After one year with the New Orleans Saints, pass rusher Chase Young could earn a massive contract on the open market. The second-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Young was supposed to be a Myles Garrett-level prospect who could terrorize every single offensive lineman in the league. While he never quite matched that hype, he is a reliable edge defender in a league where good pass rushers are hard to come by. Appearing in 17 games last year, the Ohio State product finished the season with 5.5 sacks, 31 rackles, 21 quarterback hits, and eight tackles-for-loss.
Following this impressive campaign, Spotrac believes that Chase Young will land a four-year, $70.2 million deal on the open market, which is well out of the Saints price range. This admittedly doesn’t pass the sniff test, but stranger things have happened in free agency. Even if he doesn’t receive this massive payday, the cash-strapped Saints will struggle to match an offer from a desperate team like the Los Angeles Chargers or Carolina Panthers.
Chargers, Panthers Could Steal Chase Young From Saints
The Los Angeles Chargers had one of the league’s better defenses last year, but the pass rushers could look dramatically different in 2025. Veteran Khalil Mack won’t retire, but the impending free agent might not return to the Los Angeles Chargers. Former first-round pick Joey Bosa, meanwhile, carries a $36.4 million cap hit and doesn’t come close to matching that production on the field. The Chargers can save $25.3 million by cutting him, so he’s probably played his last snap with the team.
Even if Mack returns, Los Angeles must find another starter opposite the former Defensive Player of the Year. Former second-round pick Tuli Tuipulotu is a fine player, but he shouldn’t be a full-time starter. Perhaps head coach Jim Harbaugh sees something in Chase Young that makes him want to invest a portion of the team’s cap space into the Saints free agent. Even if they have to overpay, Los Angeles has over $63 million in projected cap space and can afford a couple of larger contracts.
Rebuilding the Defense
Even though they finished with a 5-12 record, the Carolina Panthers have to feel good about the first year of the Dave Canales Era. Inheriting a mess, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator knew he couldn’t fix every issue with this team, so he focused on creating an environment that could support 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young. While Young struggled out of the gate, the Alabama product came alive down the stretch, playing like a franchise quarterback behind a strong offensive line.
Unfortunately, these positive developments came at the expense of the defense. Carolina lost Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu in free agency and never found proper replacements. Free agent signee Jadeveon Clowney disappointed after a strong 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, and now the team needs someone who can get after the quarterback. The Panthers faced off against Chase Young and the Saints twice last year, so perhaps they saw something they liked in those matchups.
Main Photo: Kevin R. Wexler – Imagn Images
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