The 2020 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and trade talks are expected to heat up as the event inches closer to kickoff. While most conversations will center on swapping draft picks, veteran players on the outs with their old teams will also be on the trading block.
That presents opportunities for other teams to improve. The New Orleans Saints should obviously be involved with some of those negotiations, maybe as sellers — one outlet recently floated the idea of trading away underperforming right guard Larry Warford — but there are other situations the Saints would be wise to stay out of.
Here are four NFL trade candidates to consider:
Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
On paper, the Saints making a trade for Fournette would do a lot to get fans excited. He’s a hometown hero born and raised in New Orleans, who starred in high school and set the college football world on fire at LSU. He’s obviously been a victim of circumstances with the Jaguars, too; Jacksonville had one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines last year per Football Outsiders. Of his 4.3 rushing yards gained per carry in 2019, a whopping 3.0 came after contact per Pro Football Reference. New Orleans boasts one of the NFL’s best run-blocking offensive lines, which would give Fournette much more to work with than he ever saw in Jacksonville.
But the cost isn’t worth it. Fournette would not start over Alvin Kamara this season, they are both free agents next year. He caught a career-high 76 passes last year, which trails the 81 passes Kamara has reeled in during each of his first three seasons. The Saints wouldn’t be buying any time or hoping to smoothly transition from Kamara to Fournette as their top running back.
As far as that goes, his efficiency as-is projects so similarly to backup Latavius Murray (who broke just six fewer tackles on 119 fewer carries) that you could make the argument Fournette might be a downgrade. Their contract situations should also discourage New Orleans from taking a swing here — Murray has three years remaining on his deal, whereas both Fournette and Kamara will be free agents in 2021.
One long-shot gamble that might make sense is swapping a late-round pick now for Fournette, then giving him ample opportunities to shine in a better situation before letting him leave in free agency. If Fournette really impresses and can command Le’Veon Bell-esque money on the open market, the Saints might be able to flip a current-year pick for a higher selection as a compensatory pick in 2022. But is that really a gamble worth making?
The verdict: Saints should stay away from Fournette
O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You would think that Tom Brady would want as many big, athletic tight ends as possible given his history of success with talents like Rob Gronkowski, but Howard might be available for the right price. Tight ends have never been featured in head coach Bruce Arians’ offense, and while he might change things dramatically in 2020, odds are stronger that Howard will continue to be neglected (he drew a career-high 53 targets last year).
That’s not the best use of the former 19th overall draft pick. While Howard might not play often in New Orleans either (at least right away), the long-term projection is much easier to appreciate. Jared Cook, the leading receiver at the position, is entering the final year of his contract and is already north of 30. His backup and blocking specialist, Josh Hill, also turns 30 this year and will be a free agent after the 2021 season.
Adding Howard now would give the Saints a great candidate to learn Cook’s playbook and take over next year. In the meantime, he can run many of the same vertical and crossing routes that Taysom Hill has shredded teams with, allowing Hill to focus his time on backing up Drew Brees and maybe becoming the face of the franchise.
While it’s unclear just what sort of pick it would take to get the Buccaneers to trade Howard away (and to a division rival, no less) it’s a situation the Saints should explore.
The verdict: Saints should be in on Howard
Jamal Adams, New York Jets
Adams is another former LSU player who earned a lot of goodwill from locals, and who has his own corner of the Saints fandom calling for him to come home. It might make sense with Marcus Williams headed for a contract year. But the cost alone in prying Adams away from New York is prohibitive, with Jets general manager Joe Douglas reportedly wanting a package of several draft picks in exchange for his talented safety. That’s not something the Saints can afford to do.
But let’s look at it from a football angle. Adams is a versatile defender who lined up all over Gregg Williams’ defense, which shares a lot of DNA with the scheme Dennis Allen runs in New Orleans. But he’s a better fit as the box safety role filled by Vonn Bell last year, which either Malcolm Jenkins or C.J. Gardner-Johnson will take over in 2020.
The Saints might be able to force Adams into the single-high role often played by Williams, but it would expose more of his weaknesses. Adams has missed more tackles over the last two years (16) than Williams (13) while intercepting four fewer passes. That immediate swap would be a downgrade for New Orleans, though they might find success if Adams were deployed differently than Williams has been.
The verdict: Saints should stay away from Adams
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
The Browns surprised almost everyone by signing Austin Hooper to a market-setting contract this offseason, possibly putting Njoku out in the cold. The former first-round pick hasn’t really found his way after a couple of regime changes in Cleveland, and Hooper’s addition should remove even more opportunities for him to stand out.
While it’s possible the Browns are thinking to pair Hooper with Njoku as one of the league’s better tight end duos, it’s equally likely that they would let the 23-year-old go for the right price. As we noted earlier in discussing O.J. Howard, the Saints don’t have a plan for life at tight end after Jared Cook’s two-year contract expires. Njoku is also a free agent after this year, but he’ll be much easier to budget for than, say, a running back like Leonard Fournette.
And just like Howard, Njoku could fill in for Taysom Hill at tight end and in the slot. If the Saints are serious about Hill’s future being at quarterback, it’s important they find athletes who can take his snaps at other positions so that he can spend more time developing under center. Njoku is a young prospect with a high ceiling who’s already caught 50-plus passes in a single season once in the NFL. That’s more than you ask out of any possible draft pick at tight end in this year’s class. And considering the Browns won’t have the reluctance of trading with an NFC South rival like Tampa Bay, the asking price for Njoku might be more to New Orleans’ liking.
The verdict: Saints should be in on Njoku
