Saints: Top 10 NFL free agents for less than $5 million

Kevin Minter, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kevin Minter is one of those linebackers that is a backup on a team with good linebackers (i.e. the Bucs) and could have the potential to be a starter on a team without any linebackers (i.e. the Saints). He could be a diamond in the rough.

Minter only accumulated 15 tackles and one pass defended in 16 games that he appeared in. That might appear to be not very valuable, but nine of those 16 tackles came from the two games that he started for the team toward the end of the year.

If you were to apply that production to a whole season, he would have roughly 70+ tackles which are normal for a valuable linebacker. If the team gets rid of Kwon Alexander, then there is really nothing standing in the way of the team taking this gamble.

On the bright side, they could get a great linebacker for a backup’s price. Because of that probability, I would sign Minter to a huge contract that would keep him in New Orleans for the foreseeable future and lock in their secret weapon.

Offer: 6-years, $10 million

Saints’ Savings: $11.4 million per year