METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints didn't waste time moving on from the 2024 season.
Saints players spent Monday morning boxing up their lockers on a day center Erik McCoy called "the worst day in the NFL."
"Guys that you've come to work with every day for the past 24 weeks ... you don't know if you'll play with them or see them again," McCoy said. "You'll miss these guys. ... You enjoy your time with these guys and it's always hard."
A few remained around the facility on Tuesday. Some, like linebacker Willie Gay, were rehabbing season-ending injuries. Others, like right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, were still packing up their cars on Tuesday afternoon.
The Saints (5-12) will make numerous personnel moves over the next few months as they work to get under the salary cap by the new league year in March and re-sign pending free agents. But it's unlikely they'll make any major moves until they find a permanent head coach after firing Dennis Allen in November.
Allen recently spoke publicly for the first time since he was fired, telling Jay Glazer on his podcast that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was "not really in favor" of firing him.
Loomis and his team will head the coaching search -- his third since he was promoted to general manager in 2002.
The team has tried to cast a wide net on this search, requesting to speak with former Saints assistants like current Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. They also requested Miami Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, who interviewed virtually on Wednesday, along with New York Giants OC Mike Kafka, Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore and Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury.
Interim coach Darren Rizzi will also interview for the job again after losing out to Allen in 2022. The New York Jets also put in a request to interview him for their head coaching vacancy.
Rizzi did not have information about the assistant coaches' futures, many of whom signed contracts last offseason. He said they were told on Monday that some would be blocked from making lateral moves to another team.
"That'll really be on a case-by-case basis about who it is, where it is, what the position is and who the person is based on the evaluation," Rizzi said.
Rizzi said he will take part in the initial evaluation of the players and assistants as the front office makes determinations for the future.
Ramczyk, who missed the entire 2024 offseason, signed a renegotiated contract on Monday. He reduced his base salary to the veteran minimum and freed up $16.47 million in cap space for 2025.
The move is the same one the Saints made before quarterback Drew Brees' retirement in 2021. He reduced his base salary to the minimum in February before announcing his retirement in March. He did not retire until June 11, allowing the Saints to spread out the salary cap hit over two years.
Ramczyk expressed concerns about his NFL future late in the 2023 season due to deteriorating cartilage in his knee. When attempts to remedy the issue last spring failed, the Saints placed him on the non-football injury list and ended his season.
New Orleans does not have a lot of major pending free agents, but tight end Juwan Johnson, defensive end Chase Young, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and cornerback Paulson Adebo are some of the names on that list.
Adebo, who broke his femur midseason, said he's feeling good two-and-a-half months removed from surgery and expects to be back by training camp. But as his rookie contract expires, he's not sure if that will be in New Orleans.
"At the end of the day, it's a business. I love New Orleans, I love the opportunity they gave me," Adebo said. "So there's no ill intent or animosity. It's really just about finding the best fit. If it's the best fit here, then boom. It's a two-way street, it's not completely up to me. It has to work both ways. ... I'm excited for the process. Blessed to be in the process. A lot of people don't even get to that point."
Valdes-Scantling, who signed with the Saints midseason after being released from the Bills, will face free agency for the first time in his career. He said he has not thought about the future and will leave that up to his agent but said he loved playing in New Orleans.
The Saints also have several other players who will be rehabbing injuries for the next few weeks or months, including quarterback Derek Carr (fractured hand), tight end Foster Moreau, who was carted off with a knee injury in the season finale and running back Alvin Kamara (groin).
"I feel good. Woke up this morning, got out of bed. I wasn't in any pain, so obviously I ain't play yesterday, so I'm cool, living a pain-free life," Kamara said on Monday. "It was tough. I feel like this season I kind of beat every injury that I could. And this last one was just a little bit, it was a little bit more intricate."
McCoy, who was named a Pro Bowl alternate, expressed optimism that he could be back in time for the Pro Bowl games despite an arm injury that caused him to miss the end of the season. He played in only seven games due to that injury and a groin injury, and said he plans to make sure "that never happens again."
Wide receiver Chris Olave also had an optimistic view going into the offseason despite missing the final eight games of the season after sustaining two concussions.
Olave, who returned to practice the last few weeks of the season, said he has no concussion symptoms and "is excited to attack the offseason."
"Never been in this type of situation, never thinking I would be in this situation, but for it to happen to me and having those tough conversations, having to talk to so many people to be able to play football was tough for me," Olave said.
He added: "I'm a huge competitor, so I sat this year out just to be able to protect myself long term. I got a family and I want to be there for a long time, so just trying to protect myself. I feel like just playing football is something that brings me joy and I'm a huge competitor, so I just want to go out there and compete and have fun."