Getty New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr.
It didn’t take Dave Ziegler too long to land back on his feet. The former Las Vegas Raiders general manager didn’t make it through a second season before getting fired but never really got a chance to see his vision with the team fulfilled.
At least one team thinks that he’s still a strong talent evaluator and is bringing him in. According to a February 26 X post from CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, Ziegler is getting hired in an advisory role with the New Orleans Saints.
Sources tell @CBSSports former Raiders GM Dave Ziegler is joining the New Orleans Saints in an advisory role through the 2024 NFL draft. A 3x Super Bowl champ in personnel, Ziegler will assist the Saints over the next 2 months.
Based on Jones’ report, it sounds like it’ll just be a temporary role for Zielger over the next two months while he continues to search for a full-time gig. Saints executive vice president/general manager Mickey Loomis is one of the top general managers in the NFL but the team hasn’t drafted a Pro Bowler in the first round since 2017.
Ziegler has likely already done a lot of work on the 2024 NFL Draft class from his time with the Raiders so he could have valuable insight for the Saints. Ziegler wasn’t in Las Vegas long enough to know for sure whether or not he was a good general manager but taking a step back with the Saints could be what he needs to rebuild his image.
Derek Carr & Dave Ziegler Have a History
One person who may have an opinion on Dave Ziegler joining the Saints would be quarterback Derek Carr. He was the Raiders’ starting quarterback for nine years until Ziegler cut him from the roster.
Carr wasn’t happy with how the situation was handled but didn’t say anything negative about Ziegler.
“I’ve got no hard feelings for them,” Carr said in 2023, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Maybe there’s a difference of opinion in certain things, but that’s in anything. … I want Josh [McDaniels] and Dave to have success.”
Now, Carr likely didn’t expect to be working in the same building as Ziegler just a little over a year after he cut him. He’s always been a consistent professional so it’s hard to imagine he’d try to stop the hiring. Ziegler is only expected to be with the team for a couple of months so he may not even have much interaction with Carr.
Derek Carr Restructures Contract
Derek Carr’s first season with the Saints was a disappointment. The team didn’t make it to the playoffs despite playing in the worst division in the NFL. However, it looks like New Orleans plans to keep the quarterback for the foreseeable future.
According to ESPN, the Saints restricted Carr’s contract to open up some salary cap space.
“The New Orleans Saints are restructuring quarterback Derek Carr’s contract in a move that is expected to give the team around $23 million in salary cap relief, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Friday,” ESPN wrote in a February 23 column.
“Carr was due $30 million in base salary for the 2024 season, so converting a large portion of that into a signing bonus can help the Saints, who need to free up millions via restructures.”
The Saints are kicking a lot of money down the road but they’re clearly committed to trying to build a winning team in 2024.