The New Orleans Saints will be actively engaged in the quarterback market this offseason. After organizing much of their coaching staff, (the strength and conditioning coach position currently remains open) the front office will shift its focus to what head coach Dennis Allen called the “most important decision” the team will make. Without a doubt, the Saints will turn every stone, conventional and unconventional, to land their next signal caller. An interesting scenario could play out that sends embattled Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to New Orleans.
New Orleans presently has three quarterbacks on their roster. Taysom Hill has his new “hybrid deal” which includes incentives and escalators if he performs well as a passer for the team. Second-year quarterback Ian Book says that he plans to compete for the starting job and veteran Blake Bortles was signed late in the 2021 season. The former Jaguars starter is on a reserve/future deal guaranteeing him only a spot in training camp.
However, the Saints are likely to pursue another starting option this offseason. The deal that seems most likely, and most beneficial, is re-signing Jameis Winston. New Orleans won five games in the former No. 1 overall draft selection’s seven starts, one of which closed out by Trevor Siemian who is set to become a free agent this offseason. Winston, who has been consistently questioned for his decision-making and high turnover volume, produced a 14-to-3 touchdowns-to-interception ratio. He generated the lowest interception rate of his career in the Saints’ system as well.
New Orleans should continue to explore other options as well, including Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson trade rumors are swirling for the second offseason in a row, and the Saints have been consistently tied as a team of interest ever since Wilson’s agent tabbed them as a team he’d want to play for. But do Mickey Loomis and the Saints have enough capital to pry Wilson away from the Pacific Northwest?
“They’re not going to be trading him away for just a couple of first round picks,” said Corbin Smith of the Locked On Seahawks Podcast. “They need to have a proven quarterback back in return.”
Trading a proven quarterback for a proven quarterback feels counter-intuitive. But when you get a passer like Russell Wilson in return, there may be some intrigue. Building the assets for a trade meeting these criteria would require some interesting maneuvering for the Saints. New Orleans may not have a proven quarterback they could move right now. But they could.
A few years ago, the Saints almost executed an NBA-style sign-and-trade deal with the Cleveland Browns to acquire pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Unfortunately, the NFL put a stop to it as the deal included the Browns accepting additional trade compensation for picking up $10 million of the new contract. They didn’t want to set a precedent for teams effectively selling draft picks for cap space.
This begs the question; could the Saints make this type of deal work if there was no impermissible fiscal exchange?
If New Orleans were to sign Jameis Winston to a new deal that would decommission his void years and fully transfer to the Seahawks as a part of the compensation sent to return Russell Wilson to the Big Easy, would the NFL allow the deal to go through? Our own Maddy Hudak once explored the possibility. The logistics seem to work out per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement if the financial exchange was deemed appropriate by the league office.
Even if this were possible, there would be other roadblocks. With the departure of Sean Payton, for instance, would Wilson be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a move to New Orleans? Why not march ahead with Jameis Winston? Is the front office willing to restructure Wilson’s contract so future years take the brunt of the salary cap hit, making them more competitive in the short term? How many draft picks (likely first and second rounders) would New Orleans have to give up to make Seattle happy?
A lot of questions would need to be answered before this move would even so much as be offered. But rest assured, if the possibility and interest are there this offseason, the crafty New Orleans Saints would explore every option available. The idea of swapping one starting quarterback for an upgrade, paying up with some nice draft picks to get a deal done, is awful appealing.
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