Tag: speculation

Is now the right time for the Saints to sign Odell Beckham Jr.?

Odell Beckham Jr. has flirted with the Saints before, saying they were the right team at the wrong time. Now that he’s been waived again, should they bring him in?

Odell Beckham Jr. has flirted with the New Orleans Saints before, saying they were the right team at the wrong time for him. Now that he’s being waived by the Miami Dolphins, should his hometown team bring him in?

It’s tough to see them meeting his criteria. Beckham wants a larger role than he’s had on the Dolphins (12 targets and 9 catches for 55 yards across 9 games), which the Saints could offer him given all their injuries at the position. But if he wants to join a playoff contender, that’s not where New Orleans stands at 5-8. Teams he’s played for in the past like the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens are both in the thick of the playoff race and those reunions might be more appealing.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Beckham is going on waivers like every other veteran this time of the year. That means he won’t have his choice of teams as a free agent unless he clears the waiver wire. A team that claims him (like the Saints) would be on the hook for about $200,000 for the final four games which easily fits under the salary cap. He isn’t really in a position to protest a landing spot given his low numbers this year, especially if the reason he sought a release from Miami was more targets on another team.

Let’s keep it real: Beckham isn’t the same player he once was. He’s 32 and hasn’t averaged even 50 yards per game since 2019. But the Saints need more help at receiver and it doesn’t seem like Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed are coming back any time soon. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has had success since joining the Saints (he currently leads the team with four touchdown catches this season, in just five games), so maybe Beckham could see a resurgence, too. You just have to wonder what his other goals are and whether he has any interest ending the year on a team dealing with instability at quarterback.

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B/R bolsters Saints receiving corps with this hypothetical

If you could bring back one retired Saints player, who would it be? Bleacher Report says they’d add Marques Colston to the receiving corps:

Bleacher Report went through an interesting hypothetical scenario recently. They chose one retired player from the last 25 years of each team’s history to add to the current roster.

For the New Orleans Saints, the staff went with wide receiver Marques Colston. It was a surprising but, not unfounded, choice. The obvious selection would have been Drew Brees. Trading Derek Carr in for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time seemed like a no-brainer.

In addition to Colston, Jahri Evans and Jabari Greer are also good choices. New Orleans needs help in a lot of areas, but what made Colston the pick. With Chris Olave out with his second concussion of the year, it would be good to see Colston dropped into today’s offense headed up by Derek Carr. With Ryan Ramczyk and Michael Thomas not officially retired, Colston is the best offensive player that fit the parameters who could help.

The Saints wide receiver room has been devastated by injuries. There’s no Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed. The receiving corps is being led by Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Marques Colston would give the Saints a true number one receiver. Even if Olave does come back from his concussion, Colston still gives New Orleans a bigger middle of the field target. Regardless of who’s in the lineup, Colston would have been a great addition to this team for their last five games. He would have been a great addition back in Week 1.

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How realistic is a blockbuster LB trade between AFC North rivals?

With the rumored departure of Cleveland’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, would the team trade their star player to Pittsburgh for the right price?

There is no love lost in the bitter rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. While trades within the same division are rare, these AFC North rivals have made deals before. Notable trades occurred in 1968, 1973, 1984, 1993, and most recently in 2017, when WR Sammie Coates and a 2019 seventh-round pick were sent to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns’ 2018 sixth-round pick.

One recent and exciting revelation swirling around the trade deadline rumor mill is that the Cleveland Browns have been receiving trade calls for their star LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. While the Steelers have other pressing needs on the roster, LB Patrick Queen’s performance has been inconsistent, to say the least.

Owusu-Koramoah is currently ranked 3rd out of 154 eligible linebackers against the run, per PFF. Even if the Browns were to entertain sending their linebacker to the Steel City, how much draft capital would the Steelers send back to their rivals?

The Cleveland Browns’ linebacker would make an already great Steelers’ defense even more spectacular. This likely speaks volumes to how unlikely this trade speculation is; however, unlikely circumstances, such as Cleveland’s urgency to sell at the November 5th trade deadline, could allow certain rarities to take place.

