The hours after the NFL draft are a maelstrom, with agents, media, fans, and the players themselves all jockeying to announce deals between rookie free agents and the teams working quickly to recruit them. Those discussions often manifest in bidding wars as teams make competing offers for players, guaranteeing greater portions of their base salary or lucrative signing bonuses.
In 2020, that meant the Saints paid a few of their undrafted free agents like seventh-round picks, particularly valuing Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie (who received $160,000 in guarantees, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid college free agents).