Now that the New Orleans Saints have signed right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to an extension, it’s time to look at some other players on the Saints roster to keep in the Big Easy long-term.
The Saints were wise to lock Ramczyk up long-term and they did so to the tune of a five-year deal worth $90 million. It’s a move that keeps their right tackle in New Orleans for the next half-decade and continues to shore up their offensive line, which has been one of the greatest strengths on the team in recent years.
Even with Ramczyk signed, however, the Saints shouldn’t call it a day and be content with just keeping him. There are three more players on the roster who they need to attempt to get deals done with and while all three aren’t likely, they need to try and at least knock out one of these deals, if not two.
Yes, the Saints are in the bottom 10 in cap space per Over the Cap but this deal showed they can afford to keep good players on the team and that’s important considering there are still extensions that need to be issued. Hopefully, the Saints aren’t content with just this extension and continue to sign other guys long-term, but here are the three names they should really zero in on.
Players to extend on Saints roster – No. 3: Marshon Lattimore
Cornerbacks are important in the NFL due to how the league has evolved to a pass-happy one. The Saints looked to have themselves a top-notch corner in Marshon Lattimore, who they took in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Lattimore played well early in his career but hasn’t been as good recently. His 2020 season was his worst one yet, as he totaled the worst PFF grade of his career with a 54.1 and the decline in production is certainly something to monitor along with recent legal issues.
That being said, he’s a 25-year-old cornerback with three Pro Bowls under his belt and his past play proves he’s capable of being one of the best corners in the league. It’d be hard to let him simply waltz into free agency and not get anything in return for him.
The Saints picked up Lattimore’s fifth-year option, which he’ll be playing under for the 2021 season if he’s still on the team come the start of the season. He’s a good player but the decline production combined with the legal issues could prevent the Saints from extending him. At the same time though, it could make him the easiest to keep around.
Players to extend on Saints roster – No. 2: Terron Armstead
In a perfect world, the Saints’ next extension they get done is with left tackle Terron Armstead but it just seems unlikely. Left tackles aren’t cheap and Armstead would definitely be the most expensive option out of this bunch, which is why I put him at No. 2.
Even with that being the case, if there’s any way the Saints can afford to keep Armstead, then they obviously need to do it. Shoring up both bookends on the offensive line is the best way to ensure this unit stays at the top of the pack and Armstead and Ramczyk have been two of the best in the league at their positions so keeping them together would be ideal.
LT Terron Armstead is probably going to expect the same treatment as RT Ryan Ramczyk in a contract extension. Ramczyk is now the NFL's highest paid RT. Making Armstead the league highest paid LT would mean an average of more than Trent Williams' $23.01M per year.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) June 30, 2021
Armstead isn’t going to come cheap though. The highest-paid left tackle in the league right now is Trent Williams of the 49ers, who is signed to a five-year deal worth $138 million. That’s the going rate for left tackles and the Saints might not be able to match what Armstead is going to get offered in free agency next year.
It’d be wonderful if the Saints could keep Armstead in the black and gold uniforms he’s grown accustomed to but at the same time, they’d be breaking the bank to do so. Keeping one tackle was step one and they checked that off the list.
Players to extend on Saints roster – No. 1: Marcus Williams
The safety position might not be the most important in the NFL but for the Saints, Marcus Williams is the most logical and probably most affordable option for them to extend now that Ramczyk is taken care of.
Williams is a former second-round pick out of Utah and has been a solid player for the Saints secondary since joining them in 2017. His first four years were impressive enough that New Orleans slapped him with the franchise tag, tying him to the Big Easy for another season.
They could end up extending him prior to the season and if they do, the highest-paid safety in the league is Justin Simmons of the Broncos, who is slated to make $61 million. This is much more doable than the $138 millon the Saints would have to top to pay Armstead and while safety isn’t one that a lot of teams stress over, Williams is a proven player and deserves to stick around long-term.
He’s the least expensive out of this bunch and because of that, Marcus Williams is the player the Saints need to come to an agreement with on an extension.
Any of these players getting extended would be a good move for the New Orleans Saints, especially with Ryan Ramczyk’s deal out of the way. Keeping two of the four best players slated to hit free agency would be a huge victory for this team so let’s hope they get something done.