New Orleans Saints Took Interesting Approach at Trade Deadline

Before the NFL trade deadline, the New Orleans Saints were in a very interesting position, just like the rest of the NFC South. The entire division is in play for first place, so that would usually mean making a win-now move to become better than your rivals would make sense, but not for the NFC South. Each team has a mountain of issues that can not be fixed by a couple of moves, and it would be better to prioritize long-term success rather than leapfrogging the rest of the division for first place. 

So, nobody really knew if these teams would be sellers, buyers, or just stay put and do nothing. But now we know. 

In the end, the NFC South decided to be pretty uninvolved in the trade deadline. There were small moves, and each was focused on draft capital rather than winning now. 

Let’s focus back on the Saints. They were able to make one move: trading DT Davon Godchaux to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a future 6th-round pick that could turn into one in 2027. That pick could change if the Jaguars get a 2027 6th before the NFL Draft. 

This was an excellent move by the Saints. They traded a 7th-round pick for Godchaux, and eventhough it clearly didn’t work out on the field, New Orleans turned it into a 6th-round pick. With the pick being a year out, it does drop the value a little, but it was still a positive move by New Orleans. 

Now, to what didn’t happen. Like Gofchaux, the Saints had some veterans on their roster who were not playing up to expectations and would likely be valued around a late day-3 selection. Names like Justin Reid, Pete Werner, and Cesar Ruiz fit that category, but it seems like the deals never materialized. The Saints weren’t going to be outright sellers who were willing to move on from anyone, so they likely didn’t want to lose value on their players. It’s good that they got a deal done, but they did miss out on getting more draft capital. 

Now, with these players staying on the roster, the Saints have a clearer path to finishing first in the playoffs, which wouldn’t have happened if they'd sold everyone. Head coach Kellen Moore and General Manager Mickey Loomis are trying to prove to Owner Gayle Benson that they can lead this team to wins, so keeping some of the veterans is the first step toward that goal.