Although the Buccaneers and Panthers vied for the NFC South’s mandated playoff spot, the Saints finished with more momentum than anyone within the eternally mediocre division. After spinning their wheels for 2 years post-Drew Brees after which predicably hitting a bloop single with Derek Carr, the Saints saw Tyler Shough show considerable promise after being inserted into the starting lineup around midseason.
Latest Orleans’ midwinter cap situation can be in higher shape than it has been in ages. The franchise is, gasp, nearly under the projected 2026 salary ceiling. It is a team that has been greater than $100MM over a projected cap this decade, with the team carrying by far the NFL’s worst cap situation at this point last 12 months. More medicine is coming via the Carr dead money penalty, but Latest Orleans could also be on the verge of turning a corner after winning 4 of its final five games.
One other offseason of transition is on tap, with a number of Sean Payton-era holdovers either out of contract or representing dead money. However the Saints’ finish to the season injects some life into what has been a lower-middle-class NFL staple for many of this decade.
Coaching/front office:
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