Tag: Deadline

Nobody is having more fun with NFL trade speculation than Alvin Kamara

Nobody is having more fun with NFL trade speculation and social media drama than Alvin Kamara:

Deadlines spur action in the NFL, but the annual trade deadline only seems to fuel silly season when it comes to rumormongering and speculation on social media. With the New Orleans Saints spiraling into a 2-5 start to the Dennis Allen era, it only makes sense that amateur clout-chasers are looking for material, and superstar running back Alvin Kamara might be their best asset if a Super Bowl contender like the Philadelphia Eagles comes calling. A hypothetical trade sending Kamara to Philly was a hot item of discussion on Thursday, even if there was no hard reporting backing it up. All it takes is one shady character with too many gullible followers to start a social media firestorm.

For his part, Kamara is more focused on stepping up as a vocal leader in his first year as a team captain than in the flimsy reporting being done on Twitter (which, unhelpfully, has sent more than a few Saints fans into a spiral). But he did take a moment Thursday evening to laugh at all the nonsense floating around on social media, sharing a quick gif from Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” music video of the late King of Pop enjoying fistfuls of popcorn at a movie. It says enough: entertaining as the debates raging on Twitter may be, they’re empty calories, just like popcorn. Don’t read too deeply into it.

Kamara later dismissed the “bad water” an Eagles fan advertised as green, presumably matching their jerseys and the proverbial grass on the other side of a fence, so he’s aware of the trade rumors. But he’s got bigger fish to fry. He has a team to lead and a game to win on Sunday with the Las Vegas Raiders coming to town. The trade deadline will pass by not long after, and hopefully all of this drama will be behind us. New Orleans isn’t far behind in the disturbingly incompetent NFC South title race, and Kamara figures to be a key force in their campaign to return to the playoffs.

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Podcast: Should Dennis Allen be one-and-done as Saints head coach?

Should Dennis Allen be one-and-done as Saints head coach? Should Andy Dalton really start over Jameis Winston? And will the Saints make a move at the trade deadline?

The latest episode of the Saints Wire Podcast is live, hosted weekly by Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG) with Saints Wire managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr). You can subscribe for new episodes released each week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your podcast service of choice.

This week we’re taking a hard look at the first leg of the season under Dennis Allen, and beginning to wonder if there’s some buyer’s remorse from the Saints after his ugly 2-5 start. We’re also talking quarterbacks after Andy Dalton was named the starter ahead of Jameis Winston, and looking at New Orleans’ options as we approach the NFL trade deadline.

Follow the Saints Wire Podcast:
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A Christian McCaffrey-sized trade for Alvin Kamara wouldn’t be worth it for the Saints

The NFL trade deadline is approaching, but even a Christian McCaffrey-sized return for Alvin Kamara wouldn’t be worth it for the Saints:

Vultures are circling the New Orleans Saints. Fans and speculators see their 2-5 record and daunting salary cap outlook, and the upcoming NFL trade deadline on Nov. 1 is all the reason they need to start imagining the Saints’ star talent suiting up for other teams as New Orleans enters a difficult rebuild.

But it just doesn’t make sense right now. The Saints could tear everything down to the foundations and still not accomplish anything: the midseason timing means they won’t save much against the salary cap, inquiring teams aren’t going to feel pressured to put their most valuable assets on the table, and their injury-plagued roster would only get worse in such a move.

So if a contender like the Buffalo Bills or, Heaven forbid, the Philadelphia Eagles came calling after star running back Alvin Kamara — offloading him wouldn’t be worth it. Not even if a Christian McCaffrey-sized trade package was offered. The San Francisco 49ers acquired McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for second-, third-, and fourth-round picks in 2023, and a fifth rounder in 2024. It made sense for Carolina to accept that after firing their head coach and waving the white flag on their quarterback situation.

That isn’t where the Saints are. They’re sticking with Andy Dalton under center, for now, having seen him double the offense’s scoring output (averaging 31 points per game but taking 4 sacks and creating 5 turnovers) without either of his top two receivers after taking over for Jameis Winston (who managed 17 points per game the first three weeks, taking 11 sacks and committing 8 turnovers). They’ve sustained so many injuries in the secondary, which was supposed to have been the strength of their team, that it’s reasonable to think they’ll improve quickly upon getting healthy. The team has circled the wagons around Dennis Allen, for good or bad.

