3 Saints players who won’t be back for 2023 season

Saints who won’t be back next year: Cameron Jordan

Yet another painful player to see on this list for Saints fans. If Kamara has been the heart and soul of the offense, Cameron Jordan has been that for the defense.

We’ve seen him tallying sacks and getting to new “levels” since 2011, all in New Orleans. He is without a doubt one of the strongest draft picks the Saints have made on the defensive side of the ball this century. Moving on here would be emotional, to say the least.

But the pieces are there for Jordan to work as excellent trade bait for teams closer to pushing for a Super Bowl. Consider that Jordan’s final year of his contract is in 2024, so there’s no long-term ball and chain with Jordan, a strong player, no doubt, but one that is coming up at the end of his career sooner rather than later.

Secondly, Jordan is talented and hungry to win a title. He and the Saints have gotten oh-so-close plenty of times over the last decade.

He fits nicely in the archetype of what Von Miller was for the Rams last season. The Rams acquired him in a trade and he contributed to their Super Bowl win. It was a win for the Rams, a win for Miller who hadn’t won a title yet, and a win for the Broncos as they got some assets out of the deal before he became a free agent and walked for nothing. Emotional for Denver, yes, but necessary to move onto the next stage. It would be similar for New Orleans.

If anyone deserves a Super Bowl on this Saints team, it’s Jordan. He’s been a Pro Bowler seven times, including the last five seasons straight. And if the Saints look to trade talented players to contenders to shore up their draft stockpile, Jordan is one of the most attractive pieces.

These kinds of trades tend to happen midseason, but the Saints might read the room and realize they need picks in the 2023 draft. If they’re wise, they’ll get ahead on moving some pieces that don’t align with the rebuild timeline.