The Saints have spent this offseason taking swings on two familiar names from the Raiders’ disappointment file.
First came Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in 2023, who was dealt to New Orleans on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft along with the No. 219 pick in exchange for No. 150. Then, on Sunday evening, the Saints added another former Las Vegas letdown in Zamir White, who had just landed with the San Francisco 49ers before getting moved again.
White’s path has been a strange one. After flaming out in Las Vegas, where he once looked like the answer to replacing Josh Jacobs, he spent much of this offseason unsigned. He then found a short-term home with the 49ers before the Saints stepped in and made the latest move.
The pairing is hard to miss: New Orleans has now made trades for two former Raiders disappointments in the same offseason. There’s no obvious Ziegler-McDaniels connection in the Saints’ current setup, and John Spytek’s decision to cut ties with Wilson after another underwhelming season was the move that started this chain. Ziegler did serve as a personnel advisor in New Orleans in 2024, but that one-year stop doesn’t appear to explain why the Saints have twice gone back to the Raiders well.
The more likely reason is simple enough. New Orleans got thin after Alvin Kamara suffered an injury this preseason, and that pushed the team into action.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints sent defensive end Deion Jones to San Francisco to land White. Jones also gets a fresh start, joining former coach Raheem Morris, now the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
Even with Kamara expected to miss perhaps the first few weeks because of an MCL sprain, White still faces a tough climb for snaps. The Saints already have Travis Etienne, Kendre Miller and Devin Neal in a running back room that looks crowded enough as it is.
That makes White a long shot to stick on the roster, and even if he does, there’s no clear path to a meaningful workload. Wilson’s situation is different. He will make the team, but he’s currently listed as a second-stringer and sits fourth or fifth in the edge-rusher rotation.
If White does hang around in New Orleans, there is at least one small silver lining: he’d be closer to home. White grew up in North Carolina and played at Georgia, so Louisiana is a lot nearer than Nevada or California.
For now, the Saints are betting on two players whose Raiders stints never matched the billing. Maybe that changes.
Maybe it doesn’t. Either way, New Orleans has made its offseason habit clear.
In Other News...
Tom Brady Just Sent Raiders Fans A Loud Fernando Mendoza Message
Tom Brady has been making headlines again around the Raiders, this time with a move that has plenty of layers beyond the usual memorabilia chase. The teams part-owner recently went after a one-of-one Fernando Mendoza rookie card, a piece that carries Mendozas first NFL autograph and checks every box for a high-end collector. The deal took weeks of back-and-forth to complete and reportedly included both cash and an autographed jersey before Brady was able to land the card and show it off publicly.
For Raiders fans, the intrigue goes beyond the card itself and into what Brady seems to be signaling about Mendozas future. He views the purchase as more than a collectors trophy, treating it as a bet on Mendozas potential with Las Vegas. Whether it is savvy investment or simply a loud show of confidence, Bradys move adds another layer to the growing attention around the rookie and the role he could eventually play for the franchise. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Already Moved On From Their Newest Receiver Addition
The Raiders latest wide receiver swing lasted only a week, with Noah Brown coming in, getting into a preseason game, and then being released after a single catch for 11 yards. It was a quick turn for a player who had just been added to a position group that has been shaped all summer by injuries and the constant search for reliable depth.
Las Vegas did not immediately bring in another receiver after moving on from Brown, which makes the timing worth watching as the roster settles in. With injuries forcing adjustments and another wideout expected back soon, the Raiders appear to be sorting through numbers and roles rather than making a long-term commitment at the bottom of the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Former Raiders Specialist Just Walked Into A High-Stakes Kicker Battle
The Saints are adding a familiar name to a kicking competition that had already been drawing attention, bringing in veteran Daniel Carlson to challenge for the starting job. Carlson spent years with the Raiders and built a reputation as one of the leagues most reliable specialists, earning two All-Pro nods before landing back in the middle of a training camp battle in New Orleans.
Charlie Smyth had been viewed as the frontrunner, with Tanner Brown also in the mix, but Carlsons arrival changes the feel of the race. For the Saints, it turns a straightforward camp story into a pressure-packed evaluation, with a proven veteran now trying to carve out a spot before the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]