The New Orleans Saints only have one free agent who made more than $2 million dollars in 2023. Rashid Shaheed will also cross that threshold easily once he receives a new contract. In other words, the majority of the players aren’t big names. It’s majorly depth pieces who wouldn’t put much of a dent in the salary cap if they returned.
The biggest names who could be on this list have voids on their contract and technically aren’t free agents yet. That would be Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston. Both are likely gone due to disconnects with management. Other players could be on their way out the door, too. Here are three Saints free agents whose contracts will expired and shouldn’t be re-signed:
Zack Baun
Baun proved himself to be valuable to the pass rush down the stretch in 2023, but a split should be in order. At most, New Orleans will likely use him as spot pass rusher, not a regular presence in the rotation. The team should be looking to bring in an every-down pass rusher. That will inevitably push Baun down the pecking order. He should want to go somewhere he can spread his wings.
Keith Kirkwood
We’ve seen Kirkwood leave before only to return at a later date. That could be the outcome again in 2024. The Saints have three solid young pieces at the position. They’ll likely add at least one more during the offseason. Kirkwood could walk and be brought back during training camp if the Saints don’t like what they see in young players.
Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Lonnie Johnson didn’t make a huge impact in his first season with the Saints. He was primarily a special teams player. The Saints may be in search of a player to replace Marcus Maye and also bring in more younger players for depth at safety.
