The Saints' injuries in 2024 were on another level. Klint Kubiak’s offense scored 91 points over the first two games. Then they lost star center Erik McCoy. A different player essentially started at center for the next three weeks before they lost Derek Carr and Chris Olave in Week 6. 

Then they lost Rashid Shaheed in Week 7. The season spiraled out of control from that point, eventually also losing Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara. That also saw them fire head coach Dennis Allen and lose offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the Seahawks. 

Now the NFL offseason leaves them with some big decisions to make. That starts at head coach. And the candidates are dropping quickly with Mike Vrable, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Liam Coen, and Pete Carroll already locked up. 

They also obviously need a new offensive coordinator. The coaching salaries have no bearing on the salary cap - and that’s where the Saints problems lie. The Saints are in arguably the worst cap situation of any team. And that’s after Ryan Ramczyk waived $18 million in base salary as part of his retirement. 

They have some difficult decisions to make including what to do with quarterback Derek Carr. So, let’s dive into the Saints contracts, the depth chart, and the NFL free agents available to get an idea of what might happen. That info should help you properly value some of these guys in your dynasty fantasy football leagues as well, if you play.

*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

 

 

 

New Orleans Saints Depth Chart 2025 (Fantasy Football Relevant)

QB

Derek Carr

Spencer Rattler

Jake Haener

 

RB

Alvin Kamara

Kendre Miller

Jamaal Williams

Jordan Mims

FB

Adam Prentice

   

WR

Chris Olave

Bub Means

Kevin Austin

 

WR

Rashid Shaheed

Mason Tipton

Dante Pettis

 

WR

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Cedrick Wilson

  

TE

Foster Moreau

Juwan Johnson

Dallin Holker

 

Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill

   
  • White = unrestricted free agent
  • Green = role is safe
  • Yellow = role in flux
  • Orange = likely a depth piece
  • Red = roster spot not guaranteed

New Orleans Saints Free Agency 2025

  • PROJECTED 2025 SALARIES: ~$328M
  • ESTIMATED 2025 CAP SPACE: ~-$50M

 

 

 

Saints Quarterback Depth Chart

Derek CarrIt’s no secret that Derek Carr was Dennis Allen’s guy. He played for Allen with the Oakland Raiders. And Dennis Allen this year became the first coach to be fired from two teams with the same quarterback.

It’s become clear that Derek Carr is not the quarterback of the future, but the question is whether they should try to move on now or whether they should just roll him out again and call it a “bridge year” if the team doesn’t do well. Carr has already publicly made it clear that he will not accept a pay cut. 

Based on his contract, it makes no sense to release him.That would cause them to eat all of his cap hit at once which would actually have a negative effect on this year's cap to the tune of ~$18.7 million. A trade is the only option - with that they could save $11.3 million while eating $40 million in dead cap. The Giants have popped up as a possible candidate but it’s hard to believe the market for him will be robust. 

Spencer RattlerRattler has long been a touted college prospect but slid to the 5th round of the 2025 NFL Draft in what was a deeper class. We got a look at him this year but that was with a fairly depleted Saints cast. 

He’s on a cheap rookie deal so I expect him to hang around regardless of what their move is at quarterback. Guys like him get a very limited window of opportunity and, if he doesn’t compete for the job this year, the odds of him ever having a starting NFL job plummet drastically. 

Jake HaenerIt’s never a good sign when the team drafts another quarterback just one year after drafting you. It’s also not ideal that you can’t clearly beat out the rookie quarterback for work when the starter goes down. 

There is a world where they keep both Haener and Rattler in the competition or as depth, but I would not be surprised to see them part ways with Haener as they explore other options. 

SAINTS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: The most likely outcome is that Derek Carr is the starting quarterback for the Saints in 2025. So that leaves three directions to move in. If you are playing to win here, you can sign a veteran backup like a Joe Flacco or an Andy Dalton that you might be able to compete with. 

You could try a project quarterback like Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, or Trey Lance. Or you can take a stab in the draft, which is probably their best bet long term. Plus, they don’t really have any money to spare.

 

 

 

Saints Running Back Depth Chart

Alvin KamaraThere were rumors of Alvin Kamara’s decline or that Kendre Miller could eat into his workload. But Kamara ended up being excellent in 2024. He was great in the pass game as always and he likely would have had his first 1,000 yard rushing season had he not gotten hurt. 

