The Saints may not be done shuffling pieces before the season really gets rolling, and a few veterans could wind up on the move if younger players keep forcing their way onto the field.
That possibility starts with the bigger picture in New Orleans: a roster built to chase wins now, but with enough younger talent that the team can also keep one eye on 2027. The Saints are in a spot where they can try to compete in the NFC South while still creating room for players who look like long-term answers. With the division described as wide open, even an 8- or 9-win season could be enough to land in the playoffs.
At linebacker, Pete Werner appears positioned to open the year as a starter alongside Kaden Elliss, while Danny Stutsman is expected to have a major role. Stutsman would likely enter when Elliss is used as a pass rusher or during normal substitutions that take Werner off the field. But the staff clearly believes in Stutsman, and if he quickly pushes ahead of Werner, the veteran could become a trade candidate.
Defensive tackle looks like the most realistic place for that kind of move. Christen Miller has been excellent throughout the preseason, and keeping him off the field may be tough.
The player in his way is Davon Godchaux, who lines up at the same spot on the defensive front. Godchaux was not incredible last season, and Miller has a chance to outperform him quickly.
If that happens, Godchaux could draw interest from around the league as a possible starting nose tackle.
Right guard is the other spot to watch, though the source material points to those first two positions as the clearest places where a veteran could be squeezed out by a younger player. The Saints have the kind of depth that makes this possible, and if the young guys keep climbing, someone established could end up being available.
In Other News...
Saints Suddenly Have A Defensive Tackle Battle Worth Watching
The Saints went into the offseason with real questions along the interior of their defense, especially after Bryan Bresees season-ending injury left the defensive tackle room thinner than expected. Drafting Christen Miller in the second round was part of the answer, and the rookie has done his part by standing out in the preseason and making the conversation about the starting lineup a lot more interesting than it looked a few months ago.
Davon Godchaux still brings the veteran presence New Orleans wanted, but the competition around him has turned into one of the more watchable camp battles on the roster. After the 53-man roster deadline, the Saints added Colby Wooden to give the group more depth, a move that underscores how much the team still wants to protect itself at a position where one injury can change the entire rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Just Addressed A Roster Concern Fans Couldn't Ignore
The Saints took a practical step to shore up a thin spot in the secondary by adding Decamerion Richardson, giving them another body at outside cornerback after the group had been stretched alarmingly tight. With Isaac Yiadom gone, New Orleans was left leaning on a top three of Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley and Martin Emerson, while backups Mike Reid and Jayden Price were handling other responsibilities more than true cornerback work.
Richardson brings the kind of profile teams like in this situation, with size, athleticism and special teams experience that can help him stick while the defense sorts out its depth chart. The move doesnt settle the longer-term question of how the Saints want to arrange the back end of the defense, but it at least gives them another option at a position where every available corner has become worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Jordan Just Landed In A Saints Debate Fans Know Too Well
Bill Barnwells latest pressure list for 2026 put Khalil Mack in familiar veteran company, but it also nudged Cameron Jordan back into the kind of conversation Saints fans know all too well. Alongside Cameron Heyward and Mack, Jordan remains one of the old-guard edge defenders whose career has been defined not just by longevity, but by the lingering pull of a championship chase that never quite gets old. It is the sort of framing that turns a respected veteran into a referendum on how much more he has left, and how much longer he is willing to push for one last run.
Mack is entering his 13th NFL season and has openly contemplated retirement, yet the lure of a Super Bowl is still driving him forward with the Chargers, who have not won a playoff game since 2018. For New Orleans, the comparison is hard to miss because Jordan has lived in that same space for years: the established star whose name still carries weight, the player fans still want to see produce, and the veteran whose next chapter always seems to come with a little extra debate attached. [Read more 🡒]