The New Orleans Saints made two solid moves before the trade deadline, moving Rashid Shaheed and Trevor Penning. However, many fans will argue that they should’ve done more. One of the players that the Saints made a mistake not trading was defensive end Carl Granderson.
The Saints would’ve been viewed as having a good deadline, if the New York Jets didn’t exist. The Jets outshined the Saints by fully embracing the tank, trading away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for three first round picks, one second, and two young players.
They did exactly what the Saints should have. New Orleans doesn’t have the talent capable of getting that value, but they could have compiled draft picks by trading some elite assets outside of Rashid Shaheed. They are in a position where every single pick acquired matters.
Carl Granderson should have been a trade deadline casualty
Granderson has continuously improved for the Saints ever since being signed as a UDFA in 2019. He’s had a productive 2025 campaign with 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss. The Saints should have struck while the iron was hot and traded him for as much value as possible. There was a point in the first month of the season where Granderson's value seemed to be through the roof.
It’s hard to pinpoint the compensation Granderson would have received. But, it’s likely that a late day two or early day 3 pick would’ve been involved. If those offers were there, there is no reason the Saints shouldn’t have traded the 28 year old defensive end.
There just isn’t a long term role carved out for Granderson on the roster. Chase Young has easily outplayed him since coming back from injury and it’s likely the Saints will draft a younger edge rusher to pair with him. He will always have a place on the roster, but his role will continue to diminish as this roster gets younger. Granderson would have been more impactful as a bargaining chip for future assets.
The Saints had a solid trade deadline, but left fans wanting more. They didn’t capitalize on the market and trade their talent for future picks. Not trading Carl Granderson was a blunder from the front office. They need as many picks as possible for this rebuild, and he could have given you solid compensation back.