Saints may not have the tradable assets to bring in Deshaun Watson

The New Orleans Saints are one of the several teams that may be in the market for a quarterback as all eyes are on Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson.

As cap-strapped as the Saints are, there’s no denying Mickey Loomis will find a way to make this team better in the offseason. Unless he gets a few players to sign for significantly less than they’re worth, improving the roster will be easier said than done.

Trey Hendrickson, who was among the best defensive ends in the NFL last season and ended top ten in sacks, and Marcus Williams, one of the NFL’s most up-and-coming safeties, are both set to be free agents.

Along with those two, the Saints will likely hear Drew Brees call it a career after his three-interception game was partially why the Saints were sent home in the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs.

While those three will all impact the Saints offseason, the real concerns will be at quarterback, and with Jameis Winston hitting the open market as well, the team may opt to aim for Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson. 

But, the Saints may quite frankly not have the chips to trade for Watson. Yes, they have an elite roster, one of the best in the NFC. And, despite their top-tier players, they may not have the combination of picks and young players that Houston would want.

Think about it. Who are the Saints willing to trade? They won’t be trading Alvin Kamara or Michael Thomas. Players like Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead also feel untouchable. Then, you have players that seem like they could be dealt — Deonte Harris, Zack Baun, and Adam Trautman.

How many of those players would the Texans actually want or view as a critical piece of a rebuild?

When it comes to picks, the Saints, especially if they add Watson, should have a very low first-round pick for years to come. The Texans will likely want high-value picks they could get from Miami or New York, not late first-rounders.

While New Orleans should make a run for Watson, it’d be interesting if they have the pieces they’d be willing to trade to bring him in.