Saints Restructure OL Cesar Ruiz’s Contract

New Orleans converted a roster bonus to a signing bonus and added $6.4 million in cap space for 2024 to the books. 

It’s the latest move as the Saints work out of what was the biggest cap deficit in the league to start the offseason. They likely have a few more restructures to come to get under the cap. 

Ruiz, 24, is a former first-round pick of the Saints back in 2020 out of Michigan. He finished out the fourth year of his four-year, $12,679,205 rookie contract that included a $6,781,240 signing bonus.

The contract included a fifth-year option for the Saints to pick up for the 2024 season. However, they opted to decline it in May before later signing Ruiz to a four-year, $44 million extension. 

In 2023, Ruiz appeared in 16 games for the Saints, making 16 starts at guard. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 63 guard out of 79 qualifying players.