The New Orleans Saints restructured Pete Werner's contract earlier this month. What was seemingly a normal restructure has led some to put the linebacker on the Saints' trading block.
Anthony Palacios of Last Word On Sports even suggested that's not the only reason a trade wouldn't be out of the blue. "The future of Pete Werner will lie in the hands of how he does this season, but the team brought back Kaden Eliss, and you can speculate that Werner might be phased out of this defensive unit sooner rather than later... Meanwhile, the Saints have $8 million in cap space for the rest of the offseason. For Werner, the stakes are high, but it shouldn’t be surprising if he's traded."
Pete Werner Highlights 😤 pic.twitter.com/Zxmg3faKxj
— Boot Krewe Media (@BootKreweMedia) August 26, 2023
The Saints would be wise to not trade Pete Werner this offseason
Saying that a trade shouldn't be surprising is a big statement to make, considering that we haven't even seen him or Eliss take the field yet this offseason. It wouldn't really be a smart thing for the Saints to do at all. Werner may not have played as well as Eliss in recent years, although the returning New Orleans linebacker was the one running the show with the Falcons.
He might've been drafted after Eliss, and he might not even be the top candidate for the green dot, but Werner should still have a secure spot in New Orleans next season. He's the most experienced linebacker on the team that has played in the Brandon Staley system. Even if Eliss does pick up the scheme quickly or second-year LB Danny Stutsman shows what he can do, it wouldn't be the smartest move to remove Werner from the room.
The first few years of his career saw Werner next Demario Davis. Now it's time to see if Werner learned a thing or two. He's already been making plays in the defense for years, but now it's finally his chance to take the bull by the horns. Even if he doesn't end up as the Saints' top linebacker, the competition could unlock the next part of his game, and that's a player you'd rather have on your team than off.
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