Saint's Kellen Moore Isn't Making QB Change, Yet
The New Orleans Saints are 1-6 on the season, but they are not making a change at quarterback yet.
Spencer Rattler earned the job after quarterback competition all summer and has shown clear growth this season. Rattler had a rough game on Sunday against the Chicago Bears with four turnovers, which led to some chatter about Tyler Shough and whether or not the Saints would make a change.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore was asked about the quarterback position and said the team isn't making a change, but didn't fully close the door on a change at some point this season in a clip shared by WWL-TV's Seth Lewis.
"We've just got to respond the right way," Moore said. "Turnovers unfortunately happen in this game. We had a few too many in that game. Those guys have done an excellent job attacking the football. Chicago is on this turnover trend. They're doing an excellent job of it. We've got to protect the football at a higher level. Unfortunately, we had a game that went that way. We've got to learn from it and get better...
The Saints aren't making a change
"We've just got to get better on offense. Spence obviously had the turnovers in this game, but he's played a lot of good football. We've got to get better. I think he's going to continue to grow and get better. Tyler's gotten better as the season has gone as well. Obviously, his is behind the scenes. He gets to develop from a scout team perspective. Both of these guys are going to continue to grow and get better...It's a week-to-week (choice), we'll see as we go. We're focused on getting better right now."
The fact that Moore called the quarterback situation "week-to-week" is interesting because it obviously doesn't close the door on a move at some point. Shough was the highest-selected quarterback by the Saints in the NFL Draft since Archie Manning. With the Saints struggling overall and Rattler turning the ball over against Bears, it's not shocking that the conversation has started. But, Rattler has played well enough to have some wiggle room.
This arguably is the right call. Although Shough was selected high, Rattler actually is younger and hasn't done enough to lose the job. Before the Week 7 performance, Rattler had his best two games of the season in Week 6 and Week 5. No reason to make a rash decision after one tough start.
Cowboys Have Reached out to Raiders About Bombshell Trade: Report
The Las Vegas Raiders are heading in the wrong direction, and it’s clear that they are far away from being contenders. Many believe that this will lead to the franchise embracing a total rebuild.
If that’s the case, that means some key veterans could be available ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline. The Raiders’ most valuable asset is star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. He’s been the team’s best player for years, but hasn’t been shy about his frustration with their losing ways.
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the surprises of the NFL this season. Many thought they’d be among the league’s worst teams after they hired Brian Schottenheimer as head coach and traded away star pass rusher Micah Parsons.
However, the team is 3-3-1 and has the No. 1 offense in the NFL right now. The problem facing them is that their defense is among the worst in the league. Now that it’s clear that the Cowboys’ offense is good enough to compete in the playoffs, they may be reevaluating whether or not they want to go all in this season.
According to longtime NFL analyst Trey Wingo, the Cowboys have reached out to the Raiders about possibly trading for Crosby.
How Much Is Crosby Worth in a Trade?
The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Some would argue that Crosby is a better overall player than Parsons due to how he affects the run game, but he’s slightly older.
Regardless, the Raiders are going to want a similar haul to what the Cowboys got. Plus, Dallas wouldn’t have to give Crosby a new contract.
The baseline for a trade has to be two first-round picks. Crosby is 28 years old, a team leader and a relentless worker. He might be the best run-defending defensive end in the NFL, while also being an elite pass rusher. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones cited run defense as a reason they traded Parsons away, but that wouldn’t be a problem for Crosby. It’s possible that the Raiders could ask for even more than what Dallas got for Parsons.
Would Raiders Actually Trade Crosby?
Crosby is the heart and soul of the Raiders. Outside of left tackle Kolton Miller, he’s been with the team longer than any other player.
He’s the face of the franchise and the favorite player in the fan base. However, many fans have accepted that it’s probably best for him to go elsewhere if he wants to win. Right now, the Cowboys are clearly a better team than Las Vegas, despite only having one more win.
Now, the Pete Carroll factor is impossible to ignore. He’s already the oldest head coach in NFL history. Even if it’s a rebuild, he’s going to push for a quick turnaround. Getting rid of your best player is going to make a turnaround take a lot longer.
If the Raiders traded Crosby, that would be an obvious front office decision and could be bad news for the coach’s long-term prospects. It seems more likely the team would wait until the offseason to make such a big move.
