Perhaps no team will benefit more from the lack of a salary cap than the champion New Orleans Saints. Without the cap, they have 21 restricted free agents, including five starters and three Pro Bowlers.
The Saints will essentially be able to bring back most everyone they want, but one starter that didn’t make it to the playoff run could be dropped by choice.
Charles Grant has spent nine seasons in New Orleans, and the team has received diminishing returns of late. Will Smith is clearly the leader and dominant player of their defensive line and Grant’s salary bumps up to $4 million in 2010.
Mike Triplette of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes that Grant may be asked to take a pay cut to stay. If he says no, look for the Saints to spend that money on their gaggle of younger, more deserving players.
