As many expected, the New Orleans Saints have not yet taken any big swings as players and teams begin to agree to terms on contracts. Instead the New Orleans Saints, who have been engaged in talks elsewhere, focused in-house by placing a second-round tender on restricted free agent (RFA) wide receiver Deonte Harty.
Now that the Saints have tendered Harty, while he can still receive offers from other interested teams, New Orleans would have the right of first refusal. With that, the team could choose to match the competing offer sheet or could allow Harty to be signed in return for a second round selection in this year’s draft.
However, what seems more likely, is that the Saints and Harty will instead work on finalizing a long-term deal that will keep the 2019 All-Pro return specialist in New Orleans for multiple years. New Orleans needs help at wide receiver, and Harty’s expanded role on offense would be an early step forward in the position’s progress. For the Saints, keeping that progression beyond a one-year tender should be of high priority.
What would a multiyear deal for Harty look like? Likely backloaded as most contracts are at this point with the Saints. Spotrac has Harty’s yearly contract value estimated at $9.8 million, well above the $3.9 million tender he was given on Monday.
If the Saints were to go that far, a possible multiyear deal could look like a two-year, $19.6 million deal or a three-year, $29.4 million deal. Because New Orleans has some leverage in this situation with the RFA tender, they could look to aim a little lower in average per-year salary. A two-year or three-year deal bringing in $6 to $8 million per year like Cedric Wilson’s reported agreement with the Dolphins, but with loftier guarantees could be the way to go.
Back in 2020, the Saints tendered Taysom Hill’s RFA contact, and worked out a two-year, $21 million deal that included $16 million in guarantees. New Orleans could look to load up a high-percentage guarantee for Harty as well. During this free agency period, wide receiver contracts have been hefty so far, and New Orleans having some leverage in this situation should help them out.
