Every once in awhile, news comes across that makes you go hmm…
According to multiple reports, the Eagles and Saints have traded draft picks with each other. The Saints receive the No. 16 and No. 19 overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, plus No. 194 in the sixth round. In return, the Eagles get the Saints’ No. 18 overall pick, plus their No. 101 third rounder and No. 237 seventh rounder this year. The Eagles also get future picks in the form of the Saints’ 2023 first-round pick, and 2024 second-round pick.
Therefore, while the Saints are picking up an extra first-round pick this year, they won’t have one next year — and next year’s pick could be pretty high based on how the Saints are projected to perform this season — and they are giving up a future second rounder and third rounder.
“One of the most lopsided trades we have seen in a long time,” opined former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner on Twitter. “The 1,2 & 3 saints gave up for 16 was enough that they could’ve used it to trade for almost any nfl star player not a QB and had picks left over. Instead they got a mid first round pick. Crazy.”
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained the trade from the Saints’ side of things.
“New Orleans now has three picks inside the Top 50, which should set them up to take care of their cap issue in the next couple years, by getting younger, cheaper talent on the roster,” he tweeted. “Those three picks (16, 19, 49) are in a good spot, given the class’ makeup.”
There has been some speculation that the Saints could package their two first round picks to try to move up and take a quarterback earlier than they’re currently set to pick, but it remains to be seen if this was indeed a salary cap relief play or a chess piece in service of even more wheeling and dealing.
