The New Orleans Saints brought Chase Young back on a contract averaging $17 million. Coming off a 5.5 sack season, that's a contract that should spark a discussion of how deserving it was.
Bleacher Report's Alex Kay gave his take and it feels a bit unfair. The writer called it "one of their biggest blunders is committing more than $50 million to Chase Young over the next three years." That stance is valid, and we've made it clear the defensive end must deliver more sacks than he did in Year 1 to be worthy of the contract.
While $17 million per year average doesn't pay him like a top notch edge rusher, it pays him like a player who hits double digit sacks. Where the criticism begins to creep into unfair territory is the signing remains one of the worst of free agency, in Kay's mind, even if Young lives up to it.
Kay wrote, "Even if Chase goes on to post some of his best personal seasons over the next three years, his presence won't result in New Orleans becoming a Super Bowl threat. The team should embrace a rebuild, but signings like this just continue to put off the inevitable."
This puts the Saints in a lose-lose situation, which is likely why Kay calls this one of the worst signings this offseason. Even struggling teams try to keep their top talent. The tone of the statements would make you believe the Saints paid Young near the top of the market. $17 million is not chump change, but it keeps him on the outside of the top-15 at the position in a market that's growing.
If Chase posts some of his best personal seasons, this will be a good signing by the Saints. This would mean the Saints correctly bet on what Young would be capable of in Brandon Staley's system.
