The Saints may have one of their best trade chips sitting right in the middle of a disappointing season.
Chase Young’s value is soaring, and if New Orleans ever wanted to cash in, this would be the moment. Young has been among the team’s best players over the last two seasons, and at times he’s been the one keeping the pass rush alive. He’s 27, he’s near the top of the league in sacks, and he still has two seasons left on his contract at excellent value.
That combination makes him a rare asset. For a Saints team that should be thinking about selling at the deadline, Young stands out as the one player who could bring back real draft capital. The problem is that New Orleans doesn’t have many appealing pieces to move, and there’s doubt the front office would actually take that route with so much on the line.
The latest comparison comes from Tennessee’s decision to move 29-year-old Jeffrey Simmons to the Chicago Bears. The return was massive: two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
Simmons had just signed a huge three-year deal, so Chicago won’t have to worry about extending him. Tennessee, still in the middle of a rebuild, turned a franchise cornerstone into a mountain of picks while his value was at its peak.
Young probably wouldn’t command quite that kind of haul. Simmons has been elite at defensive tackle for a long stretch, while Young’s breakout has only come recently.
Even so, edge rusher is one of the premium spots in the league, and that alone would keep the market strong. Under those conditions, the Saints could reasonably expect a first-round pick and two second-round picks in return.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s likely. But if New Orleans is truly focused on stacking long-term assets, and if GM Mickey Loomis believes he’ll be in place regardless of what happens this season, then a Young trade becomes at least possible. It would also leave a huge hole on a defense that would take a major hit, especially for a front office that has little evidence it can draft a pass rusher.
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