The NFL salary cap is set for this year, as is the specific contract figures for franchise tags and transition tags. It should come as no surprise that the New Orleans Saints are not expected to use either this season.
The 2025 salary cap will be $279.2 million per team, an increase of over $24 million from last season. This certainly helps the Saints, who must still re-work contracts and probably release some veterans just to get under the salary cap.
Does this mean that New Orleans will not sign any free agents? No, and if you believe that then you simply have not paid attention to this team or their ability to create cap space. However, it does mean that the Saints are going to be much more conscious with their spending.
New Orleans may make a run at re-signing at couple of their own mid-tier free agents like WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, S Will Harris, DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, or CB Shemar Jean-Charles. There are also three significant free agents for New Orleans whose situations bear watching.
These are players that the Saints may try to re-sign at a reasonable rate. However, they are unlikely to try and retain them by using the franchise tag or transition tag and are even less likely to get in a bidding war for them on the open market.
Chase Young, DE
• Franchise Tag = $22.1 million
• Transition Tag = $19.9 million
The second overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft by Washington out of Ohio State, Young was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Since then, he's been an inconsistent and somewhat disappointing player because of injuries and lack of production.
At the 2023 trade deadline, Young was traded to the 49ers. He was allowed to hit free agency after the season and was signed to a one-year deal by the Saints.
Young had a team-high 34 pressures for the Saints last season. Unfortunately, he finished with just 5.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and was maddeningly erratic.
Some fans label Young as a bust or question his effort. The realistic explanation is that he just isn't a ''finisher'' or a player that opponents game plan to contain. You simply don't tag a player unless they are exactly that kind of force.
Juwan Johnson, TE
• Franchise Tag = $13.9 million
• Transition Tag = $11.7 million
An undrafted wideout out of Oregon in 2020, the Saints signed Johnson and converted him to tight end two years into his career. Since the position switch in 2022, Johnson has 136 receptions for 1,424 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons.
Johnson, 28, had career-bests in catches (50) and yardage (548) this past season. He's shown that he can present a size mismatch for smaller safeties and corners and has a major athletic advantage over most linebackers.
The problem with Johnson is that he hasn't been consistently productive for an offense that's been desperate for additional playmakers. This could change under offensive-minded new head coach Kellen Moore.
It wouldn't be a surprise if the Saints try and re-sign Johnson. But, they likely won't spend big money or use one of the tag options to do it. New Orleans seems more likely to target a more consistent difference maker in the draft from what looks like a deep class at tight end.
Paulson Adebo, CB
• Franchise Tag = $20.2 million
• Transition Tag = $17.6 million
Adebo has been with New Orleans since being selected with a third-round choice in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He has 10 interceptions and 43 passes broken up over his four seasons.
Adebo had his best year during the 2023-24 campaign. He had four interceptions, was third in the NFL with 18 passes broken up, and allowed only 55% completion percentage when targeted. Off to a rocky start in 2024, Adebo still intercepted three passes and broke up 10 more in seven games before being lost for the year with a broken leg.
Just 25, Adebo would arguably be the top cornerback available on the free-agent market. He's an athletic and physical defender who can match up with most any wideout in man coverage.
Adebo isn't an elite/shutdown corner, but would be the top defensive back on many teams. He'd be the most logical to get a franchise/transition tag from New Orleans, but the Saints may have too many financial concerns to do it.
NFL teams have until the deadline of March 4 to apply a franchise or transition tag. If applied, the deadline for teams to work out a long-term contract with a tagged player is July 15, otherwise they play the 2025-26 season on the one-year tag.
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