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Steelers’ DT responds to trade rumors

It is safe to say that Steelers’ All-Pro DT Cameron Heyward isn’t a fan of the recent speculation and trade rumors surrounding Pittsburgh.

While fans around the NFL enjoy the rumors and speculation surrounding the approaching trade deadline, it’s safe to say one Steelers player isn’t a fan. Pittsburgh’s three-time First Team All-Pro DT, Cam Heyward, wants fans to focus on the players in the Steelers’ locker room rather than waste energy predicting who will go where. 

In last week’s episode of his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, the defensive tackle shared his frustration with the ongoing trade speculations: “Every week, it’s ‘Who are we getting this week? Who are we getting this week?’” He added that the team “can’t keep worrying about shoulda, woulda, coulda.” Heyward’s powerful statements reflects his confidence in his teammates and what this roster is capable of achieving. 

He does make a valid point, as three major trade rumors involving the Steelers have come and gone without any new receivers to show for it. Should fans place more trust in the current Pittsburgh receiver room moving forward, instead of holding onto hope for another playmaker to be added by the trade deadline?

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Opinion: If the Saints will make a coaching change, now is the time

If the Saints are going to fire Dennis Allen and make a change in-season, now is the time to do it. The post-Thursday game break is an opportunity they can’t squander:

The New Orleans Saints dug their way to new depths in Thursday night’s lopsided 33-10 loss to Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos. They lost their fifth game in a row, their second loss by 20-plus points in just five days, and head coach Dennis Allen’s defense was criticized for quitting on him. It couldn’t be more obvious that now is the time to make a change.

Even with all the injuries and adversity, the buck stops with Allen, and his 18-23 record as their head coach speaks for itself. Taken with his Raiders  tenure, Allen’s 26-51 record all-but shouts. If the Saints are going to dismiss their head coach and name an interim to replace him during the season, the time to do it has arrived. They’re 2-5 after Week 7 for the second time in three years. Last year they peaked at 3-4.

Look at the schedule. The Saints will get a few days of extra rest before preparing for a road game with the 3-2 Los Angeles Chargers. After that they’ll return home and get ready for another away game, this time visiting the 1-5 Carolina Panthers. Then they get two home games with the 4-2 Atlanta Falcons and 1-5 Cleveland Browns before their real bye week. The NFL trade deadline slots in-between those Panthers and Falcons games, too.

Timing is everything in the NFL, and this is an opportunity they can’t squander. With ten days stretching between this blowout loss to the Broncos and an away game with the Chargers, it’s one of the best chances a new voice could have to resonate in the locker room. Whether that’s special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi or someone else on staff, an interim head coach would have time on their side to make meaningful changes and set a new tone.

But will the Saints take action? Tom Benson never fired a head coach in-season and there’s little to suggest Gayle Benson would sign off on it. General manager Mickey Loomis pinned his reputation to Allen when he chose to promote him to head coach and you have to wonder if he would willingly go down with that ship. Change feels inevitable for the Saints after this disastrous turn to the season. The only question should be when it happens,  and there’s no better time than right now.

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Report: Saints have made the most aggressive pursuit of 6-time Pro Bowl WR

The Saints are known for swinging big under Mickey Loomis. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports they’ve been the most aggressive suitors for Davante Adams:

The New Orleans Saints have been known for swinging big under general manager Mickey Loomis, and we aren’t too far removed from trade deadline pickups like Kwon Alexander and Eli Apple. They just might work the phones again before the NFL’s trade deadline on Nov. 5.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports they’ve been the most aggressive suitors for Davante Adams. There’s an eagerness to reunite the six-time Pro Bowler with his former quarterback Derek Carr. More from Rapoport:

Adams, sources say, views the New York Jets and his old friend Aaron Rodgers, as his top choice for a landing spot. That’s where he wants to play. But it’s been the New Orleans Saints who have been the most aggressive, while other teams, including the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, have closely monitored the situation and stayed in touch. The Jets remain very much in the mix, as well.

