Could the New Orleans Saints trade three-time Pro Bowl right guard Larry Warford? It’s certainly possible, especially after the Saints reinforced their interior line by picking Cesar Ruiz in the 2020 NFL Draft. The idea has been floated by both ESPN’s Bill Barnwell and The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia, but which teams might be interested in Warford’s services? Here are a few suggestions.
Miami Dolphins
Miami signed Ereck Flowers in free agency to start at left guard, prompting last year’s starter Michael Deiter to slide over to the right side. He’ll be competing with in-house options like Jesse Davis, Danny Isidora, and the Ragin’ Cajuns own Robert Hunt, but none of them have the proven track record Warford boasts.
The Dolphins also have a wealth of draft capital to offer, with multiple picks in the first and second rounds (via Houston Texans), as well as rounds six (from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks) and seven (after a trade with the Atlanta Falcons).
However, there isn’t exactly a hot trader’s market for guards right now. The Saints would probably hope to acquire one of the late-round selections rather than a more valuable pick early in next year’s draft.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will be trying to replace longtime right guard Marshal Yanda after his retirement earlier this offseason, and on paper Warford looks like a logical match. Baltimore has acquired several of his former Saints teammates before — like running back Mark Ingram and wide receiver Willie Snead — so it’s easy to imagine him fitting in well with the team’s culture.
And Baltimore doesn’t really have anyone with extensive NFL experience on hand at right guard. They’re projected to throw second-year pro Ben Powers and underrated rookie Ben Bredeson into a training camp competition. Warford would certainly have an edge against them due to his strong resume.
But do the Ravens have the draft capital to make a trade? They own their initial picks in each of the first six rounds, and are projected to receive an extra sixth-round choice as a compensatory selection. It’s tough to see them making a move unless the two youngsters turn in a disappointing training camp performance.
New York Jets
Sam Darnold has struggled through his first two years behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines, and the Jets haven’t done enough to protect or support him. Upgrading from right guard Brian Winters would do a lot to help out the face of their franchise, but Warford might be, at worst, a lateral move. Even if that ends up being the case, Gang Green must consider every option to improve at such a critical stage in Darnold’s career.
The Jets have the cap space to keep both Warford and Winters on the roster and let the best player start, but they could also cut Winters (who is in the last year of his deal) to help mitigate Warford’s cap hit. They also own at least one pick in each round of next year’s draft, plus conditional selections in rounds six (via New England Patriots) and seven (from the Seattle Seahawks).
Chicago Bears
The Bears will be trying to replace retired guard Kyle Long with either Rashaad Coward, Seahawks draft bust Germain Ifedi (signed as a free agent), or rookie seventh-round pick Lachavious Simmons, so that’s certainly a competition Warford could step into and immediately become the favorite to win. Coward has played just 14 games in the NFL, starting 10 of them last year at right guard.
Chicago also has an abundance of draft picks now that the Khalil Mack trade is behind them. They own each of their selections in all seven rounds of the 2021 draft, plus extra picks in rounds four (via the Minnesota Vikings) and seven (from the Las Vegas Raiders). The Bears stand to gain as many as three comp picks in the sixth round, too, so they’ll have plenty of ammunition should Warford catch their interest.
