The New Orleans Saints contract breakdown: Secondary

The New Orleans Saints’ Contract Breakdown: Secondary

May 28, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Brandon Browner (39), strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32), free safety Rafael Bush (25) and free safety Jairus Byrd (31) during organized team activities at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 6, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32) celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumble against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Kenny Vaccaro is one of the few bright spot from the Saints drafting over the last 5 years. Vaccaro was the Saints first pick in the 2013 NFL draft. Ever since being drafted, Vaccaro has been an important player for the team. He was one of the favorites for defensive rookie of the year, finishing third behind Sheldon Richardson and Kiko Alonso.

The second season was a struggle for Vaccaro, but despite being benched at times, he was still one of the most important players on defense. Then, in his 3rd season, Vaccaro got back to his old ways. He played with fire all season long and was arguably the best player on defense. Without him the already bad defense would have looked much worse than it really was.

Vaccaro is still playing on his 4-year $9,424,712 rookie contract. The deal counts $2,998,772 against the cap this year, but that number will go up to $5,676,000 in 2017. The Saints should look to extend Vaccaro as soon as possible. That will not only secure his future in New Orleans, but it could potentially also lower his cap hit in 2017.

Kenny Vaccaro, Strong Safety