With less than three hours until the NFL Trade Deadline is complete, the New Orleans Saints must make moves. The goal is to set the team up to improve in the offseason, and the Saints have done just that with their first trade of the day.
The Saints Send WR Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks
Out of all the players on the roster, Rashid Shaheed was the most likely candidate to be moved at the deadline. With teams clamoring for the speedy WR, the ideal price for New Orleans might have been met.
Still, the Saints’ price was reportedly a third-round selection, which was always going to be a bit high, so they needed to come down a bit to get a deal done. It seems that was precisely what happened.
It’s a fourth and a fifth rounder for Shaheed. https://t.co/7Ss9Ch8sK4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 4, 2025
Why Did New Orleans Make This Move?
Draft capital and prioritizing players that will be here for the future are some of the main goals for any rebuilding team. By making this deal, the Saints did both of those things. Now, New Orleans has seven selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. A fourth and fifth rounder may not seem like much, but this roster is desperate for depth at every position, and finding a starter in those rounds is not out of the question.
With this trade, it also opened up snaps for WR Devaugn Vele, whom the team actually traded a fourth-round pick for in the offseason. Vele and HC Kellen Moore’s confusing decision not to play him more has been one of the main conversations around the Saints’ season. The contested catch WR is precisely what the Saints were missing on the roster, but for some reason, he still has not played enough.
MORE:Â 2025 NFL Trade Deadline Tracker
By making this trade, the Saints have effectively guaranteed that Chris Olave will stay and receive a contract extension. With Shaheed gone, Olave is now by far the top receiver on the roster. He is currently second in targets among all WRs according to PFSN’s WR Impact metric.
In addition, it would not be surprising to see the Saints try to invest in that position in the next draft. The current top three receivers on the roster are Olave, Vele, and Brandin Cooks, so adding some youth to that group would be smart.