It’s been a hectic offseason for the New Orleans Saints.
Sadly, they’ve been forced to part ways with several impactful veterans. The likes of Emmanuel Sanders, Kwon Alexander, and Janoris Jenkins were all released, and those three will create sizable holes that will be difficult to fill.
The New Orleans Saints are typically active during the draft. 2021 should be no different, and here is who could be on the hot seat.
Thankfully, the Saints have the draft to make amends for the gutting of their roster. Over the last few seasons, the Saints have drafted well, but they’ve done more than just that. The Saints have also made big-time trades.
In 2018, they traded up in the first round to draft Marcus Davenport with a top-20 pick.
This past season, they traded up to gain a second third-round pick. Both Adam Trautman and Zack Baun were taken in the third round. They also traded back into the trade to snag quarterback Tommy Stevens.
While most of these transactions are picks for picks, the Saints could easily be looking to deal a few players this time around. That said, let’s dive into four players we could see the team trading on draft night.
Saints trade candidate: Marcus Davenport
The New Orleans Saints have given Marcus Davenport ample opportunities to succeed. He just hasn’t been able to turn into that dominant rusher that the Saints were hoping he could be when taking him 14th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Davenport has also struggled with injury, one reason Trey Hendrickson was able to leap him in the depth chart and create a name for himself. Hendrickson went on to post 13.5 sacks, tied for the league’s second-most.
While his value on the market may be relatively unknown, Davenport could draw a Day 2 pick. I’d at least hope that Davenport would be worth that as the 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive end does still have the physical attributes.
He had six sacks in 13 games in 2019. There’s potential for him to put it all together and stay healthy. It’s looking like he’ll again be a starter for New Orleans in 2021, yet another chance he’ll have to prove himself before his contract is up.
If he’s dealt, with Carl Granderson behind him, it wouldn’t be the most shocking thing.
Saints trade candidate: Ryan Ramczyk
Ok. We get it. This one might be a bit crazy, but the Saints salary cap issues are not going away anytime soon.
While Ryan Ramczyk is among the best tackles in the NFL, there’s no denying he’s also one of the most valuable players on the Saints roster. His value on the open market would be something worth considering.
More from Who Dat Dish
- Saints weapon Taysom Hill might have another new role in 2022
- Are the Saints playoff contenders or pretenders in 2022?
- 3 takeaways from Saints unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason opener
- Saints 2022 Training Camp: Top 5 takeaways from Day 13
- 3 things to know about new Saints QB K.J. Costello
Ram was a first-round pick back in the 2017 NFL Draft and will be a free agent at the end of the season. The All-Pro tackle has missed just one game in his four seasons with New Orleans. For starters, that’s just insane.
We’ve recently seen a top-tier tackle dealt as well. While it was a colossal failure on the Texans’ part, the end trade for Laremy Tunsil looks something like this.
"“So, boiling it down, you could say that — excluding the other players and later-round picks — the Dolphins essentially traded Tunsil for a 2020 first-round pick, the sixth overall pick in 2021, a second-round pick in 2021, a third-round pick in 2022, and a first-round pick in 2023,” Sports Illustrated’s Alain Poupart wrote."
It was much more involved than just that, but if the Saints could get just multiple picks in the first couple of rounds, they could replenish their tackle position while also filling big-time needs at linebacker and cornerback.
No one would want to lose Ram, but the long-term outlook could make sense.
Saints trade candidate: Deonte Harris
Oh? You thought you’d be mad if they traded Ramczyk. Well, what about All-Pro returner Deonte Harris? No, the point of this article isn’t to get your blood boiling. With Harris looking at a larger role as a receiving, the third-year pro wouldn’t likely be dealt.
But, one of the top targets for the Saints in the upcoming draft is Purdue’s Rondale Moore.
Moore currently has the 2021 NFL Draft’s second-best 40-yard dash time. He’s being mocked as a late-first or early-second round pick by most analysts. Moore neared almost 1,300 receiving yards as a freshman.
If he’s the team’s first-round pick, the Saints may not need Harris as a returner or receiver. Undrafted as a rookie and signing with the Saints, Harris turned his opportunity into an All-Pro appearance.
He’s a stud as a returner, but again, there’s no going to be value in low-profile players. Harris could attract a crowd if he’s on the market, and with a player like Moore there, the Saints could add a quality returner to fill in for Harris while also adding a top-tier cornerback.
It wouldn’t be the popular move, but it feels like it’d make sense depending on what value Harris has on the trade market.
Saints trade candidate: Malcolm Jenkins
Last up on our list is Malcolm Jenkins.
Jenkins has been an ironman of a safety throughout his career, but the Saints overpaid for him last offseason.
He does have an out in his contract they could utilize after this season. Even if he’s cut after this season, Jenkins would still carry $10 million worth of dead cap into the next couple of seasons. That’s brutal.
But, by the time his contract is up, he’ll be 36 years old. It would make sense to bring in a younger player like TCU’s Trevon Moehrig.
Now, doing something like this would certainly be interesting as Jenkins’s value on the trade market probably isn’t what the Saints would want in return for a player that’s played every game in the past seven seasons at a high level.
Jenkins totaled 3 interceptions and 91 tackles last season. He also had 2.5 sacks. At 33, it was a successful season for Jenkins, and there’s hope he can continue that level of play this coming season as well.
It would make sense for him to be traded though as the Saints look towards a youth movement in 2021.