The 2015 NFL trade deadline is just a few days away, and many are wondering what last-minute deals could end up being made. The deadline often passes with no movement, whereas other years have seen blockbusters come up with hardly any time left on the clock. One has to ask, though, would the New Orleans Saints really trade away Drew Brees to the New York Jets?
ESPN put together a list of trades they would like to see happen, and Brees heading north is one of them.
It’s stated that the Saints are at a point in time where changes need to be made. They’ve done as much as they can with Brees and the current roster, so it’s time to move on. If they trade him away now, they could at least get something for him.
It’s believed that they could get a third-round draft pick from the Jets for Brees.
New Orleans has indeed had losing seasons in the past four and are currently 3-4 and in third place in the NFC South. They’ve played better lately, but catching up to the undefeated Carolina Panthers (6-0) or 6-1 Atlanta Falcons will be very difficult.
Not only would the proposed trade bring a third-round pick to the Saints, but it would save them $20 million and free some salary cap space in 2016, according to NOLA .
The New York Jets aren’t against last-minute trades to get some help and bring in a future Hall of Fame quarterback. In 2008, they did the very same thing that ESPN is proposing and ended up with Brett Favre.
The New York Jets are sitting at 4-2 and in second place in the AFC East. Obviously, they are behind the 7-0 New England Patriots but put up a good fight against the division leaders last week. It seems like a new Jets’ team this year, and Drew Brees could add a little something extra.
Currently, the Jets have Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback, and he’s done a pretty good job too. He’s led the team well while preseason starter Geno Smith has been out with a broken jaw. It’s expected that Fitzpatrick will keep the starting job when Smith is healthy enough to return.
Drew Brees turns 37 in January, and he’s just in the second-to-last year of a five-year deal making him $100 million. This year, he’s earning $13.5 million in salary, and the Jets would only need to account for half of that if the last-minute trade beats the deadline.
New Orleans has Luke McCown as their back-up quarterback right now, and they drafted Garrett Grayson in the third round earlier this year. Some believe that Grayson could be the Saints’ quarterback of the future, but that remains to be seen.
ESPN proposed a few other trades as well, and all of them were huge blockbuster deals including big-time players.
- Texans trading J.J. Watt to Packers
- Lions trading Calvin Johnson to Patriots
- Browns trading Joe Thomas to Giants
- Bears trading Jay Cutler to Redskins
One or two of those (Cutler) seems a bit more feasible than the Saints discarding Brees for a third-round draft pick to the Jets. Still, stranger things have happened in the NFL and one never knows what could be offered right before the trade deadline.
With Brees having just one season left on his current deal, this may get the Saints thinking.
As of Friday, there are no real talks publicly known to be happening for a Drew Brees trade from the New Orleans Saints to the New York Jets. A lot can happen in a weekend, though, but Brees will likely still be in black and gold next week.
[Photo by Chris Graythen / Getty Images]
