Article Exploring How the Saints Could Trade Up for Cam Ward

[StudioSaint]

Well never gonna find another franchise QB through Free Agency so might be a bust but gotta roll the dice since we always teeter tottng with making the playoffs , so gonna have to trade up to get one eventually

A team doesn't have to trade into the top 10 to draft a QB good enough to contribute to a Super Bowl win.

 

[StudioSaint]

Even if he WAS Daniels 2.0 3 first round picks is not worth it.

We don't have a talented roster to begin with. Commanders could take that hit. Very real chance our next 3 frps are all top 10.

It also remains to be seen how competitive the Commanders are after this year. The Bengals got to the Super Bowl once early on with Burrow. They've not been doing very well since then. They didn't even have to give away extra picks in the draft. The same thing happened with the Dolphins and Marino.

If the goal is to build a long term competitive team, trading a bunch of high picks to trade into the top 10 is not the best route to go. It may help for a year or two, but those lost picks start to adversely affect the over all team and Super Bowls are won by at least 22 players, not a single QB.

 

[StudioSaint]

Bradshaw 1970 1.1
Griese 1967 1.4
McMahon 1982 1.5
Simms 1979 1.7
Aikman 1989 1.1

5 QB's from before free agency started. Before 1993, you either had to draft them or trade for them. Also, pre-1978, the regular season was 14 games.

Need a comparison of how many QB's, drafted in the top 10 during that same time period, that never got close to winning a Super Bowl to get any meaningful statistical comparison.

Also, need a comparison of how many Super Bowls during that period, 1967 to 1989, were won by QB's drafted in the top 10 and QB's not drafted in the top 10. That's the only way to get any meaningful statistical comparison. Can't just look at the Super Bowls won by top 10 drafted QB's. That's not meaningful data without a comparison.

 

[StudioSaint]

Football games aren't played with no rush and no defensive pass coverage.

 

[StudioSaint]

Does trading up magically make the player worse?

No more than drafting them in the top 10 magically makes them better.

What the data suggests is that the cost to a team to trade up to get a top 10 QB cancels out any advantage gain by getting a QB in the top 10, because it negatively impacts the overall quality of the team. Teams win and lose games collectively, the QB does not win or lose games all by themselves.

 

[saint_drago]

Ive alway liked Cam Ward. Been posting about him in last 2 drafts. I think he can be really good, especially w/a coach like Kellen Moore. I wouldnt be mad if we made that trade. I think Ward’s skillset is very comparable to Jalen Hurts. Hurts is the better runner, but Ward is a better passer & has a better arm.

Honestly, i also wouldnt be mad if we moved up for Abdul Carter, either. I personally think he’s the best player in this draft class. A lot of people are hyping Travis Hunter & Jeanty, but the dude who’s a true unicorn is Abdul Carter. That dude kills as a LB, kills as an EDGE, & he hasnt even scratched the surface yet.

I don't know about trading up for anybody but Carter can flat out play. A lot of these guys you don't really know that much about them. A lot of people watch highlight tapes on YouTube, read draft breakdowns, and then form a strong, unwavering, semi-expert, barely informed opinion about a prospect. They'll pound the table for their guy. They'll argue and debate and say, "The Saints made a massive mistake when they passed on Taco Charlton!".

We've all been there. Most of the time we go to bat for these guys just because they have a name that sounds cool. Like Smoke Monday. Out of nowhere everyone had Smoke Monday takes. Bold statements flying left and right. Don't be surprised if he's starting opening day! What?

I say all of that to say this, I've watched Carter's entire career. He's been a monster. I think his game translates to the next level. He's not an athlete playing football. He's a ball player who happens to be super athletic.

 

[StudioSaint]

It would just be sickening to stay put and draft one of these

Mykel Williams
Shemar Stewart
Will Campbell
Will Johnson

Or an off the wall guy

That right there would be a complete waste of a first on par with(or worse) than Payton Turner.

I’d rather a sure thing especially at QB than those guys plus more Foskeys and Millers.

But at least the Saints would only be "wasting" one first round pick and not multiple first round picks and other high picks. Some players do better than expected, so teams never know. Just like teams don't know if Ward will work out either.

It's not a question of is Ward good or not. It's a question of is he so much better of a risk than other players, including other QB's, that he's worth "wasting" all of those picks on if he doesn't work out?

As to the idea of "I’d rather a sure thing especially at QB," there are no sure things in the draft. There never has been and there never will be. When trading a lot of picks to pick a single player, a responsible team will ask itself "how much draft capital is this player worth possibly losing?" If they assume the player will absolutely work out, then they are taking a bad approach to the draft.

