Few teams navigate the NFL salary cap better than the New Orleans Saints, who are always looking for new tools and loopholes to maximize their resources. Between prorated signing bonuses and automatically voided “ghost years” written into their contracts, the Saints have a unique toolbox for keeping their finances in order.
But sometimes it’s as easy as hitting on a draft pick, or finding the right fit in free agency. The NFL’s scaling rookie salaries mean that team-friendly deals result in very talented players taking the field far beneath what they’re worth. While paydays should be in store for each of them in the years ahead, here are five Saints contracts you’ll find in the bargain bin:
2020 salary cap hit: $2,860,000
Winston’s Saints contract is so far beneath expectations that its first reporting caused a social media firestorm.