By Jonathan Jones | Sports Illustrated | MMQB
The 5–1 New Orleans Saints are doing everything in their power to make sure they maximize Drew Brees’s final years.
On Tuesday, the Saints sent one of their precious remaining draft picks to the Giants in exchange for cornerback Eli Apple, strengthening the obvious weak link for the NFC contenders just before the trade deadline. No, Apple is not at all Patrick Peterson, but with little cap room and few 2019 draft assets, it’s the best New Orleans could do.
Recall when the Saints traded for Teddy Bridgewater before the start of the season. Based on his contract, it was hardly a move for the future for New Orleans. Instead it proved the Saints were in win-now mode, choosing to invest in a capable backup in case anything happened to Brees to maintain a chance for the playoffs.
You can view the Apple trade through a similar lens. The Saints, already down a first- and third-round pick in 2019 after trading for Bridgewater and trading up to draft Marcus Davenport, sent a ’19 fourth-rounder and ’20 seventh-rounder to New York to get Apple. As it stands today, the Saints have just one pick (a second-rounder) through the first four rounds of next year’s draft. ...
Full Story - Sports Illustrated
