New Orleans Saints Should Consider Trading QB Drew Brees

Drew Brees has been the face of the New Orleans Saints for the past 10 seasons and has even taken his team to a Super Bowl title. It has been a great run for Brees, and the Saints have been very pleased with his performance. Due to the success that the two parties have had together, it is hard to see them parting ways before Brees decides to hang up the cleats and retire.

That being said, the Saints should strongly consider trading their star quarterback in the next year or two.

At 37-years-old, Brees is at the end of his career. He may not have more than a few years left to play at an elite level, but there are quite a few teams around the NFL that would be willing to pay a high price for those last few seasons to be with them. Brees is still one of the elite quarterbacks in the league.

Last season with the Saints, Brees ended up completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,870 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Those numbers show just how dominant Brees is still capable of being. He even put those stats up with a below average supporting cast and no true go-to wide receiver.

During a recent interview with NFL, Brees did mention that he would like to play five more years. He also said that he is taking it one year at a time. That intention alone could place his trade value at an all-time high.

“I would love to play five more years. But honestly, I’m just taking it one year at a time, because you gotta prove it every year. Regardless of the length of your contract or whatever else, we’re all on one-year deals. We’ve got to do it each and every year.”

New Orleans is nowhere close to being a serious contender in the NFC. They have a ton of work to do before they are even considered a playoff threat.

Other teams like the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks are far superior football teams. Brees may want to play five more years, but there is a good chance that the Saints will still be in the middle of a half completed rebuilding process.

Sean Payton has stayed true to the Saints as well, which came as a bit of a surprise. He signed a five-year extension with the Saints this offseason, as ESPN reported. Brees is loyal to Payton as well as the Saints, which means that he will not be leaving via free agency unless something unexpected happens.

Brees is set to hit free agency this offseason, which could lead the Saints to a trade before the NFL trade deadline this year. Even if they don’t deal him, there is a very high likelihood that he will re-sign with New Orleans and give them a chance to trade him in the future should they choose to go that route.

There is a very strong chance that the Saints will hang onto Brees until he decides to retire. That may be the respectful thing to do for a quarterback that has meant so much to the franchise, but it is not smart business.

If a team blows them away with an offer, the Saints have to seriously consider taking the deal and moving on from Brees.

Expect to hear plenty of rumors about Brees next offseason as his contract runs out. New Orleans will likely try to get a new deal in place before that happens, but rumors will fly. If he does hit free agency, all bets are off and the Saints could end up losing him for nothing.

Do you think the New Orleans Saints should consider trading Drew Brees? What would be a reasonable asking price for Brees should they choose to deal him? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Photo by Jonathan Bachman/AP Images]