Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
Following an active trade deadline day for the New Orleans Saints, the team’s wide receiver group is set to see a bulk of snaps open up. New Orleans traded wideout Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a pair of mid-round 2026 draft picks.
Shaheed, through the first nine games of the season, took the field for 74 percent of the offensive snaps. That wealth of opportunities can now go to other receivers like big-bodied target Devaughn Vele.
The former Denver Broncos pass-catcher was acquired via trade before the season began, but has not been a focal point in the gameplan just yet. He has received just 30 percent of offensive snaps so far in 2025, targeted only 10 times.
Head coach Kellen Moore said during his Wednesday press conference following the trade deadline that Vele, along with receivers Brandon Cooks and Mason Tipton, would each see their snap tick up with Shaheed having departed, but it’s Vele that most are intrigued to see.
Moore said Vele will “have a healthy role” and “be very involved” the rest of the season.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) November 5, 2025
Vele On His Opportunity
LouisianaSports.Net caught up with Vele on Friday before the team travels to take on the Carolina Panthers about the opportunity.
“We lost a big part of our offense with opportunities rising up,” Vele said. “Just got to make sure I get my mind right and make sure I make the most of those.”
When asked what he can bring to the offense, Vele didn’t focus on his 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame. He instead highlighted another area of his game that’s worked to define.
“Versatility,” he said. “I can play both outside and inside. Obviously, run blocking is another big thing. … I know the playbook well enough to where they can put me anywhere they need me to be and I can perform and do what they expect me to do.”
Vele’s comment on the playbook is an important one. When a new piece is acquired just before the season begins like he was, getting caught up on the scheme, philosophy and playbook are always a big part of the equation. Not only does he appear to have a good grasp on each of those factors, but also has the position flex necessary to impact from multiple areas of the offense.
Touchdown Vele pic.twitter.com/a8MufS9btH
— Saints Film Room (@SaintsFilmRoom) September 14, 2025
Not A Limited Threat
Wide receivers coach Keith Williams put a focus on another area of the game in which Vele has excelled.
“He’s more of a fluid mover than I thought he was,” Williams said. So it allows me to coach and expect him to be able to run every route on a route tree. When some guys are not 100% fluid movers, there’s only certain routes that they can excel in. Because they just, athletically, can’t move the way they need to to be elite in every single break, every single movement that it takes, to run every route on a route tree. He, at his height, is able to run every route on a route tree.”
That didn’t come naturally to Vele. It was something that he worked on himself in order to avoid becoming a one-trick receiver.
“With me being a lot bigger, I didn’t want to be so one-dimensional to where I can only run in-breaking routes or running deep posts,” he said. “I wanted to be able to get in and out of my breaks, run routes like some of these other guys can. Obviously, I’m not as quick as them, but I wanted to at least use my ability of working my releases and doing things like that, to where I could be more of a versatile receiver, rather than just being one-dimensional.”
The Wait Is Almost Over
Vele is expected to see his opportunities rocket with Shaheed now in Seattle. His focus on being more all-around than his size might indicate will be an important element to his potential success. Finally, the Saints will see what they received in their preseason trade that brought the 28-year-old wideout to the Big Easy.
His journey as a bigger part of the team’s identity begins Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
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