With Adams’ hamstring close to being healthy, trade talks are expected to accelerate Monday and Tuesday. If a trade is going to get done this week, which is possible, Tuesday would be the deadline.

If the Raiders don’t get their price, they are content to wait it out, sources say.

This lines up with another report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who said: “The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints are considered the two favorites to land Adams, but they are hardly the only teams interested in the three-time All Pro. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens also are monitoring Adams situation and could get into the mix, according to sources.”

The Raiders have made it known they want at least a second-round draft pick in return for Adams, but they may have to agree to pay some of his 2024 salary to get it, and that’s something Rapoport says they’re hesitant to do. Ultimately it’s going to come down to who makes the best offer. If the Jets aren’t willing to pay a second rounder but the Saints are, in exchange for the Raiders paying part of Adams’ salary, that could make the difference.

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Saints’ surprise roster cut could may suggest a big pickup is on the way

The Saints just opened a spot in the receiving corps and made the No. 17 jersey available. Could it pave the way to a Davante Adams trade?

The New Orleans Saints stunned their fanbase by making the decision to  waive wide receiver A.T. Perry on Friday, but many fans’ firs thoughts turned to another wideout after the shock wore off: Davante Adams. The six-time Pro Bowler has requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, who this week began exploring their options.

Reports have had  the Saints near the top of Adams’ wishlist of destinations, and they could use more help at the position given their reliance on  youngsters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. There really isn’t a veteran presence at wide receiver in New Orleans, and Adams could add a lot to the offense given his strong resume and past experience with Derek Carr.

But while it’s fun to speculate about Perry’s departure paving the way to an Adams trade, that feels more like wishful thinking than real dot-connecting. It’s not like Perry was taking up a ton of salary cap space, and if anything the Raiders may have liked to have him thrown in to the package of assets they would be getting back for Adams.

So maybe don’t rush to any conclusions based off this roster move. Perry could sign with the practiice squad after clearing waivers and the Saints needed to open a roster spot for running back Kendre Miller if he’s coming off injured reserve this week.

Still, it’s a curiously-timed roster move. And Adams would be able to pick up his favored No. 17 jersey if he does move to New Orleans. Stay tuned.

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Former Saints QB says to watch them on Davante Adams: ‘They think they are close’

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Chase Daniel warns against ruling them out on Davante Adams: ‘They think they are close’

Don’t tell the New Orleans Saints they can’t win a Super Bowl this year. That’s the advice Chase Daniel shared with his FOX Sports 1 coworker Emmanuel Acho. Daniel has done well for himself after parlaying a career as a backup quarterback into a turn in the media, and he still has several old teammates and coaches in the building in New Orleans. He knows how Dennis Allen and his squad think.

So when Acho downplayed the Saints as a possible trade destination for Las Vegas Raiders wideout Davante Adams, Daniel pushed back.

“The Saints, they think they’re a contender,” Daniel refuted. “The Saints internally think they’re contenders.”

It doesn’t help Acho’s argument that Adams put the Saints and New York Jets at the top of his list of trade destinations, owing to his past experience with  Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers. Daniel pointed to Carr’s positive relationship with Allen as another point in his favor.

So where will Adams end up? He’s being held out of Raiders practice with a hamstring injury described as a week-to-week condition, which sounds like the kind of convenient ailment that should clear up with a change of scenery. It wouldn’t be easy, but the Saints do have the resources to acquire Adams, and Allen’s recent comments about the shortcomings of his receiving corps suggests he’d welcome the help. Maybe Daniel is on to something here.

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Saints front office executive reveals what he’d trade for Davante Adams

The Raiders are reportedly open to trading Davante Adams. Before he joined the Saints front office this year, Randy Mueller shared his take on Adams’ trade value:

We’re a month out from the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5, and trade speculation is already gathering around Davante Adams. The Las Vegas Raiders are rudderless without a quarterback are open to trading the star wideout so they can load up for next year’s draft. The New Orleans Saints are a possible fit, and there’s at least one voice in their front office who sees some value in the six-time Pro Bowler.

