line with expiring contracts.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $25 million over the cap.
