The New Orleans Saints have found themselves in the NFL’s equivalent of purgatory. Dennis Allen’s team is coming off a 9-8 season and hasn’t made the playoffs since Sean Payton took over as head coach in 2020.
There is a genuine and obvious context for New Orleans becoming a pedestrian team since. Its salary cap position has not been ideal. Over the last few years, general manager Mickey Loomis has had to push back on these issues.
Could this come into play during the 2024 NFL Draft later this week? Loomis held a pre-draft press conference with media in the Bayou on Tuesday. He was questioned about perhaps trading four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The front office manager did not totally rule out the notion.
“You ask questions, and you have the right to ask them, but listen: everyone is tradable; it just depends on the offer that you receive. However, this is not extremely common. I dislike trading players who have made contributions for us.”
Lattimore, 27, has been the subject of trade rumours this summer. Due to injuries, the former first-round pick from Ohio State has only appeared in 17 games over the last two seasons. Prior to that, the cornerback made three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 2019 to 21.
The question is obvious. Will any team be willing to give up much for Lattimore? He will only cost $1.21 million under the cap for an acquiring team, as New Orleans modified the veteran’s contract earlier this offseason.
The Saints have the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday. In addition, New Orleans is represented by eight other teams in the annual competition. It is possible to find young cornerback(s) during the annual event.
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