Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently shared a hypothetical trade for every NFL team now that training camp has gotten underway around the league. And Ballentine chose Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown as a prime target for the New Orleans Saints.
In the scenario, the Saints would trade a 2025 sixth-round pick for Brown. Here is why Ballentine argues the 28-year-old makes sense for the black and gold:
The New Orleans Saints have a young star in the making in Chris Olave. They have another promising up-and-comer in Rashid Shaheed. Then it gets dicey.
Fifth-round pick Bub Means, second-year player A.T. Perry and veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. are all going to compete for that third wide receiver spot. It wouldn’t hurt to add another experienced option into that mix.
Noah Brown is coming off an underrated season in Houston. While he was overshadowed by Tank Dell and Nico Collins, he did contribute 33 receptions for 567 yards and two touchdowns.
Brown excels with the ball in his hands and had the fourth-highest YAC score from ESPN Analytics’ receiver tracking stats. He was also one of the more efficient receivers in the league, averaging 10.3 yards per target and was fourth in yards per reception.
Unfortunately for him, the Texans are going to have a hard time utilizing him. Stefon Diggs arrival, combined with a healthy Dell and Collins returning on a new contract will minimize his role.
He could be a much bigger part of the Saints offense.
Ballentine makes some excellent points. The Saints have younger talent in Perry and Means. However, they’re still young, and with a coach likely on the hot seat, the Saints need to win ball games.
As mentioned by Ballentine the team brought in veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. to compete for the job. However, if he disappoints or the coaching staff doesn’t see a future for him, Brown could be a good option. The element of competition Ballentine speaks about is also enticing.
Brown has been a steady option wherever he has been these past two years, eclipsing the 500-yard receiving mark with both the Cowboys and Texans. He’s caught more passes (195 in 76 games) than anyone the Saints currently have on the roster, ahead of Olave (159 in 31 games), Wilson (101 in 68 games), and every other wide receiver combined.
With the team only giving up a sixth-round pick, I believe this scenario presented by Ballentine is low-risk with decent upside. It’s worth noting that trading Brown would only cost about $2 million against the cap in guaranteed salary, with another $1 million up for grabs in per-game roster bonuses.
