The New Orleans Saints are amidst a rebuild. This means that they will be transitioning from some established veterans to young, unproven rookies. One person who could be a casualty in this is linebacker Pete Werner. Werner has been a contributor ever since being drafted in the second round in 2021, but his time in the Big Easy could be dwindling in favor of players like Danny Stutsman and/or Isaiah Stalbird.
Werner hasn’t had a great start to 2025. PFF gave him a 52.2 defensive grade, which is the worst of his career. This has resulted in the Saints opting to put in Danny Stutsman and Isaiah Stalbird instead, as evident in their loss against the New England Patriots. Werner averaged 54 snaps per game the first five weeks, this was cut down to 38 in week six.
The Saints have potential in their linebacker room. Stutsman was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He’s outstanding against the run but needs to improve in pass coverage. Stalbird was an undrafted free agent in 2024 and brings speed to the linebacker room, being a former safety in college. Each will have a golden opportunity to earn playing time in future weeks.
The Saints could trade Pete Werner at the trade deadline
Werner will be one of many Saints players involved in trade talks prior to the deadline. He could still be a valuable piece on a title contender, despite having a down year. He would likely fetch the Saints a day three draft pick. Not significant but anything helps at this point in the rebuild.
As eluded before, more than just Werner will be available to trade. There have been rumors surrounding most veterans, including Chris Olave, Carl Granderson, and Demario Davis. Any trade losing a veteran will hurt the Saints, but it’s necessary to aid the rebuild.
The Saints seem to be shifting towards a younger linebacker group. Stutsman and Stalbird are both in line to see more snaps. They each saw snaps in a close game for the first time this past week. This doesn’t bode well for Pete Werner as he’s a candidate to be shipped off before the trade deadline.