It’s looking more and more likely that one of the best New Orleans Saints free agents will test the open market — if not sign with a new team altogether. If standout free safety Marcus Williams does leave for a better opportunity, it’s going to be extremely difficult to replace him. With Friday evening’s news that Williams doesn’t anticipate spending a second year on the franchise tag, New Orleans will have to sign him to an extension to keep him in town. That’s far from certain.
Don’t say that the Saints could just sign one of the other top safeties on the market like Jessie Bates III or Tyrann Mathieu. They’ll be looking for the same market-setting contract Williams is about to get, if they aren’t franchise tagged, anyway. If the Saints aren’t about to pay $16 million per year for a known quantity in Williams, why would they do that for a completely new player who doesn’t already know their system?
And while it may be a stronger free agent market at safety than we saw a year ago, finding players who share Williams’ specific skills set is going to be tough. There just aren’t many centerfielders who can cover from one sideline to the other, tackle well, and intercept passes as often as he does. Anyone the Saints sign to replace Williams will almost certainly be a downgrade.
Still, it’s good to know which options may be available. We’ve already explored which teams may try and sign Williams themselves. If the Saints can’t cut a deal with Williams to pay him what he’s worth, these are the free agents they may have to turn to:
