Could be a hit to the team, but also a sign of new things.
With free agency soon, the New Orleans Saints are going to lose a bunch of players. Usually, for the Saints, these are mostly depth players that did not work out, or maybe some running out of contract for the first time, and New Orleans does not want to extend them. Well, this offseason is a bit different than those two scenarios.
As of now, the Saints are set to lose Demario Davis and Cam Jordan. Davis, at 37, is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL. On the Saints' defense, he is one of, if not the, best players, and as a locker-room presence, his impact can be extremely important for this team, especially as it becomes younger.
He is also ingrained in New Orleans as a city, so Davis's departure is not just a blow to the team but also to the community. In free agency, Davis, rightfully so, is going to have a large market, and teams willing to give him a multi-year deal will win his signature. This is the expected reason why he won't be back with the Saints.
For Jordan, his potential departure is a bit more of a surprise. Like with Davis, the Saints were unlikely to give Jordan a multi-year deal, but the difference was that it probably wouldn't be an issue with the defensive lineman. For most of the offseason, it seemed like Jordan's return to the team was imminent, given that he had never played for another team in his career, but that changed.
Recently, a report stated that Cam will be leaving the Saints this offseason and testing free agency. Although this does not make it a 100% gaurentee he leaves, the odds of it happening are now much higher. This will be a hit to the locker room and the defensive line.
Those two major pieces of the team were already a lot for the Saints to deal with financially and roster-wise, but Alvin Kamara may also be on his way out. In a recent contract restructure, the Saints were able to free up money (as they do every offseason), but they did so in a way that would allow the team to move on from Kamara if the opportunity arises. The fact that the Saints even did this suggests that if their plans to rebuild the RB room go well this offseason, Kamara's time on the team may be over.