Trade rumors have been picking up around the National Football League, and for good reason: the trade deadline is less than a month away. One of the names heard in the rumors has been New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave.
Olave has been linked to multiple teams, including the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, and the New York Giants. For the former first-round pick, it's the first time in his career that he's really been mentioned in these kinds of talks. But when looking at the Saints as a whole, it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise.
Even though they haven't said it outright, the Saints are clearly in a rebuild mode. This is something that NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill mentioned last month, and it's something that holds even more water now. Currently, the Saints are 1-4, and despite the win against the Giants last week, are still expected to have a top 10 pick when the draft comes around. There's also the curious case of the team added three young wide receivers in the offseason, two of whom have yet to play a snap.
What could the Saints get for WR Chris Olave?
The New Orleans Saints could get a decent haul for the former Ohio State Buckeye, with some saying that they could get a first-round pick. However, with Chris Olave's injury history, he has others saying that a "fourth or fifth round pick" is more likely.
However, those on the team have not hinted towards trading Olave. Just a few months ago, Kellen Moore laughed off the rumors. "I wouldn't worry too much about that," He said to the media. "People want good players. So they're always chasing and finding ways to get good players on their team, and we feel like we got a good one in him."
It's important to note that Moore said those comments before adding wide receivers Devaughn Vele, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Trey Palmer. All three of these players are young but haven't seen much playing time. Polk and Palmer haven't even seen the field this season, both dealing with injuries. Polk, a 2024 second-round draft pick, won't even see a snap this year due to a shoulder injury he suffered earlier in the offseason while still on the Patriots.
When Polk and Palmer get their health back, the Saints will have a total of eight wide receivers on the roster. Someone in the room has to be the odd man out, and it certainly shouldn't be the players that they spent next year's draft capital to acquire. But the black and gold won't reveal their cards, so only time will tell who that WR is. As it stands, fans of Olave might have to prepare for some unfortunate news.