The future of veterans on the New Orleans Saints roster is question as they transition into a new era. After years of failure under Dennis Allen, New Orleans has moved on to Kellen Moore.
Tyrann Mathieu and Derek Carr are at the top of the list of players Moore will have to make decisions on. Carr is a candidate to be traded or released, but Mathieu has only been mentioned in trade talks.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox ranks Mathieu sixth on his offseason trade big board and sees two teams as potential destinations for him: the Cincinnati Bengals, or a reunion with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Looking at the caliber of team Knox is linking Mathieu with, it’s clear he still has something left in the tank. Knox views the Bengals as a team who “lacked difference-makers in the secondary this past season,” and Mathieu could be the answer they need.
The Chiefs are coming off a Super Bowl loss and would only make this trade if they viewed Mathieu as an impact player. Seeing that the Saints may not be competitive before Mathieu retires, allowing him to be a playmaker elsewhere could be a win-win. He gets to play for a contender and the Saints get draft picks to compile younger talent. But the way Mathieu’s contract is set up saves the Saints next to nothing in a trade, so this wouldn’t be a move with the salary cap in mind.