When asked if Marshon Lattimore will play for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, Dennis Allen continues to say yes. The third-year New Orleans head coach continued this strategy from OTAs this week.
Trade rumours have lingered since teams looked in on Lattimore early this season. This prompted Allen to discuss the rumours with the Pro Bowl cornerback earlier this month. Lattimore’s contract, which has been revised three times, pays $19.4 million per year and goes until the 2026 season.
“I just thought it was something we needed to communicate,” Allen told ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, after learning Lattimore will be a Saint this season. “There’s been a lot of talk outside our building regarding trades and such topics. I felt it was about time we have a chat. It was a nice conversation, and we’re forward to work with him when he gets here.”
Lattimore, 28, did not attend the first session of Saints OTAs. Allen stated that he has not been in the building all summer, implying that his recent talk with Lattimore was the first the two had in a while. However, missing voluntary training is not an unusual occurrence for the talented defender. However, the seven-year veteran is coming off two injury-plagued seasons.
Lattimore suffered an ankle injury and missed the Saints’ final seven games. He missed 10 games in 2022 due to a lacerated kidney, but the Saints did not place the former All-Pro on injured reserve that season. While Lattimore was placed on injured reserve in 2023, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan adds that internal discontent stemmed from the veteran CB’s recovery time from each injury. This fear surely riled Lattimore’s supporters.
Availability concerns had already ruined the Saints’ connection with Michael Thomas, but the team gave the former All-Pro wideout a few chances to recover. Lattimore is three years younger than Thomas and has more recent experience playing at a high level. The Saints, on the other hand, traded up for Kool-Aid McKinstry in the draft and now have rookie-contract corners Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor on their roster.
The Saints’ most recent Lattimore restructure made his contract more tradeable by lowering his 2024 salary cap number (to $14.62 million) with option bonuses. Rather of using a signing bonus as a conversion tool, New Orleans’ introduction of option bonuses here would shift responsibility for them to another team if Lattimore is dealt. The deal now includes $13.79 million in options bonuses, prorated over the following five years.
Similar to the Packers’ final agreement with Aaron Rodgers, Lattimore’s 2024 option bonus, worth only $2.76 million, does not have to be exercised until a week before the season. While the structure obviously allows for a deal, nothing is imminent. If Lattimore is dealt after June 1 this year, the Saints will incur only $10.65 million in dead money.
Even as trade rumours swirl about a boundary corner with four Pro Bowl appearances on his resume, Duncan believes a Lattimore trade is unlikely. Barring a huge offer, the Saints will likely give the Ohio State product another chance to stay healthy and join Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, and Tyrann Mathieu as veteran presences on Allen’s defence. This is still a matter to keep an eye on, but it does not look that Lattimore will be traded anytime soon.
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