The Saints gave him a two year extension with multiple void years at the end which should keep him with the team through the next two seasons at least as there isn’t a particularly affordable way to move on from him. If you play dynasty fantasy football and are playing to win now, this is a player you buy - especially in PPR. The opposite is naturally true for anyone looking to rebuild as Kamara will turn 30 this offseason. 

Kendre MillerThe previous regime was quite vocal about Kendre Miller’s inability to stay healthy. This year he dealt with hamstring issues in both July and October then suffered a concussion in Week 17. He’s under contract on a cheap rookie deal so it will be up to the new regime what his role is and whether they want to bring in someone more reliable to be the RB2. 

I was surprised to see that the PeakedInHighSkool dynasty trade charts, which attempt to capture industry sentiments and translate that, have Miller currently valued as a 2nd round rookie pick. Given the health issues plus his lack of efficiency when healthy, I would consider taking that pick and re-rolling again in the draft. If the best you could do is a 3rd rounder, I'm holding on. 

Jamaal WilliamsAfter scoring 17 rushing touchdowns with the Detroit Lions, the Saints probably thought they would have a “1-2 punch” with Williams and Kamara. But it turns out that the Lions offense was a key part of those touchdowns. Williams found himself as an afterthought in this offense though he did serve as the primary kick returner. 

If he were released this year, they would include $2.3 million in dead cap with $1.59 mil in savings so it will be up to the new staff in terms of what to do there. He does not need to be held in your dynasty leagues if he’s on the bubble. 

Jordan MimsMims has bounced back and forth between the practice squad and active roster. He was signed back to the roster due to injuries to Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller and remained there as Kamara also got banged up. 

The team would incur zero dead cap by releasing him with savings of just shy of a million dollars so he’ll be battling for a roster spot this offseason. 

Adam PrenticeKlint Kubiak’s offense uses a fullback. With Kubiak gone and Prentice an unrestricted free agent, they would only likely retain Prentice if the new OC was someone like Bobby Slowik that also likes using a fullback. 

SAINTS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: Alvin Kamara is the top dog here - they made sure of that. The question is what happens behind him. Kamara is an incredible pass-catcher, but the new staff could opt for a two-back system. That could see them bring someone in ahead of Kendre Miller or use Miller in the role. If they continue with Kamara as the bell cow, they will likely need some reliable depth. 

In an ideal world, a combination of something like Najee Harris on run downs and Alvin Kamara on pass downs would be great but, even with RB contracts depleted, spending up on a second RB is not a good use of their money. Here are some cheaper options that could compliment Kamara if they want to go that way. 

 

 

 

Saints Wide Receiver Depth Chart

Chris OlaveDespite some questionable QB play, Chris Olave put up back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons before getting hurt in 2024. These are the exact kind of players I like to buy in dynasty. It’s easy to forget with some of the young breakouts that the age apex for the position is closer to 26-28. 

Whether it’s via QB change (Nico Collins, Terry McLaurin) or team change (AJ Brown), good players eventually find their ways into good positions where they can increase production. For Chris Olave, it’s more a matter of when than if. He's three years into his contract and, as a first-round pick, they could pick up his fifth-year option and lock him in for 2026 as well. 

That decision will be made in May of this year. Some folks might express concern about the recent concussions but it’s easy to forget that people wanted guys like Davante Adams and Brandin Cooks to retire after multiple concussions early in their career. 

They went on to both have over 9,000 career receiving yards which puts them in the top 50 WRs all time. All indications are that he plans to keep playing. He even came back to practice with his teammates to end the season. 

Rashid ShaheedThe Klint Kubiak scheme was perfect for Rashid Shaheedas we wrote about here. Which is why it’s sad to see Kubiak leave. That doesn’t affect Shaheed’s spot on this depth chart. But we’ll have to hope that the new regime sees him as a full-time WR rather than more of a field stretcher (which can be inconsistent at times for fantasy football). 

I’m still holding because I like the player, but the knee injury recovery combined with the OC change will have us temper expectations for 2025. I personally believe in Shaheed so he’s green on the chart but would not blame anyone if they were to categorize him as “role is in flux” given the info above. 

