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The New Orleans Saints chose to bring back Brandin Cooks on a two-year deal valued at $13 million, per multiple reports, in a move that initially appeared divisive among fans. And it's a move that carries a lot of implications. How will the Saints approach the rest of free agency? How does the current depth chart shape their 2025 draft strategy? And what are the further-flung considerations?
It's not looking good on that last front. Over The Cap's Nick Korte has made a name for himself by forecasting compensatory draft picks each year, and he typically finds his mark. He was right about the Saints getting a seventh rounder this offseason which the NFL initially got wrong and had to correct. And Korte says that the Saints signing Cooks wipes out a compensatory seventh rounder in the 2026 draft.
That alone isn't too big of a deal (even if it replaced a pick the Saints had already traded). Seventh rounders are, obviously, the least-valuable picks in the draft. The more important function of this pick was that it would have been a buffer between any signings the Saints make and the projected fourth rounder they're getting for Paulson Adebo. That's a significant asset, and now it's in jeopardy. If the Saints sign another qualifying free agent (basically anyone whose contract is valued at more than $3.5 million per year), they'll lose that fourth-round choice. They're rapidly running out of free agents who could sign with other teams and rebalance the books to get it back.
One of Mickey Loomis's biggest weaknesses as a general manager is his poor valuation of draft picks. He often trades too much for too little and spends them too recklessly. The easiest way to retool your roster is to stock up on draft picks, add a bunch of cheap young talent, and see the cream rise to the top. When you're too active in free agency for your own good? You get fewer draft picks, which means fewer rookies, and less young talent to develop. Your team gets too old and slow and you're stuck signing players nobody else wanted to draft just to fill out your roster.
You'd hope Loomis has learned this lesson by now. Some of the best Saints draft classes in recent memory came when they owned multiple picks either due to offseason trades or compensatory rules. Some of their worst have followed offseasons when he let guys walk away for nothing. But if Loomis is determined to keep chasing veteran free agents and spending on the open market? That projected fourth rounder coming back for Adebo may be going up in smoke.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Signing Brandin Cooks may cost Saints a compensatory 2026 draft pick
Continue reading...
It's not looking good on that last front. Over The Cap's Nick Korte has made a name for himself by forecasting compensatory draft picks each year, and he typically finds his mark. He was right about the Saints getting a seventh rounder this offseason which the NFL initially got wrong and had to correct. And Korte says that the Saints signing Cooks wipes out a compensatory seventh rounder in the 2026 draft.
That alone isn't too big of a deal (even if it replaced a pick the Saints had already traded). Seventh rounders are, obviously, the least-valuable picks in the draft. The more important function of this pick was that it would have been a buffer between any signings the Saints make and the projected fourth rounder they're getting for Paulson Adebo. That's a significant asset, and now it's in jeopardy. If the Saints sign another qualifying free agent (basically anyone whose contract is valued at more than $3.5 million per year), they'll lose that fourth-round choice. They're rapidly running out of free agents who could sign with other teams and rebalance the books to get it back.
One of Mickey Loomis's biggest weaknesses as a general manager is his poor valuation of draft picks. He often trades too much for too little and spends them too recklessly. The easiest way to retool your roster is to stock up on draft picks, add a bunch of cheap young talent, and see the cream rise to the top. When you're too active in free agency for your own good? You get fewer draft picks, which means fewer rookies, and less young talent to develop. Your team gets too old and slow and you're stuck signing players nobody else wanted to draft just to fill out your roster.
You'd hope Loomis has learned this lesson by now. Some of the best Saints draft classes in recent memory came when they owned multiple picks either due to offseason trades or compensatory rules. Some of their worst have followed offseasons when he let guys walk away for nothing. But if Loomis is determined to keep chasing veteran free agents and spending on the open market? That projected fourth rounder coming back for Adebo may be going up in smoke.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Signing Brandin Cooks may cost Saints a compensatory 2026 draft pick
Continue reading...
