One thing the New Orleans Saints haven't done that we know they want to do is sign Chris Olave to a contract extension. Olave has reassured that the two sides are close, but there's been no deal yet. It's the one move ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz thinks is left for the Saints to make this offseason.
The Saints have done a lot of things right this offseason from a talent acquisition standpoint. They've brought in the talent to generate excitement. Olave even has a new running mate in Jordyn Tyson. Everything feels fresh. It's just time to lock down one of the young pillars of the Kellen Moore era.
Everyone knows each side wants to get a deal done, but what if it doesn’t happen? Mutual interest is a great start. It’s going to take more than that to come to a compromise. If the two sides don’t find common ground soon, things could go a way neither side wants it to.Â
Things get interesting if Chris Olave doesn’t sign
There’s no signs as of now to predict things would get ugly. Still, it doesn’t seem anyone wants a holdout. There’s a world where it gets to a point where Olave feels the need to do it to spur negotiations. It’s an option that’s always on the table. It’s just a matter of if he decides to use it. This option isn’t impossible, but it does feel unlikely at the moment.Â
That brings us to the most interesting scenario. What if the Saints and Olave simply don’t agree to a contract before the season starts?Â
Playing out the final year of his contract doesn’t feel beneficial to Olave or the Saints. For the Saints, the risk outweighs the reward. Best case scenario for the team’s side of negotiations is Olave underperforms, so the ceiling of his contract is capped next offseason. Bad for the team but saves a few dollars. Worst case, he has a similar season to last year. Now the annual average has jumped about $4 million. That would be especially true if another receiver signs a big contract.Â
It’s unlikely the contract goes any lower than it is right now. Waiting until next offseason just creates a scenario where they put themselves in position to shell out more cash. The one piece of leverage they have is Jordyn Tyson is a top-10 pick. He could take over as the lead receiver if the Saints and Olave never agree on the amount.
On Olave’s side, his history of concussions are likely a sticking point in negotiations. It’s also a reason pushing this into next season could be risky. Another concussion, even if the result is just a one game absence, could greatly impact conversations.Â
Olave is at his peak leverage at the moment, but also possibly his lowest value. It’s a unique situation that creates an obvious course of action: agree to a contract prior to the season. It’s best for both sides.Â
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