New Orleans Saints place franchise tag on Marcus Williams

We knew bringing Marcus Williams back was a priority, but it felt unlikely that the Saints were going to use their franchise tag on him. New Orleans must have felt his free agency market was going to be very hot.

Williams was set to be among the best free agents on the board once the period opened, and the Saints, who started the offseason nine digits deep in the cap hole, seemed unable to use their franchise tag.

Let’s just say general manager Mickey Loomis is going to make sure that he can retain the talent it takes to keep this team among the best in the NFL first and then worry about the moves it takes to get to a manageable cap level second.

The New Orleans Saints, despite entering the offseason as one of the most cap-strapped teams in NFL history, have franchise tagged Marcus Williams.

Williams is a mere 24 years old.

Having been a crucial part of that elite 2017 draft class for the Saints, Williams will be set to hit the open market next season but not before he makes around $10.5 million this season which is around the tagged amount for his position.

He was dubbed the 15th-best free agent by Pro Football Focus.

Williams may always be known for his mistake in the Minnesota Miracle, but he’s done so much more since that instance. This past season, Williams, who tag-teamed the secondary with Malcolm Jenkins, recorded 59 tackles and 3 interceptions to go along with 7 passes defended.

Along with giving Alvin Kamara a new deal last offseason, the Saints may extend both Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk, a move that could potentially free up more cap space for this coming offseason.

By tagging Williams, it’s clear the team will need all the space it can make. Expect more moves in the near future, and those may start with the release or trade of Emmanuel Sanders and Latavius Murray.