Randy Mueller began working with the team this spring as they prepared for the 2024 draft, and he was formally hired to a role in the pro personnel department in August. He was seen palling around with Mickey Loomis and Khai Hartley on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium sideline during Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. He’s one of three former NFL general managers working under Loomis, along with Jeff Ireland and Dave Ziegler, who traded for Adams when he was running the Raiders.

And what would Mueller trade for Adams? He shared his take earlier this year with Paul “Boy Green” Esden’s YouTube show.

“If I were looking to fill a need at receiver, I would probably offer them less than people would think,” Mueller said. “I would think it would be a second-round pick that maybe could go to a first if he meets some thresholds along the way. So it would be a conditional-type, stair-stepping of the compensation. 31 years old, is what it is.”

Adams will be 32 in a few months, but Mueller’s point stands. He isn’t going to be valued to the same degree he was when Ziegler’s Raiders sent a package of first- and second-round picks to the Green Bay Packers. But they are a rebuilding team without a quarterback, so they could use the ammo. And we’ve already gone over the math involved, which may push the Saints to up the ante to facilitate a deal. Still, if Mueller’s logic is sound, there could be a ceiling to what the Raiders can demand.

“I don’t think you can get a first round pick for Davante Adams at this point, I really don’t,” Mueller added.

Will Adams get traded? Will he go to New Orleans? Wilder things have happened, but this doesn’t look like a situation that will get resolved any time soon.

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If Saints are serious about getting more firepower, trade for Davante Adams

Trade rumors are swirling around Davante Adams. He wouldn’t be easy to acquire, but if the Saints are serious, they should make a run at reuniting him with Derek Carr:

Dennis Allen has already publicly challenged his backups to do more to fire up the New Orleans Saints offense. But if he’s serious about wanting more firepower, it would be worth looking into all of these trade rumors surrounding Las Vegas Raiders star wideout Davante Adams. His history with Derek Carr on the Raiders and in college at Fresno state speaks for itself.

On Tuesday, Vinny Bonsignore reported for the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the Raiders “are growing open to the idea of trading Davante Adams. The source said the club has begun reaching out to teams to gauge interest in the veteran wide receiver.”

This followed comments from Adams himself, speaking with Kay Adams’ “Up and Adams” show, where his response to trade speculation was that he was focusing on the things within his control. He added that he hadn’t heard a word about his future with the Raiders from head coach Antonio Pierce, who had fueled speculation about a potential trade on social media.

But what could it cost? Before we even look at the trade compensation we’ve got to tackle the salary cap perspective. Any team trading for Adams right now would have to come up with $13.5 million for his remaining salary in 2024. If they wait until the Nov. 5 trade deadline, the acquiring team only pays $8.6 million. That’s after the Saints would play their next five games. Could they wait that long?

They might not have a choice. New Orleans is under the salary cap by just $2.7 million right now, so unless a player is going back their options are really limited. Trading more-valuable draft picks to Las Vegas could get the Raiders to pay part of Adams’ salary would be an option. Their easiest lever to pull would be restructuring Alvin Kamara’s contract, saving up to $8.1 million, but he’s tabled contract extension talks until the spring, so you have to wonder how willing the Saints would be to go that route.

Let’s say they get that done. As for the trade compensation? It would probably have to be at least a future first-round pick, and the Saints have gotten burned by trading those recently (just look at the disastrous Trevor Penning trade in 2022). Adams ranks third in career touchdowns scored (96) among active players. He’s built a career that’s given him a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.

Getting him won’t be easy, but it might save the Saints’ season. Adams would give them a physical presence at wide receiver they currently lack. Neither Chris Olave nor Rashid Shaheed, talented as they are, play above the rim and fight for contested catches as effectively as Adams does. He’s a rare tone-setter at the position, and the Saints know him well. Beyond Carr he’s got his former college receivers coach Keith Williams on staff in New Orleans. There could be both interest from the Saints and appeal to Adams here. Stay tuned.

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