[jwplayer yY808HIT-ThvAeFxT]

How can the New Orleans Saints improve after another disappointing playoffs exit? They don’t have much to work with on paper as far as draft picks and salary cap accounting is concerned, but that’s typical for the Saints. Their goal every year is to maximize their resources and leave no stones unturned in search of upgrades. So expect New Orleans to again get creative during the long NFL offseason.

Trading some of those picks for players is one option they could explore. While the Saints got great production out of their first two selections in last year’s draft (Erik McCoy started every game at center, while C.J. Gardner-Johnson averaged 34 snaps per game at defensive back), every other rookie they drafted finished the year on injured reserve or on another team’s practice squad.

Swapping late-round picks for proven veterans on the outs with other teams — whether due to coaching staff upheaval or poor salary cap management — is one of the few big market inefficiencies in the NFL today, and the Saints should take advantage of it. It’s a tactic they’ve used in the past (and nearly did last year, before Robert Quinn made a poor decision to pick the Dallas Cowboys instead) and they’re set up well to do it again.

With that in mind, here are four trade candidates the Saints should call in about in the weeks ahead:

LB Christian Kirksey, Cleveland Browns

The Minnesota Vikings lost conservative play-caller Kevin Stefanski to the Browns, and he’ll be Cleveland’s new head coach. That means changes are on the way, and Stefanski doing some housecleaning could mean Kirksey gets offloaded. He’s played well for the Browns, earning a leadership role as team captain, but ended each of the last two years on injured reserve. If healthy, he could help the Saints replace two of their three projected starting linebackers, Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso, who are both recovering from season-ending injuries.

The trade: Saints acquire Kirksey in exchange for their 2020 fifth-round pick.

TE David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

This would be more of a long-term move than an instant upgrade, but the Saints should really consider it. Jared Cook is entering the final leg of his two-year contract and projects to be one of the team’s biggest playmakers in 2020, while backup tight end Josh Hill remains an integral blocker. Njoku was in Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse last year for unclear reasons, and there’s no telling whether Stefanski will have the patience to let Njoku learn another new system and develop. The Saints could bring him in as an heir-apparent to replace Cook after the 2020 season.

The trade: Saints acquire Njoku in exchange for their 2021 second-round pick and their 2020 sixth-round pick.

LG Lane Taylor, Green Bay Packers

Nick Easton is projected to start at left guard for New Orleans next season (two-time Pro Bowler Andrus Peat is headed for free agency), but Taylor would be a clear upgrade if the Saints can land him. While he was cut down by an injury just two games into the 2019 season, Taylor did start 45 games in the previous three years. The Packers have an obvious in-house replacement for him in second-year pro Elgton Jenkins, and could clear salary space by trading Taylor away. If the Saints acquired Taylor (counting a little over $4.6 million against the cap) and released Easton (freeing up about $3.8 million), it would result in a net cost of roughly $780,000.

The trade: Saints acquire Taylor in exchange for their 2020 fifth-round pick.

WR Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are one of two teams currently in the red for 2020 salary cap space, and Diggs is a logical trade candidate. The offense’s run-first approach makes him a bit redundant next to Adam Thielen as two highly-paid wideouts, and Diggs’ frustration with the coaching staff was evident last year. With Gary Kubiak taking on a larger role in conducting the Vikings offense (which means even more reliance on the running game), it’s possible Diggs lands somewhere else in 2020. And as a 26-year-old in the middle of a $72 million contract, he won’t come cheaply. Would he be a better addition for the Saints (at that cost) than a rookie first-round draft pick?

The trade: Saints acquire Diggs in exchange for their 2020 first-round pick.

[vertical-gallery id=28101]