The New Orleans Saints are still trying to figure out a way to free up some cap space despite being one of the teams in the worst cap situations heading into 2016. The Saints primary concern will be finding some protection for Drew Brees along with rebuilding their woeful defense. There are several players on the chopping block for the Saints, and one of them is cornerback Brandon Browner. Browner is 31 years old so it is safe to say he is past his prime for a defensive back.
Browner played in all 16 games last season, and the Saints did not hesitate to start him. The problem came when he became the most penalized player in the NFL, according to CBS Sports. Browner was called for 11 defensive holding penalties, three defensive pass interference penalties, three face mask penalties and three unnecessary roughness penalties among numerous other violations. Browner tallied 21 penalties, which is the most in the NFL by far. The closest person by comparison is Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes with 14.
Browner did not have an excellent 2015 production-wise either, as he only recorded 76 combined tackles, 10 pass defenses and an interception. In fact he has only had only interception per season for the last three seasons. With the Saints picking 12th in the 2016 NFL Draft they could easily look to draft Browner's replacement early on, according to ESPN. There is no conceivable way a player who has racked up 21 bad penalties in one season and has a $6.3 million cap hit should return to a team that is currently trying to create some breathing room with its salary cap. Browner should be released at some point this offseason, at least according to ESPN.
