ESPN immediately trashes the New Orleans Saints' big free agent move
The New Orleans Saints made a huge move on Monday evening by re-signing edge rusher Chase Young. Young, a former first-round draft pick who spent the 2024 season in New Orleans, received a three-year deal that's worth up to $57 million. The former Ohio State standout totaled 5.5 sacks and 31 tackles in 17 games […]
The New Orleans Saints made a huge move on Monday evening by re-signing edge rusher Chase Young.
Young, a former first-round draft pick who spent the 2024 season in New Orleans, received a three-year deal that's worth up to $57 million.
The former Ohio State standout totaled 5.5 sacks and 31 tackles in 17 games with the Saints last season. Young also had a career high 21 quarterback hits.
Young hasn't quite lived up to the hype of being the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he's still been a solid NFL player.
ESPN, however, doesn't like this move at all for the Saints, giving New Orleans a "D" for their decision to give Young over $50 million.
The problem for ESPN isn't Young's talent. Instead, it's the contract that Young received from New Orleans and its impact on the Saints' salary cap situation.
From ESPN: The Saints need an intervention. Their affinity for shopping is out of control, and it is saddling poor New Orleans fans year after year after year with a team that might win nine games but has next to no shot at winning the Super Bowl. And every time the Saints make another ill-advised signing — at this point, they are pretty much all ill-advised — they kick the mediocrity-at-best can down the road once again.
As of this writing, before Young's deal hits the books, the Saints are $11 million over the 2025 cap — and only $48 million under the 2026 cap. And that was before this deal, which presumably will be light in 2025 (and therefore more expensive in 2026 and beyond).
It doesn't really matter what you think of Young. I think he's not bad! He isn't even 26 yet! Once it became clear he was never going to be the player he was promised to be when he was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, he settled into a role that will be useful for seasons to come. He isn't a star but can rush the passer a little, and that's worth something……there should be no lauding what the Saints did here, because they are doing what they always do — spending future money when they shouldn't.
The contract is what it is. NFL teams always managed to find a way to navigate the salary cap, even if it means taking some dead cap hits. Ultimately, though, the Saints need to be able to affect opposing quarterbacks if they're going to compete in the NFC South. It's almost impossible to reach the playoffs without having an impact edge rusher or two on the roster. Young likes it in New Orleans, so it makes sense to bring him back.
If Young can help the Saints return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, no one will be lamenting the $50 plus million that New Orleans gave the Maryland native this week.
