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The New Orleans Saints are usually active in the trading market, but most of their business is held during the annual NFL Draft. But they rarely execute deals near the league trade deadline; most notably acquiring cornerback Eli Apple in 2018.
But it’s possible they could be sellers rather than buyers this year. It isn’t likely considering how important it is to keep all hands on deck and rally towards a Super Bowl push in the final days of Drew Brees’ career, but it’s possible. One possible name who could be moved comes from Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report, who suggested third-year defensive end Marcus Davenport (no relation). Here’s some of what he wrote to flesh out the idea:
“There’s no way the team would consider trading impending free-agent edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has been the team’s best pass-rusher this year. Given how badly the team is playing the pass, general manager Mickey Loomis might want to fire half the cornerback room, but the Saints can’t afford to do so. However, maybe they should consider trading another edge-rusher.
The trade up in 2018 that brought Marcus Davenport to New Orleans was a mistake, plain and simple. He has missed time in all three seasons he’s been in the pros and has just 10.5 sacks in 27 career games. That said, given Davenport’s youth (24) and athleticism, there will be teams willing to gamble that he’s just a late-bloomer.”
Trading Davenport at this point in the season doesn’t make any sense. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill went in depth on how important Davenport’s return was to the team’s pass rush success against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, and while we need a larger sample size before making any forecasts it’s clear that he’s someone teams expect to plan for.
And the Saints didn’t wait patiently for Davenport to recover from his training camp elbow injury (and subsequent toe issue in a midweek practice session) just to trade him once he’s back in action and helping them win football games. The better move is to let him finish out the year and reevaluate things in the spring before making a decision on his fifth-year contract option.
However, there are some names on Bleacher Report’s survey from around the league that could interest the Saints as buyers. Carolina Panthers receiver Curtis Samuel, Dallas Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup, Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons, and Chargers defensive back Desmond King could all juice up thinner areas of the depth chart. New Orleans went all-in on Jadeveon Clowney as a potential upgrade in free agency, so it shouldn’t shock anyone if they try and make a bold move at the Nov. 3 trade deadline.
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