There’s an argument towards trading Kamara if the right offer presents itself, sure, but it isn’t very compelling. Right now Kamara is stepping up as a team leader and calling for greater accountability — telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell that he and all of his teammates need to look out for each other all of the time, taking steps in practice to watch out for bad habits and work on erasing penalties. It’s the sort of thing Allen should be doing as head coach, but if Kamara is taking a more vocal approach to his role as team captain, well, bully for him.

That’s why Kamara is worth more to this team than a handful of draft picks a year or two away from now. He’s worth more than his stat line, too: 77 carries for 351 yards and 24 receptions for 191 yards is hardly impressing anyone, and there’s the danger of scouting the box score. Kamara is the kind of talent that forces defenses to plan for him and create opportunities for others. If opponents are putting their best linebackers and safeties in coverage against him and loading the box with seven or eight defenders when he’s in the backfield, that’s going to mean someone else is open or facing a better matchup.

And there’s the true story here. The Saints need to focus on building around Kamara, not entertaining other teams that want to trade for him at a discount. He’s a 27-year old star talent in the prime of his career. When looking for their next quarterback, whoever that is, showing an ability to maximize Kamara’s skills is a priority. Andy Dalton has done a better job of that (Kamara is averaging 6.3 receptions for 57.3 yards per game with him) than Jameis Winston has (Kamara has paced 3.4 receptions and 29.5 yards per game with Winston dating back to last season), but he still hasn’t approached the heights he reached with Drew Brees throwing to him. Kamara is New Orleans’ most-accomplished player on offense, and whoever is playing quarterback for the Saints must weaponize him. That helps explain why Dalton is the starter, not Winston, but it’s still a low bar. The Saints should be looking to raise it, not run away from it.

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6 trade targets for the Saints ahead of the NFL deadline

6 trade targets for the Saints ahead of the NFL deadline: A single move won’t right the ship, but it might plug a hole and help keep them afloat

We’re in a tight spot. A 2-5 start to the season is hardly what the New Orleans Saints anticipated, and now the NFL trade deadline is fast approaching. They’ve got decisions to make ahead of that Nov. 2 cutoff date, and they could end up cutting a deal with another team. We’ve seen the Saints make trades at the deadline before, acquiring players like linebacker Kwon Alexander (in 2020) and cornerback Eli Apple (in 2018) while moving others such as Adrian Peterson (in 2017), having made a run at wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (at the 2019 deadline, later signing him as a free agent in 2020). 

The point is the Saints were always active at the trade deadline under Sean Payton. Will that be the case with Dennis Allen calling the shots? Personally, I don’t think the Saints should be making many moves right now. Certainly not in the name of sending out future draft picks after they already depleted their resources. They aren’t one or two players away from fixing their biggest problems and kicking off a win streak. But if the right opportunity is there to improve the team at a reasonable expense, go for it.

If you’re curious, here are the draft picks available to New Orleans:

  • 2023: Rounds 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 (via Philadelphia Eagles), 7
  • 2024: Rounds 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6 (via Philadelphia Eagles)
  • 2025: Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The Houston Texans own New Orleans’ 2023 sixth round pick (for cornerback Bradley Roby) and their 2024 seventh rounder (for running back Mark Ingram II), while the Eagles control the Saints’ 2023 first round choice and 2024 second rounder (after their 2022 trade to get an extra first-round pick), with Philly also getting a 2025 fifth rounder (as part of the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade). There’s some moving parts involved, but the Saints do have enough draft capital to make another move or two (and enough salary cap space, too). Again, it isn’t what I would do, but the Saints can take action at the trade deadline if they’re determined enough.

It just won’t be a big move. Remember, the goal isn’t to fully right the ship with one bold move. You just want to plug holes where you can and stop the leaking. With that in mind, here are six players the Saints should call about:

Updated Saints salary cap space figure ahead of NFL trade deadline

NFL trade deadline: New Orleans Saints salary cap space update after latest moves

Hey, would you look at that: the New Orleans Saints don’t rank last in the NFL with available salary cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the team is under the cap by a little more than $3.6 million right now, clocking in at No. 20 around the league. It’s firmly within the NFL’s middle class a week out from the Nov. 2 trade deadline, which is a big improvement on where the Saints have stood before.

Now, it’s not to say that the Saints are going to make a big move ahead of that deadline. Their 2-5 record isn’t going to be improved by trading for just one or two players (unless for some reason Josh Allen and Aaron Donald are available). They do have enough draft capital to cut a deal, even without next year’s first round pick, but I wouldn’t bet on it. They could reinforce a weak position group by trading for a running back or a defensive tackle, maybe, but neither of those are blockbuster moves.

