What Saints players could yield in trade talks

By Ross Jackson

With the NFL’s trade deadline approaching on Nov. 4, there have been several New Orleans Saints names floated as potential trade targets. While New Orleans isn’t likely to be actively shopping its talent, taking phone calls is a logical thing to do for any rebuilding team that has just five, possibly six, picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Among the Saints that could be moved ahead of the deadline would be a trio of wide receivers and a few defensive pieces. Whether or not a move comes to fruition will be entirely dependent upon the return. For a player to be considered a tradeable asset, a few things will have to align.

The player must be talented, fill a void that teams are searching to cover, have an agreeable contract and must provide value to the acquiring team. With that, the Saints do have a few players that could draw interest from other clubs.

WR Chris Olave

This is likely the player that could net the Saints the most in return. He’s the team’s most talented young player on offense and plays a premiere position that teams are struggling to fill via the NFL Draft which has had a steep drop in wide receiver talent over recent years. 

Trading Olave would have to require a meaningful price tag, as the team believes strongly in him and would have to navigate the loss with patience.

A typical top-end wide receiver trade yields a second-round selection. The Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs, a fifth and sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for a second. The New York Giants sent wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round selection that conveys to a second if Adams is either an All-Pro or is active for the conference championship game and Super Bowl.

Getting a day two selection for Olave, who is still on his rookie contract might not be enough. He’s younger than both Diggs and Adams and has a very controllable contract ahead of him. But a day two selection and some pocket change could possibly be enough to start the conversation. 

Olave isn’t a player that’s easy to move based on his production and performance. But that production and performance is likely what makes him the team’s most promising trade asset.

WR Rashid Shaheed

The explosive wideout could be another player of interest for teams looking for help at a depleting position. The Pittsburgh Steelers have already reportedly shown some interest.

The valuation for Shaheed is a bit different than that of Olave. Shaheed is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Meaning that his market contract value in free agency would dictate what his trade price looks like. If the expectation is that Shaheed could earn enough to yield a comp pick, the projected round of that comp pick would set the trade market.

For instance, if the Saints would lose Shaheed to free agency and he landed a contract with another team large enough to put them in line to receive a fourth-round comp pick in 2027, getting anything better than a fifth-rounder in 2026 would be considered “of value.”

So if New Orleans expects the market value for Shaheed to potentially return a certain round in 2027 if lost to free agency, aiming for a round later in 2026 would make sense based on the valuation of his free agent price.

WR Brandin Cooks

Already tied for the most times traded in an NFL career, Cooks is another veteran often discussed in the Saints’ possible trade stock. The 32-year-old wideout is coming off of an injury-shortened 2024 season but has been healthy in 2025 so far. He’s not been often targeted in the Saints’ offense, and a move for the veteran could get him to a team where he can have more opportunities while opening up more shots for wide receiver Devaughn Vele, who the Saints spent a fourth-round pick to acquire, yet underutilize. 

Landing a day-three selection or pick swap based on Cooks’ age and already negotiated multi-year deal could be tempting.

LB Pete Werner

Inside linebackers don’t usually bring in a lot via trades. In 2023, linebacker Isaiah Simmons was moved for a 2024 seventh. Last year, linebacker Ernest Jones II was moved for a sixth-round to fifth-round pick swap, and ahead of the 2025 draft, Kenneth Murray was sent to the Dallas Cowboys, allowing the Tennessee Titans to advance a seventh-round selection to a sixth-rounder.

That is likely the kind of return that could be expected for Werner, if traded.

DE Carl Granderson

Perhaps the team’s most productive defensive player so far this season, Granderson is at a premiere position that numerous teams have struggled to address or at which teams are managing costly injuries. 

With 4.5 sacks through six games, Granderson could command a pretty penny on the market. A day two selection would be a big win in return. For comparison, Granderson’s teammate Chase Young was acquired by the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 for a 2024 third-round pick.

DE Cam Jordan and RB Alvin Kamara

Both of these players are on the latter parts of their careers which could lessen their trade value even though both are still extremely valuable and talented. Both have also expressed an interest to finish their careers with the Saints, which is likely to play into decision-making as faces of the franchise. Not that the NFL has proven to be a very sentimental league, meaning while they have expressed those desires, there may still be a price that could move the needle for New Orleans.

The conversation around trades shouldn’t center around whether or not a player “deserves” to be traded. Teams rarely move players as punishment. The focus for New Orleans has to be on getting the best return. That requires moving the best pieces. If the Saints feel that the return on a player is worth having to manage the loss, they should be open to pulling the trigger.