In pursuit of Derek Carr, Saints must jettison players

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, New Orleans is the frontrunner to land Raiders QB Derek Carr. Linebacker Demario Davis told reporters he'd welcome the "game-changing quarterback" to the team's locker room. 

The Saints have work to do to get under the cap — including restructuring several players' contracts — to make a deal feasible. Per data from OverTheCap, the Saints are $60.4 million over the cap but could reduce their 2023 total by $77.7 million by restructuring multiple players.

That would be a good start to fitting Carr's $32.9 million base salary in a trade, but the team will almost certainly need to cut players as well.

New Orleans also has multiple free agents along the defensive line, including David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, Malcolm Roach, Marcus Davenport and Tanoh Kpassagnon.

The status of wide receiver Michael Thomas is up in the air after the two sides restructured his contract in January 2023.

Here are three potential cap casualties as the Saints try to land a big fish at QB. 

Jameis Winston, QB

The most obvious move for the Saints is designating Winston a post-June 1 cut, saving $12.8 million. Even if the Saints strike out on Carr, New Orleans would be wise to free up that space in pursuit of another target at QB. With or without Carr, look for the Saints to also add depth at the position by selecting a QB from a deep 2023 draft class.

Wil Lutz, kicker

The once-reliable Lutz had a difficult 2022 and is set to count $5.6 million against the team's salary cap. He went 23-for-31 (74.2 percent) on his FG attempts this season. 

The team must cut spending where it can, and it's likely the Saints can find a cheaper option to match — or exceed — Lutz's 2022 production. The Saints could designate Lutz as a pre-June 1 cut and save $3.7 million, per Over The Cap.

Adam Trautman, tight end

Trautman failed to pan out after being drafted in the third round (105th overall) in 2020. He was also supplanted on the depth chart by Juwan Johnson, who established himself as a red zone threat and had seven touchdown receptions in 2022.

Trautman's 2023 cap number is $2.95 million. The Saints would save $2.7 million by cutting him pre-June 1. 

Johnson is a free agent, but the team would be wise to re-sign him, especially if it's serious about bringing in Carr.