Now that the New Orleans Saints have Kellen Moore, the real work begins.
His first official day was on Wednesday, and he looks very happy to be in New Orleans. The team will have his introductory press conference on Thursday, and then Moore will be heading back to Philadelphia to partake in the Super Bowl victory festivities on Friday. Once he's back in town, there's a lot on his plate.
One of the biggest challenges ahead for the Saints is what to do at the quarterback position, and that's not an easy decision. We have to wonder, how much input will Kellen Moore have here? How much influence will GM Mickey Loomis have? What's the direction they should go? Let's dive in on what awaits New Orleans.
Making A Saints Quarterback Decision
Arguably, the biggest decision New Orleans will have to make in the offseason is what to do with Derek Carr, and it's complicated.
The Saints have until the third day of the new league year to figure out whether or not they'll absorb Carr's $40 million in guarantees. He has a $30 million base salary and a $10 million roster bonus that would become fully guaranteed. Here's what hurts.
New Orleans already has $48 million in dead cap that they're dealing with from Marshon Lattimore, Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston, and if they add Carr's salary onto that as a post-June 1 designation, then that tacks on another $21 million. If he's cut before that, then it's a $50 million hit. The post-June 1 move could save the team $30 million, but they're going to have to carry that until it comes off the books.
So, do the Saints cut ties and move to something else or does Carr want to leave New Orleans? Those are both valid questions. Or, does Carr want to stay another season? If Moore wants to go with a younger prospect like Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener and have Doug Nussmeier develop them, then that could be interesting. However, Nick Sirianni has made it pretty clear there won't be lateral moves from his Eagles staff.
Moore has also worked with impending free agents Cooper Rush and Easton Stick, for what that's worth. He's also worked with Ben DiNucci, who is here on a reserve/future deal. If he were to roll with Rattler and Haener, Moore could bring in an inexpensive veteran for his offense like a Jimmy Garoppolo or a Josh Dobbs.
There's plenty of other options on the market, but it's going to have to be inexpensive ones with upside. I don't buy into the Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers speculation, even if the betting odds do. Justin Fields is also a hot name, but that would be a more expensive option.
Then there's the draft. On Day 2, could New Orleans look at a Jalen Milroe (Alabama) or Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)? You can read more about them here. Kyle McCord (Syracuse) or Quinn Ewers (Texas) would be Day 3 options. This isn't a strong class, so drafting here may not be the play.
It's going to be fascinating to see what the Saints eventually do at quarterback. The expectations for 2025 are certainly low for New Orleans, so if they're truly building for the future, then they might have their answer. If they see themselves in this compete in the division mode with the veterans that might still be here, then that suggests another answer.
We'll find out soon enough what the Saints will do, and it'll be telling when they decide on what that is.
