The New Orleans Saints evidently weren’t able to work out an agreement with the Miami Dolphins to trade for pass rusher Robert Quinn. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Dolphins “have parameters in place” to trade Quinn away to the Dallas Cowboys. Rapoport’s peer at NFL Network, Tom Pelissero, reported that the Cowboys negotiated a one-year contract extension with Quinn’s agent to facilitate the trade.
That one-year extension lines up with an earlier report that while Quinn passed his physical with the Cowboys, their medical staff raised red flags concerning his long-term viability and history of back injuries. If the Cowboys didn’t have confidence that the 29-year old could be a long-term fixture, the Saints probably felt the same way, taking them out of trade discussions.
This sends the Saints back to the drawing broad. They want to replace Alex Okafor in the defensive end rotation, even if they have two very good players in place with Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport. The only other defensive end on the roster is Trey Hendrickson, who was a healthy inactive in 12 games last year (including the postseason). With Ziggy Ansah’s status in flux until a mid-April checkup on his surgically-repaired shoulder, it looks like pickings are slim for the Saints to find a player they like at this spot.
