Katherine Terrell reports the Saints are restructuring OL Cesar Ruiz and DE Carl Granderson‘s contracts.
Terrell adds New Orleans is also restructuring DT Khalen Saunders‘ contract by turning part of his base salary into a roster bonus and adding a void year in 2029.
The three moves will create $13.7 million in cap space for the Saints, leaving them with around $13.4 million in cap space at the moment.
Ruiz, 25, 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 2023 before later signing Ruiz to a four-year, $44 million extension.
In 2024, Ruiz appeared in 13 games for the Saints, making 13 starts at right guard. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 38 guard out of 135 qualifying players.