And it doesn’t feel like a fire sale is coming, either. The timing doesn’t work out in their favor. The Saints moved so much money around this offseason through restructures that they would only recoup minimal savings by trading everyone possible, resulting in weaker returns. It’s better to wait until the offseason to better evaluate everything and seek stronger compensation.

But if the Saints lose to the Las Vegas Raiders this week and fall into a 2-6 record, they should consider everything — up to and including what they might get in unloading franchise superstars like Alvin Kamara and frustrated talent like Michael Thomas. At some point, the hole gets too deep to climb out of, and all you can do is dig.

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Saints lack for trade candidates approaching NFL deadline

The Saints lack for trade candidates approaching the NFL deadline. Fans may be calling for a fire sale, but making premature moves would only hurt the team further:

Check any New Orleans Saints community online and you’ll find fans calling for wholesale changes to the black and gold. There are people upset in the Facebook comments, the Saints subreddit, super forums, message boards, and Twitter groups all around — and more than a few want the Saints to tear it all down and start over, trading whoever they can to get draft picks and, they think, much-needed salary cap relief.

But because the Saints have so many players playing on restructured contracts, most of their roster is already on the NFL minimum salary. That makes offloading them easier because an acquiring team is only on the hook for their remaining base salary (unless they agree to take on other payments during negotiations) but it also minimizes the salary cap savings New Orleans would recoup by moving players.

To illustrate that point, here are the most expensive remaining salaries on the books for 2022:

  • K Wil Lutz: $2,077,778
  • DT Shy Tuttle: $1,486,833
  • QB Andy Dalton: $1,210,000
  • RG Cesar Ruiz: $1,077,177

No other player would cost an acquiring team to pay more than $1 million in their base salary the rest of the season. But it’s more complicated than that. The new team would take on the rest of that contract and future payouts for base salary, roster bonuses, workout bonuses, and so on (though the Saints will still have any prorated bonuses counting against their own salary cap as dead money).

So while the Saints could theoretically trade, say, Michael Thomas to a new team (with his new squad paying him only $632,500 for 2022), that team would have to pay his $15.5 million base salary in 2023, and the Saints would still be counting more than $25 million against the cap due to previous restructures and his signing bonus. That could be negotiated down by consolidating various bonuses into salary and asking the new team to pay them instead, but the counterbalance to that kind of maneuver would be less-valuable trade compensation. The Saints would be approaching it from a position of weaker leverage. Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald laid out all of their 2023 options in greater detail, but the point is that the Saints aren’t in a position to kickstart the rebuild with many moves at the 2022 deadline.

All of this has been said to say that a fire sale isn’t coming for New Orleans — at least not a productive one. If the Saints do tear everything down to the foundation to start a rebuild, it won’t do much to improve their salary cap outlook nor their stockpile of draft assets. All it really accomplishes is further eroding their roster.

But maybe it gets to a point where changes are necessary. There could be a point of no return where you wave the white flag and just offload whoever you can for whatever you can get back. That feels unlikely with Mickey Loomis still on top of the orgchart as the NFL’s longest-tenured general manager. He and the Saints told everyone who would listen that this team was ready to compete, and that Allen was stepping into a perfect situation. Changes on the coaching staff feel more realistic than roster turnover. In the end, though, I think the Saints are going to ask for patience from fans and try to spin this all on injuries derailing their season early on. They’ll do what they can to keep their core together another year or two before making any big moves.

But, hey, maybe they get started now. If that’s the case, here are some trade candidates who could be on the move by the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline:

One player each NFL team could trade before the deadline, from Chase Claypool to Melvin Gordon

Ahead of the NFL trade deadline, here are some players who could be on the move, including Chase Claypool, Melvin Gordon and Elijah Moore:

The NFL’s trade deadline is fast approaching, and there have already been some players on the move. That includes the Carolina Panthers recently dealing running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers and receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.

There are a number of contending teams that could be looking to shore up an area of weakness as they aim to make a postseason run. Not to mention, there are a number of struggling teams looking to sell some big-name players to acquire additional draft capital.

Ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline, let’s look at some other players who might be on the move, with one from every NFL team, as assembled by our NFL Wires staff.

NFL trade rumors: Saints linked to two WR, one outgoing and one incoming

NFL trade rumors: Saints linked to two wide receivers, one outgoing and one incoming

We’re two weeks out from the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 1, and teams around the league are already beginning to make moves. It might be tough for the New Orleans Saints to get involved this time. They’re under the salary cap by a razor-thin margin, with little wriggle-room after restructuring many of their contracts before the season started. They’ve run out of ways to work around the cap and might have to sit pat while other teams try to improve.