Every player can bust, so a team has to make sure they can live with the lost draft capital if that player busts.

The Saints seem to have done just that. The story is that they spoke with the Titans about what it would cost them and they decided that what they'd have to give up to the Titans wasn't worth the risk and moved on. It doesn't mean they don't love Ward if they don't trade up to 1 to get him. It only means the price for Ward was too high and would have been too much of a detriment to the team overall.

Only a poorly run team would give up "whatever it takes" to get one player. The Saints aren't that team anymore. There's always a chance that the Titans lower their asking price, but it's doubtful the Saints raise their offer.

 

[DSnfla]

It also remains to be seen how competitive the Commanders are after this year. The Bengals got to the Super Bowl once early on with Burrow. They've not been doing very well since then. They didn't even have to give away extra picks in the draft. The same thing happened with the Dolphins and Marino.

If the goal is to build a long term competitive team, trading a bunch of high picks to trade into the top 10 is not the best route to go. It may help for a year or two, but those lost picks start to adversely affect the over all team and Super Bowls are won by at least 22 players, not a single QB.

Also Wash had an easy schedule. They also until the playoffs one beat 1 or 2 teams with a winning record. I expect Wash to come down to earth some , their schedule is way harder in 25

 

[NatureBoy]

Our 25 1st, 26 1st and Olave and it’s a deal. I think the team needs a lot but if Kellen believes this is the guy, do it. Franchise QBs are elusive. We’d probably have to give a 2nd or 3rd too. I hate punting on Olave but his propensity for the head injuries likely makes him expendable. Also, he’s getting close to the point where we will have to commit to his 5th year or extend him. I’m not sure he’s worth that risk or cost.

 

[StudioSaint]

Our 25 1st, 26 1st and Olave and it’s a deal. I think the team needs a lot but if Kellen believes this is the guy, do it. Franchise QBs are elusive. We’d probably have to give a 2nd or 3rd too. I hate punting on Olave but his propensity for the head injuries likely makes him expendable. Also, he’s getting close to the point where we will have to commit to his 5th year or extend him. I’m not sure he’s worth that risk or cost.

I'm sure the Saints would love that deal, but I don't think the Titans would accept it.

 

[sammymvpknight]

No more than drafting them in the top 10 magically makes them better.

What the data suggests is that the cost to a team to trade up to get a top 10 QB cancels out any advantage gain by getting a QB in the top 10, because it negatively impacts the overall quality of the team. Teams win and lose games collectively, the QB does not win or lose games all by themselves.

Picking a player in the top 10 that doesn’t belong there won’t turn them into a top 10 talent. I believe that Ward is good enough to be drafted #1 overall, and apparently I’m not alone. It’s not without risk…but the success from that draft slot has been relatively high

 

[St. Geezy]

It's silly season, so I'll play along. If I'm the Titans I don't want to trade all the way back to 9. I can make a deal with NYG and still get one of Carter/Hunter/Graham. So I'd tell the Saints to go get NE's pick at 4 and come back with an offer.

That said, everything that the Titans are NOT doing at QB this offseason makes me think they'll stay put and pick Cam.

Or you make the deal with New Orleans then use a small part of that ammunition to move back up the board. We’ve seen that happen before.

That being said, I don’t think the leap from 9 to 1 is worth it for us. Too much would have to be relinquished for a non-sure fire, elite prospect that likely wouldn’t be ranked as high as he is in most other draft years.

He’s a guy you go from 9 to 6 to go grab…not from 9 to 1. You only go from 9 to 1 for the cant miss, prodigy type QB that the current team with the number 1 overall pick happens to not need to draft.

If Tennessee with their precarious QB situation is not drafting this QB and ends up wanting to trade the pick, it to me says something about the value of the player in relation to the pick.

 

[lilvipa221]

As long as Mickey continues to build this team with the ceiling of winning a terrible division then you can kiss any pipe dream of getting a franchise QB. No team is going to pass up on the opportunity of getting a franchise QB to another team.

Until this current operation fails in 2-3 years then we will just be spinning our wheels with no plan except for trying to save jobs by stringing together as many wins as they can squeak out with no payoff.

 

[Treybad]

A team doesn't have to trade into the top 10 to draft a QB good enough to contribute to a Super Bowl win.

How many Super Bowls were won with a QB your describing? I can think of Dilfer with Ravens... Eagles redhead from North Dakota forgot his name but he was drafted in the top 10 won a super bowl then disappeared from the league...
Your right it can be done with a QB that is good enough to contribute to a Super Bowl win.... Sounds like you don't want a Franchise QB your happy with mediocre