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The New Orleans Saints are entering a new era under head coach Kellen Moore. New Orleans was never quite able to get over the hump after losing Drew Brees and Sean Payton. The team played well under previous head coach Dennis Allen, but ownership made it clear that mediocrity is not good enough.
Moore did not waste much time before putting his stamp on the team. The Saints added multiple players on one-year deals during NFL free agency. New Orleans also made a few long-term commitments, retaining Chase Young and Juwan Johnson before adding Isaac Yiadom and Justin Reid. All four players signed three-year contracts, which should make them important pieces of Moore's new-look Saints.
New Orleans also made some big additions in the 2025 NFL Draft. They reinforced the offensive line with Kelvin Banks Jr. and brought in a new starting quarterback in Tyler Shough.
Kellen Moore still has plenty of work to do retrofitting the roster. But New Orleans got off to a good start this offseason.
Now that Saints' coaching staff has had a good look at their new players after rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. It is possible that they've already changed their evaluations on a few players.
Could the Saints make a big move before the start of training camp? Or will they consider tweaking the roster around the trade deadline?
Below we will explore one obvious Saints trade candidate heading into training camp in July.
Would the Saints part ways with franchise legend Cameron Jordan in a trade?
It is hard to imagine Cameron Jordan suiting up for any team other than the Saints. But it could happen as early as this season.
Jordan has been a sensation in New Orleans ever since they drafted him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
He has been a stud throughout his 14-year career in New Orleans. Jordan has logged double-digits sacks in six of his 14 seasons in the NFL. He consistently pressures the quarterback and holds up fairly well against the run. Simply put, he's everything a team could ask for out of an edge rusher.
We would be foolish to ignore the fact that Jordan is a franchise legend for the Saints. They would not part ways with him without a good reason.
So why might the Saints trade away Cam Jordan? And if they did, when would it happen?
I view the case for trading Jordan as a three-pronged argument.
First, his fit into Brandon Staley's 3-4 defensive scheme is less than ideal. As a 4-3 defensive end, Jordan is left without a home on a 3-4 base defense.
Jordan would fit best as an edge rusher, but early word is that he could play as a 3-4 defensive end. That is not a perfect fit considering his size. It is also awkward because the Saints already have players like Bryan Bresee who fit that role perfectly.
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Meanwhile, Chase Young and Carl Granderson seem slated to start at outside linebacker on the edges.
The Saints could certainly find a role for Jordan, but it is tricky.
Second, Jordan is close to the end of his professional career. Even if Jordan fit into Staley's new defense, there's no guarantee that he would return in 2026 at all. That does not give Kellen Moore much motivation to hold onto Jordan for too long, especially when the 2026 season could be a rough retooling year for the team.
That works nicely into my final point – trading Jordan lets the Saints get something in return for him.
I see Jordan having a healthy trade market around the NFL trade deadline this fall. That could be an ideal time to trade Jordan to a contending team for some kind of return. Even a late-round pick, or pick swap, could be useful for New Orleans moving forward.
Jordan can always sign a one-day contract to retire with the Saints. A trade simply might be the best move for the front office.
Which NFL teams might be interested in trading for Cameron Jordan?
If the Saints do decide to trade Cam Jordan at the deadline, which NFL teams might be interested in him?
Thankfully, Jordan only comes with a $9.78 million cap hit in 2025. That makes it pretty easy for another team to take on his salary, especially halfway through the season.
The Detroit Lions come to mind as one of the most obvious answers.
Detroit is desperate to add edge rush talent opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. Even if they end up bringing back Za'Darius Smith.
The Lions have plenty of cap space to bring on a one-year veteran. Dan Campbell also has an intimate connection with the Saints after his time spent in New Orleans. He could look to scoop up a Saints legend to upgrade the Lions' defense.
Another team could be the Vikings.
Minnesota also runs a 3-4 defense, but I could see them having the luxury of deploying Jordan exclusively as a rotational edge rusher. The only question would be how much they prioritize edge rusher four behind Van Ginkel, Greenard, and Turner.
Finally, the Saints could trade Jordan to any other contending team if they happen to lose an edge rusher to a season-ending injury.
At the end of the day, it is extremely unlikely that Jordan would ever be traded. But it could happen under the right circumstances.
Breathe easy, Saints fans. Cam Jordan will almost certainly retire in New Orleans.