Maybe. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggested two players could be on the move for New Orleans, both wide receivers — one of them incoming and another outgoing. New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton is someone who could be offloaded. Fowler wrote of the veteran backup:

“Darius Slayton is the obvious option. The Giants cut his salary to $965,000 after failing to trade him before the season, and he has some pedigree as a former 50-catch guy. The New Orleans Saints looked into his market in the past and could again.”

The Saints, of course, have stocked up heavily at the position since their conversations with New York at last year’s trade deadline: they invested a prime draft pick in Chris Olave, signed slot receiver Jarvis Landry in free agency, and guaranteed a lot of money to speedy returns specialist Rashid Shaheed coming out of college. They also got Michael Thomas back in the lineup before he went down with a turf toe injury. Still, Slayton is the kind of low-cost addition that could fit on New Orleans’ books, and he’s been playing a bit part in the Giants offense, so they may not have to give up much to acquire him.

What about the outgoing player? Fowler named Marquez Callaway as someone the Saints could part ways with for the right pace, writing:

“The New Orleans Saints‘ Marquez Callaway is another receiver to watch. He’s the odd man out behind Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas. He has a low salary, due $895,000 this year, with restricted free agency on the way.”

All of the injury issues the Saints have dealt with at receiver make it hard to believe they could let go of a quality backup like Callaway, but you never know. Maybe Thomas and Landry heal up soon and Callaway becomes expendable, especially if a team offers a nice draft pick. It’s unlikely the Saints could expect anything better than a fifth or sixth rounder in such a deal, and at that point it’s probably better to hold onto Callaway in case his services are needed again later this season. Still, it’s something to watch out for as the NFL trade deadline approaches.

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Where Saints stand in waiver wire priority at NFL roster cuts deadline

Where the Saints stand in waiver wire priority at the NFL roster cuts deadline:

Most of the focus at the NFL roster cuts deadline is on the players going out from their teams, but it’s just as important to consider who may be coming in — and which players could be returning to the practice squad, should they clear waivers. So where do the New Orleans Saints stand?

At this point in the NFL’s calendar the waiver priority is determined by the 2022 NFL draft order, set prior to any trades. So while the Saints made their first selection at No. 12, they won’t have the twelfth pick on the waiver wire — they got to No. 12 by trading up from No. 16, which they acquired after moving up from No. 18. So New Orleans is right in the middle of the pack. Seventeen other teams will have the opportunity to file a waiver claim for any players they like after the roster cuts deadline.

That’s less-than-ideal, but you’ve got to play with the hand you’re dealt. Expect the Saints to try and snag some players off of waivers, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting to see if they successfully land many of them. Unlike in fantasy football, teams can file as many waiver claims as they like, and they aren’t bumped to the end of the waiver order upon a successful claim, but any players they are awarded off of waivers must replace someone on the 53-man roster.

So what’s the deal with the practice squad? Players with fewer than six accrued seasons will be subject to waivers, and if they aren’t claimed they will be eligible to sign with any team’s practice squad. Many of the players the Saints will sign to their practice squad will come from their own roster cuts, but they always bring in two or three (or four or five) new faces. And it’s very common for them to churn that unit throughout the season to see who sticks. Veteran players who have met the accrued-seasons threshold may immediately sign with whoever they please, and teams are allowed to sign up to six veterans to the practice squad (with the other ten spots reserved for first- and second-year players).

There we go. Pay close attention to which players are let go by other teams around the league on Tuesday, but stay tuned to see who ends up where throughout the week. It’ll take some time for the Saints and all their rivals to sort things out.

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6 Saints trade candidates at NFL roster cuts deadline

Trade talks are heating up ahead of the final NFL roster cuts deadline, and the Saints could be sellers rather than buyers. Here are 6 names that may be in discussion:

One of the downsides to building a great team is that there isn’t room for everyone at roster cuts, meaning some good players will be left on the outside looking in. But it’s possible to find a silver lining here by trading players who would otherwise be released outright, bringing back some value where there otherwise would just be a loss. And the New Orleans Saints are looking like a team that could be sellers rather than buyers for once.

NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the team has been fielding trade calls for various players ahead of the Aug. 30 NFL roster cuts deadline, with other outfits around the league seeing opportunity to upgrade from New Orleans’ depth chart. The Saints are really strong in some areas, likely too strong to retain everyone they’d like to. With Underhill reporting other teams’ interest in “many positions” from the Saints’ roster, let’s speculate a little on which names could be at the center of these trade talks, looking at various depth charts and contract statuses: