The New Orleans Saints are an absolute mess right now, both with their cap space and their roster. There are some intriguing pieces Saints fans have reason to be excited about, but this team isn't going to be competitive anytime soon. The team's trade on Wednesday to acquire Devaughn Vele from the Denver Broncos won't get them any closer to contention.
We’ve agreed to terms on a trade with the New Orleans Saints for a 2026 fourth-round pick and 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for WR Devaughn Vele.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 20, 2025
📰 » https://t.co/f3HbrhaB9c pic.twitter.com/4vHeFKTcYv
The Saints traded a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick for Vele, a 27-year-old wide receiver who wasn't selected until the seventh round of last year's NFL Draft. I don't think this was a bad trade value-wise as Vele had an impressive rookie season and will contribute in New Orleans, but this brings up one important question - how much of an impact can he conceivably have with New Orleans' quarterback situation being what it is?
Saints quarterback situation makes Devaughn Vele trade feel underwhelming
Vele impressed as a rookie, recording 41 receptions for 475 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. Expectations were low considering where he was drafted, but he shattered them and wound up ranking third on the team in targets.
By adding Vele, the Saints added to perhaps the biggest stength of their team, their wide receiver room. He joins Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks among the wide receiver corps and will catch passes from, well, we have no clue.
The Saints have yet to announce a starting quarterback, and they might not even do so until their third preseason game concludes. It'll be either rookie Tyler Shough or second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler under center when the regular season begins. The fact that a winner of this quarterback competition hasn't been chosen confirms what Saints fans already know - the quarterback situation is incredibly underwhelming.
How much of an impact will Vele, the team's WR3 at best, have with a subpar quarterback situation? Was it really worth giving up a fourth-round pick for a WR3 when you're rebuilding?
That answer can be debated, but the reality of the situation is that this trade feels meaningless with the quarterback situation the way it is. Again, the value of the deal was fine, and Vele is a solid player, but the Saints didn't exactly fill a need here. They already had three wideouts worth playing and added a fourth.
All Saints fans can hope for now is to see Vele play a big role in the team's offense and for whoever ends up throwing the ball to stick around. One, let alone both of these things happening feels like a stretch in New Orleans' situation.