When Roger Goodell stepped to the mic at the spring owners’ meetings, few expected him to challenge the status quo. But then came an update that sounded more like a mission statement: the league was actively reviewing “the integrity of (the cap) system.” That single phrase sparked panic, but not in Philly where Howie Roseman has already made his chess moves like a Grand Master. The team suddenly sweating is the one that’s been walking a financial tightrope for years: the New Orleans Saints.

Saints fans may see Mickey Loomis as a genius. But it began years before Roseman picked up the trend, with the self-acclaimed “maze person” and Saints’ VP of football administration– Khai Harley– who has mastered the trick to find the best route from Point A to Point B instead of filling in gaps. But around the league, execs are starting to whisper the word ‘unsustainable.’ For what Roseman does with surgical precision, Loomis and Harley have turned into a full-blown Hail Mary strategy. Now, it might be unraveling.

Spotrac just updated their leaderboard of teams using dummy years. And instead of the Eagles are the Saints, with a staggering 21 players on the roster carrying void years. More than any other team in the league. The Eagles are second with 20, followed by the Browns (19) and Bills (18).

Void years, while legal under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, function as placeholders—years added to the end of contracts to spread out signing bonuses and cap hits, even though the player won’t actually be under contract then. When those years void, the remaining prorated bonus accelerates as dead money against the cap. And for New Orleans, that dead money has become a defining feature of their roster strategy.

The team has become the new face of cap gymnastics, taking Howie Roseman’s “Madden logic” and turning it into their primary roster-building tool. But they haven’t been as smooth as Howie. Just look at the numbers. The Saints are spending $66 million of their $288 million cap this year on players no longer on the team. That’s about 22.9% of their cap gone before they even field a starting lineup. What’s looming now is more than just a balance sheet issue.

If the NFL decides to tighten its CBA language around void years, which insiders like Jason Fitzgerald suggest is a growing possibility, the Saints will be left vulnerable. While the Eagles have shown the ability to adapt and evolve their structure year after year, New Orleans has backed itself into a structural corner with no obvious escape.

To understand how the Saints got here, you have to understand who they were trying to emulate. Roseman’s use of void years has been meticulous, paired with aggressive front-loading of cash to minimize long-term damage. In 2023, the Eagles gave Jalen Hurts a $255 million extension. Despite its size, Hurts will count just $21.8 million against the 2025 cap, thanks to restructures and void-year planning.

Compare that to the Cowboys, who were staring down a possible $89 million cap hit for Dak Prescott in 2025. But with a re-worked contract, he sits at a more manageable $52.9 million in 2025 (with $150 million in dead cap). Former NFL agent and CBS Sports cap analyst Joel Corry explained it clearly: “The Eagles can get away with this because ownership spends cash. Cap is accounting; cash is real.”

And the irony? In trying to replicate Roseman’s brilliance, the Saints may have triggered the very crackdown that could end the era of contract illusion. But maybe Goodell will take aim at Howie, too. Because, after all, he’s the one moving the bigger pieces using the tool.

Philly’s contract cheat code by Howie Roseman under fire?

Roseman has turned salary cap spaghetti into a Lombardi-worthy feast, but the league might be onto him. According to Ari Meirov, league execs spent serious time during spring meetings debating whether the current cap rules are working as intended, or if teams like the Eagles are bending them just a little too well. Translation: Roseman might’ve been too good at his job for the league’s liking.

Why does this even matter? Let’s talk void years. Philly’s front office has been fine-tuning the system for quite some time. Need a big signing? They frontload bonuses and stretch cap hits over future seasons. Take Mekhi Becton, for instance. The man cost $2 million against the cap in 2024, despite being on a $5.5 million/ 1 year deal. Now? He’s on the Chargers, but still counts for $3.5 million on Philly’s books in 2025. If Becton had counted for his full $5.5M salary in 2024, he would have eaten up 2.2% of the Eagles’ salary cap. Instead, the $2 million accounted for only 0.8% of the Eagles’ total salary cap.

The real MVP? Philly’s ownership. They’re not shy about paying upfront. Something Bengals owner Mike Brown probably scoffs at. Joe Burrow even touched on it on Pardon My Take, saying, “You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus… that lowers the cap hit.” It’s not just strategy—it’s cash. And not every team’s willing to splash like that.

Even Stephen Jones threw a polite jab: “Philly will have theirs coming up where they’ll have to make tough decisions.” Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts? Just $21 million. That’s Cirque du Soleil, masterminded by Howie Roseman.

Here’s the thing—Howie’s playing chess while others are stuck rolling the cap dice. But if the NFL tweaks the CBA down the line to limit void years or bonus trickery, Philly’s edge could shrink. And as things stand right now, the Saints could be in for an even bigger shock.