The New Orleans Saints are going to have some tough free agency decisions to make, and in some cases, contending teams could make those decisions even tougher.
Coming off a 5-12 season, the Saints are projected to be $47 million over the salary cap limit for the 2025 campaign. They'll be able to create space by converting some salaries to signing bonuses, but they certainly won't have the funds to go after superstars in free agency.
Plus, the Saints must decide whether to bring back some of their own guys. Defensive end Chase Young, who came to New Orleans on a one-year, $13 million deal, will be a particularly interesting name to watch on the open market.
Young may never pan out to be the superstar he was projected to be as the number-two overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he's still been a productive edge-rusher, flashing occasional moments of brilliance. Perhaps the Saints will want to keep him, but will they face stiff competition?
USA Today's Jacob Camenker recently predicted one free agent signing for all 32 NFL teams, and paired Young with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who have several high-profile free agents of their own coming off the books.
"If the Eagles lose Josh Sweat in free agency, they may take a swing on a high-upside player like Young, who will only be 26 during the 2025 NFL season," Camenker wrote.
"Young hasn't yet developed into a double-digit sack artist as many expected after his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2020, but he had 66 pressures with the Saints last season (seventh-most at his position, per PFF)."
This past season, Young totaled 5.5 sacks and a career-high 21 quarterback hits. If he is ever going to reach his full potential, it may be with the Eagles, who dominated the line of scrimmage in the Super Bowl and have several talented pass rushers returning even if Sweat leaves.
If the Eagles come calling, Young could understandably forget all about the Saints. But as long as he's unsigned, New Orleans will continue to weigh the potential cost of bringing him back.
