Bleacher Report predicts the Saints will blow it up midseason

Bleacher Report’s bold prediction for the Saints? They’ll blow up the team and be big sellers at the November trade deadline:

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon has low expectations for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. While he doesn’t specify exactly what he thinks will happen, Gagnon expressed his belief the Saints will blow it up near the trade deadline.

The idea of New Orleans blowing it up and going full rebuild isn’t new, but Gagnon believes this is the year it finally happens. He isn’t even waiting until the offseason. He recently wrote four bold predictions for the trade deadline, and pointed to the Saints as a team that could go into the tank at midseason:

If they’re out of the picture by the end of October, I’d expect Mickey Loomis and Co. to make guys like Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Cameron Jordan, Ryan Ramczyk and Marshon Lattimore available.

From there, they’d tank for a high pick for the first time in decades as they finally accept that this window has to close.

The trade deadline is Nov. 5, so that would mean the writing would have to be on the wall for the Saints by Week 9. The Saints being in a bad division makes the idea of a midseason blow up unlikely. Players like Carr having no-trade clauses written into their contracts make it less likely they’d be moved even if the team is bad and losing games.

However, the Saints play the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs early this season. A petty Sean Payton returns to town, and they have a road game against Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. Those are all the out of division games before the trade deadline. The schedule is set up for a rocky start. It wouldn’t be surprising if the writing is on the wall by that time, but blowing it up mid-year doesn’t feel like the Saints’ style.

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Schefter: Kirk Cousins expected to remain in Minnesota for 2023 season

Kirk Cousins will remain with the Vikings barring any “unforeseen circumstances”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to stay with the team for the rest of the 2023 season.

There have been discussions in the media about the Vikings potentially trading him to the New York Jets or another franchise. With the Vikings starting 1-4 and his time in Minnesota likely over after the season, a deal makes sense.

Schefter’s phrasing of the tweet was interesting.

Vikings’ QB Kirk Cousins is expected to remain in Minnesota this season and will not look to waive the no-trade clause in his contract — short of changing unforeseen circumstances.

The line “short of changing unforeseen circumstances” says a lot. The rough translation is “we don’t expect to be 1-7, but if we are, we might be willing to listen.”

Unless something crazy happens, don’t expect the Vikings to be willing to move Cousins or for him to waive his all-important no-trade clause.

For better or worse, Cousins will (likely) be the starting quarterback the rest of the season.

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