With the NFL trade deadline set for Tuesday, November 5, it’s time for teams to declare themselves. Halfway through the season, teams have a pretty good idea if they’re a contender or not. Contending teams will be aggressive at the deadline, trying to land key players that can push them over the top, and non-contending teams will be the ones sending those players.
The New Orleans Saints, currently on a six-game losing streak, clearly aren’t contenders. With a 2-6 record heading into the week of the trade deadline, all signs should point to the Saints being sellers. However, they recently made it clear that won’t be the case.
New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen appeared on the WWL Coaches Show on Monday, and he flat out said the team isn’t in sell mode.
DA on trade deadline: "We're not in sell mode."
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) October 29, 2024
Dennis Allen says Saints aren’t in sell mode for the trade deadline
This is confusing because New Orleans checks every box of a team that should be a seller. Bad record and essentially out of the playoff race already? Check. Talented veterans near the end of their contracts that other teams would love to have? Check. A need for cap space that moving players could solve? Check. Heading towards a rebuild? Check, check, check.
It makes all the sense in the world for New Orleans to be in sell mode. However, while it is confusing, it’s not surprising. The Saints have pretty much shown their hand all year, and they seem content with riding this thing until the wheels fall off. A few lug nuts have popped off, and the wheels are shaking, but New Orleans is still rolling down the road.
The team is going to stay together and try to get the season turned around. With nine games left, winning out, or just picking up eight more wins, gets the team to 10 or 11 wins, which gets them to the playoffs. While it doesn’t seem likely, it is possible.
This attempt starts with a game on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, one of the few teams in the league that’s been worse than New Orleans. If the Saints lose on Sunday, they may change their mind about the trade deadline, and actually decide to hit the rebuild button on Monday.