NFL rumors swirl around New Orleans, but sources continue to indicate the Saints aren’t inclined to move Chris Olave before the deadline. Interest is real from receiver-needy teams, yet New Orleans views the young wideout as a core piece rather than a trade chip.
That’s why the latest buzz connecting the Denver Broncos to a Saints pass-catcher points in a different direction.
ESPN’s latest deadline chatter frames Denver as a team to watch. With injuries up front and uneven production at the skill spots, the Broncos have evaluated interior offensive line and pass-catcher help. Ideally, they’d add a classic field-stretching veteran to diversify the room and complement what’s already on the roster.
One name floated in that context: Rashid Shaheed, a downfield threat Sean Payton knows well from his New Orleans days. The broader question raised by ESPN’s panel: how upstart AFC contenders—Broncos, Colts, Patriots—try to keep pace with usual heavyweights like the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens as the second half tightens.
The idea is straightforward. Denver doesn’t necessarily need a splashy, cost-prohibitive deal; it needs speed and gravity outside to create stress on safeties, open intermediate windows, and keep boxes honest.
Rashid Shaheed fits that archetype: vertical juice, return value, and veteran savvy in Payton’s concepts. Whether New Orleans engages is another matter, but the profile aligns with what the Broncos are seeking right now.
There’s Steelers intrigue in the receiver market, too. Pittsburgh has scouted wideout options while juggling injuries and recent moves elsewhere on the roster. Hypothetical proposals involving Olave have circulated, centered on day-two capital, but they bump into the same reality: the Saints aren’t expected to move him.
If Olave is truly off-limits, teams could pivot to speed options like Shaheed, who would cost less draft capital while still changing spacing for an offense.
As the clock ticks, the Saints can hold firm on Olave, listen to complementary pieces, and still thread the needle between competing and retooling. Denver, meanwhile, profiles as a sensible landing spot for a field-stretcher, if they decide the marginal gains in spacing, explosives, and special teams are worth the price.
