Saints-Vikings Trade Speculation Heats Up; Key Starter Could Fit In Minnesota
The New Orleans Saints have a chance to dominate the trade deadline if they can manage their assets in the best way possible. New Orleans has a lot of valuable trade assets, including players like Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Demario Davis.
But these aren't the only valuable assets the Saints have to trade away. There are a few other players on their roster who could net the Saints a solid draft pick.
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame recently put together a bold trade proposal that would send former Saints first round pick Trevor Penning to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
"It hasn’t worked out in New Orleans for Penning, the 2022 first-round pick who has struggled to find a starting position. On the bright side, Penning offers versatility as a lineman with starting experience playing tackle and guard," Verderame wrote. "Right now, the Vikings need all the help they can get. Not only has the offensive line disappointed, but three of the five starters are currently dealing with injuries. It’s usually a red flag when teams are willing to shop an offensive lineman because the good ones are rarely available. But it never hurts to add versatility and depth to a critical area."
The Saints might want to trade Penning for a few reasons. First of all, they've found their franchise offensive tackles in Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. Penning has been solid since moving inside, but it seems like he's unlikely to be re-signed when his contract expires. Instead of letting Penning walk in free agency at the end of the season, New Orleans could net a draft pick in a deal.
The Vikings need to bolster the offensive line in front of young quarterback JJ McCarthy. McCarthy hasn't looked great when healthy, so he could benefit from a better offensive front. Penning is versatile enough to fit the future of the Minnesota offensive line. He could slot in at four of the five lineman spots, aside from center, and the Vikings could look to re-sign him at the end of the year. A sixth round pick is reasonable for Minnesota if it wants to make a playoff push this year.
Chiefs Predicted to Add 7,000-Yard RB in ‘No-Brainer’ Move
The Kansas City Chiefs have steadied the ship after an 0-2 start, pulling back to 2-2 and improving on offense with the return of second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
While the Chiefs have more reinforcements on the way for their passing game with the return of Rashee Rice in Week 7, one analyst believes the team could use more help on the ground. The Chiefs have struggled to establish a running game at times, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes serving as the most effective rusher through the first month.
That could change with the addition of a 7,000-yard rusher who could be an affordable buy at the NFL trade deadline.
Chiefs Turn to Pro Bowler for Help
SI.com’s Matt Verderame cooked up potential trades for all 32 NFL teams ahead of the deadline, suggesting the Chiefs could land New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara for a fifth-round pick. Verderame noted that Kansas City’s passing game will likely continue to improve, and Kamara can do the same for the rushing attack.
With Xavier Worthy back and Rashee Rice due back from suspension in Week 7, the Chiefs don’t need receiving help. However, they could use serious help in the run game,” Verderame wrote. Kansas City’s running backs are averaging 3.5 yards per carry, with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both slated to become free agents. “
Verderame added that it would be an easy decision if the Chiefs could add the multi-talented Kamara, who has more than 7,000 rushing and 4,800 receiving yards in his career. Though he has seen a dip in production in recent years, Kamara would still be the best tailback in Kansas City’s backfield.
If the Chiefs can acquire Kamara from New Orleans for a late-round pick, it’s a no-brainer,” Verderame wrote. “Kansas City has only $3 million in cap space, but Kamara’s cap hit is a proration of $2.9 million before a nonguaranteed 11.5 million next year. Through four games, Kamara has 256 rushing yards and a touchdown.”
Chiefs Could Find Other Trade-Deadline Targets
If the Chiefs aim to add some rushing help at the upcoming trade deadline, they could have some other targets in mind. ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggested that the Jacksonville Jaguars could look into trading running back Travis Etienne Jr. as part of a months-long shakeup in the backfield that started with the trade of Tank Bigsby.
The Jaguars drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of this year’s draft and then took passing-down back LeQuint Allen Jr. in the seventh,” Graziano noted. Those two probably form the future of the team’s backfield; Jacksonville already traded Tank Bigsby to the Eagles. If the Jaguars fall out of contention and want to get a longer look at their rookies, Etienne and his $6.143 million salary would probably be pretty easy to move.
Others have suggested the Chiefs could target Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, as the Dolphins are expected to move into selling mode. The season-ending injury to wide receiver Tyreek Hill could complicate Miami’s plans, however, as the team is now short of talent on offense and their win over the New York Jets has kept them on the fringes of playoff contention.
