Salary cap experts, amateur enthusiasts, and amateur experts have each taken aim at the New Orleans Saints for cooking the books year in and year out, but it’s tough to argue with the results. While teams like the 2-6 Atlanta Falcons and 3-4-1 Philadelphia Eagles have followed the 5-2 Saints’ lead with creative contract structuring to maximize spending in recent years, the Saints have worked around the cap while sustaining success on the field.
Part of that is thanks to bargain-bin free agent signings. Adding the right veterans at the right price has done a lot to help the Saints remain competitive in the twilight of Drew Brees’ career.