Marquez Valdes-ScantlingMVS was the most productive Saints following the injuries. But he was signed to replace an injured Rashid Shaheed who is expected back next year. He’s an unrestricted free agent and, even if they were to bring him back, he would be the third WR at best. It’s probably best for his fantasy football value to try to catch on elsewhere. 

Bub MeansThe scheme the Saints deployed this year primarily used 2 WRs then either a fullback or another tight end. So Means didn’t play much initially but stepped in when Chris Olave got hurt. He then suffered a season ending ankle injury himself. If the Saints don’t make any major moves, Means could be in the conversation for the WR3 role. 

 

 

 

Cedrick Wilson Jr: The veteran was brought in based on his experience in Miami as Mike McDaniel runs a very similar scheme to Klint Kubiak. With Kubiak now gone, Wilson is a potential cut candidate after a lackluster 2024. He would save $2.4 million with a dead cap of $1 million. 

Mason TiptonTipton flashed in camp which led him to make the 2024 roster. This inevitably saw him take over the role vacated by Rashid Shaheed. Despite all the injuries, Tipton ended up being a healthy scratch at times once they added Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The dead cap if he’s released is only $6K so he’s not a lock to make the roster with the new staff. 

Kevin Austin Jr: Kevin Austin Jr is another guy that is technically under contract but could be released with zero dead cap. So he’ll need to make the team from scratch with this new regime. 

The good news for him is that his contract is only for $960K and they are hurting for cap space so, if he’s viewed as serviceable depth at all, he could be retained. For fantasy football it would need to be a fairly deep league to hang onto him.

Dante PettisPettis is a free agent and, given that he has not signed a reserves/futures contract with the team, I expect him to be gone in 2025. 

SAINTS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: The Klint Kubiak scheme uses two WR sets primarily then rotates a fullback, a tight end, and a WR3. As we mentioned above, if the new offensive coordinator is someone like Bobby Slowik, they would keep that scheme. Many other schemes utilize more three WR sets in which case this team might need to do something. 

Rashid Shaheed is a field stretching flanker so the question is whether they would have Olave play split end or bring in a big bodied split end. They released AT Perry, so Bub Means is probably the closest they have.

Obviously, someone like Tee Higgins is out of the question given their cap questions. Guys like Demarcus Robsinon or Tim Patrick could be affordable split end options. If they go the slot route then maybe Bo Melton or Rondale Moore could work as part-time slot guys. The draft is obviously the best way to shoot for upside but they have a lot of holes to fill.

 

 

 

Saints Tight End Depth Chart

Foster MoreauThe previous scheme requires an inline blocking tight end which saw Foster Moreau playing over Juwan Johnson. If the new regime wants more of a pass-catching tight end, Moreau could end up on the chopping block. He can be released with $4.6 million in savings and zero dead cap. 

Juwan JohnsonJuwan Johnson was the best pass-catching tight end on the roster. He played fewer snaps than Moreau but more snaps than Taysom Hill in every game but one. He’s an unrestricted free agent and, in a thin free agent class, could be one of the more sought after pass-catching options. The deal would have to be team friendly to bring him back. 

Taysom HillHill is under contract for 2025 but the writing might be on the wall here. Technically, his deal carries $17 million in dead cap with less than $300K in savings but, by designating him a post-June 1 release, they could spread that cap hit over two years and get $10 million in relief for this year. With him coming off a torn ACL, it just might have to be done. 

Dallin HolkerHolker is a bit of a “tweener” between wide receiver and tight end. So it depends whether the new staff utilizes that type of player (and we will do our best to update this article once we get a better idea there). He’s on a cheap rookie deal but can be cut for $900K in savings with only $6K in dead cap so not a roster lock. 

SAINTS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: The new group could start fresh here or they could retain some players. Foster Moreau is under contract as an inline blocking tight end. Dallin Holker and Michael Jacobson both have a similar profile to Juwan Johnson (who was a converted WR himself) so they could replace Juwan at a discount.

Taysom Hill should probably be released for cap space despite being a huge fan favorite. The draft would be a good place to look at tight end as the options in free agency aren’t great and they don’t have a ton of money.