DK Metcalf is not a realistic target for NOLA Saints

The New Orleans Saints along with every other team in the NFL stand to benefit from the Seahawks’ recent franchise implosion, but trading for DK Metcalf is near impossible in 2022.

After Seattle traded away Russell Wilson and released Bobby Wagner, more Seahawks players may enter the open market as part of a major fire sale. At the time of this writing, neither DK Metcalf nor Tyler Lockett are reported to be available, though given the right trade, Seattle may change its mind.

Nonetheless, the Saints are not in a position to offer significant draft capital (a player of Metcalf’s caliber would warrant at least a first-round pick), not to mention NOLA already has a WR1 in Michael Thomas for 2022.

With Winston under center, New Orleans would boast one of the best offenses with a tandem of Metcalf and Thomas, but signing the Seattle wideout would come at the cost of the Saints’ future success.

Would Metcalf make the Saints an automatic playoff contender? Absolutely.

He would also be too expensive of a player to bring on given the Saints’ ongoing salary cap issues. On the open market, Metcalf could command a four-year deal worth roughly $80 million, comparable to the contract of Dallas’ Amari Cooper.

New Orleans Saints can only dream about signing Seahawks’ DK Metcalf

Cooper has a higher chance of being released than Metcalf does, and we already wrote about why NOLA can’t afford Cooper. Metcalf presents the exact same issue.

Metcalf’s reliability and production makes him one of the most premier wideout talents in the league at just 24 years old, and he’s coming off yet another successful season in the league. Despite Russell Wilson missing a chunk of games, Metcalf still recorded 967 receiving yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns.

When the Saints faced Seattle in 2021, Metcalf got into a squabble with cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and even if NOLA gave Seattle a few early-rounders for Metcalf, there’s no telling how he will fit in the Saints’ offensive scheme. At his age and production, Metcalf would aggressively compete with Thomas for targets and could put Thomas in a foul mood all year round.

Heading into the 2022 season, wide receiver remains a position of need for New Orleans, but not at a grave expense. With Thomas back in the lineup and players like Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris on the depth chart, the Saints need only a dependable WR2 or WR3 to fill out the receiver room. There’s no need to break the bank for Metcalf, but more important, there’s no way to break the bank for Metcalf.

The Saints simply can’t afford it.