The New Orleans Saints need to look over to the AFC East and take a page out of the Miami Dolphins and have a yard sale. Put everybody from Chris Olave to Rashid Shaheed to Cesar Ruiz to Carl Granderson in the front yard and see if a team bites. Even vets like Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis or Cam Jordan can be had at the right price.
The Dolphins just traded Jaelan Philips to the Philadelphia Eagles. (Gotta love it when the rich get richer.) The Saints have made their fair share of trades with the Eagles. They don't need to follow Miami's lead in that fashion, but they should open it up.
The Saints are a bad team without a lot of draft capital in next year's draft. The Saints currently stand with five picks. We've seen this year what good rookies can do for you, but. you can only use them if you have the picks to draft them. New Orleans is coming off of one of their worst games of the season. It's time for at least crack the door on a fire sale.
That might mean trading pieces the Saints want to keep. I'm looking at you Chris Olave
All jokes aside, the Saints don't have to rush into trading Olave. It doesn't seem like they want to deal the wide receiver, and they don't have to. He's under contract next year and theoretically, could be traded this offseason.
What Olave represents, however, is an inner battle of whether it's smarter to keep or deal a player you like. Miami had to confront this with their own young wide receiver. Originally, the Dolphins had no interest in shopping Jaylen Waddle. Now, they're at least entertaining offers. When it comes down to Olave, the question is will the Saints pay him.
Surely the Dolphins want to keep Waddle because he's extremely talented, and the Saints feel the same way about Olave. Doesn't mean you can't listen though. The list doesn't stop at Philips and Waddle. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported Minkah Fitzpatrick is on the table as well.
These are all players who are valuable to the Dolphins, and Fitzpatrick is the only one older than 26 years old. Philips has double digit sack potential. Waddle could easily become their top receiver with Tyreek Hill's age and recent history. With all that being true, Miami traded Philips and has softened their stance against trading Waddle.
The Saints find themselves in similar situations. They'll have to make uncomfortable decisions, and Olave may be the toughest of them all. With just five picks and no fourth round pick, though, the Saints need to make a step towards building up their capital.