Heading to the halfway mark of the 2021 season, the New Orleans Saints have been doing a solid job without a complete roster at the moment. Sean Payton and his men currently sit at the second spot of the NFC South with a 4-2 record through Week 7.

Despite their applaudable performances, the Saints still have several holes to fill on their lineup on both ends of the field. They will definitely have to be active in this season's trade deadline in order to fill their needs and have a more complete roster for the remainder of the season.

Hopefully, adding more depth will help the Saints get to the next level and allow them to vie for the top spot in the division in the weeks to come. With that said, here are two trades that New Orleans must make before the upcoming 2021 NFL deadline.

Saints Trades For The NFL Trade Deadline

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Trey Flowers

Currently, the Saints already have an impressive defensive rotation though they can still use some help in the pass-rushing unit. One of the players that they can target is defensive end Trey Flowers from the Detroit Lions.

With a winless slate, head coach Dan Campbell and his squad aren't going anywhere for the remainder of the season. They could potentially head towards a full rebuild and let go of some of their pieces in the upcoming trade deadline.

Despite the team's losing efforts, Flowers has been a bright spot for the Lions as he continues to perform in the trenches. He has gotten off to a rhythm early in the season as he is tallying 20 total tackles, three QB hits, and 1.5 sacks through five games played. His versatility will definitely give the Saints an additional threat on the field and will give the team a major advantage on the defensive end.

With two years left on Flowers' current contract, New Orleans will be able to lock up a reliable and experienced veteran who can certainly elevate the team's defensive unit moving forward.

James Washington

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Javon Foster, Dominick Puni, Brenden Rice in the middle, Derek Carr and GM Mickey Loomis around them, and New Orleans Saints wallpaper in the background

Enzo Flojo ·

Derek Carr on one side with a speech bubble that says "Let's fight!", Maxx Crosby on the other side, a bunch of laughing emojis in the background

Owen Crisafulli ·

Tyrann Mathieu saying "use Bijan better!"

Joshua Valdez ·

One of the major areas of concern for the Saints is their receiving unit, especially with the extended absence of WR1 Michael Thomas. Though other pass-catchers in Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris have been stepping up as of late, the room still needs an additional threat who can contribute in the scoring department.

An ideal target would be wide receiver James Washington from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Previously seen as one of their young talents, the Oklahoma State standout has fallen off the depth chart and has been seeing limited action this season. Through five games, Washington has only recorded 108 yards on 10 receptions without a touchdown scored for the Steelers.

With the continuous improvement of Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson, it will be hard for the 25-year-old to get more touches for himself moving forward. Amid the team's dynamic, perhaps a change in environment would help Washington regain his confidence and allow him to show his capabilities on the field.

The shallow receiving core of New Orleans will surely have a place for a player like him who has already shown glimpses of his potential in recent seasons. If James Washington manages to land with the Saints then it will surely give Jameis Winston another talented receiver and allow the offense to be more dynamic moving forward.