4 hypothetical trade packages for Saints WR Chris Olave as NFL teams now know New Orleans has started listening to offers
Check out a handful of trade scenarios for Saints wide receiver Chris Olave.
The New Orleans Saints sit at 1-5 after six weeks of the NFL season, and the trade rumor mill has started to churn. Indications are that the Saints will be open to moving some of their veteran talent before the NFL’s trade deadline to acquire draft capital for their future. With that, it is a possibility that they trade wide receiver Chris Olave.
Olave wasn’t made available during the offseason by the Saints, but with growing interest from other teams and a lessening chances of a playoff run for New Orleans, that seems to no longer be the case. I asked around the A to Z Sports beat for hypothetical trade offers New Orleans could hear for Olave. Let’s take a look at which one got the deal done in this hypothetical scenario.
Four Hypothetical Trade Offers For New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave
Buffalo Bills
Bills receive: Chris Olave
Saints receive: Curtis Samuel, 2026 2nd-round pick, 2026, 2026 5th-round pick
If the Saints are interested in a potential rebuild, Buffalo should try calling. General manager Brandon Beane has shown in the past he’s willing to take a swing on some high-profile players and Olave is just that. Beane pushes all the chips on the table into the center, hoping to land a difference-maker on the offense as Buffalo continues to work on their identity on offense. After several 1,000-yard receiving seasons, Olave joining Buffalo would do just that. — Adam Zientek
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers receive: Chris Olave
Saints receive Alex Highsmith, 2026 3rd-round pick
Well, well, well, the Pittsburgh Steelers are back in trade discourse regarding a WR, and it just so happens that the Saints have a player that fits their needs perfectly. There has been a lot of buzz regarding the Steelers and Saints engaging in talks dating back to the summer, but the Saints rightfully wanted to see how their season would pan out. And now that they have a solid sample size, it’s time to sell. Well, Pittsburgh should be buying. Olave has proven to be a dynamic player with his silky route running and downfield prowess. However, as Holt will tell you, he’s not exactly a 1A or WR No.1. Well, in Pittsburgh, he doesn’t have to be. He can be the Z WR that plays off Metcalf and keeps defenses on their toes. We know Pittsburgh has been, and will be, interested. It will come down to price for Khan and co., per usual. — Rob Gregson
New York Giants
Giants receive: Chris Olave
Saints receive: 2026 4th-round pick, 2026 5th-round pick
During the 2024 offseason, the Cleveland Browns traded for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos for a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick. That trade package should be what New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen aims to push for to add Olave. Jeudy and Olave didn’t have identical production to start their careers, but looking back at a past example of a former high-potential first-round pick who recently underperformed provides evidence of his value. The Giants do not have their 2026 third-round pick, which will likely complicate the negotiation. However, since we likely need to develop a long-term team after the trade, two Day 3 picks are worth the move. — Joe DeLeone
New England Patriots
Patriots receive: Chris Olave, 2026 5th-round pick
Saints receive: Efton Chism, 2026 2nd-round pick
The Patriots are not necessarily desperate to acquire a wide receiver like they were a year ago, but it would be smart to make a move that could help quarterback Drake Maye both now and in the long run. Olave is under contract for a team-friendly amount this year and $15.49 million next year, and New England is in a perfect position to use its cap space as a tool in the market. Sending a second-round pick is not ideal, but the Patriots would get a fourth back, which essentially makes it a third-round value. New England would then have the flexibility to extend Olave and keep him around longer, something particularly valuable with a 25-year-old receiver. We added Efton Chism to the offer because he has had no offensive role on the team, and putting a young player in the trade package could make it more appealing to a rebuilding Saints. — Wendell Ferreira
Which Offer Should The Saints Accept (Hypothetically)?
The Saints won’t be looking for a major talent player-wise in return for Olave, assuredly. Yet, one of these deals did include an impactful defender. That makes the situation a bit more intriguing for everyone involved. More so, New Orleans will probably value draft capital over all else when considering a trade offer to accept for the wideout over the next few weeks (if they do so).
The two offers that stand out the most to me here are from the Bills and Steelers. Pittsburgh’s includes Alex Highsmith, who would be a legitimate starting pass rusher for the Saints this year and beyond, plus a day two selection. That’s enticing for a team who has had issues garnering sacks over the past two seasons.
On the flip-side, for Buffalo, their openness to part ways with a second-rounder plus a fifth-rounder and veteran wideout to supply depth with Olave’s departure is also quite tempting. Even if Buffalo is picking in the latter half of round two, that pick still holds more weight than most of the others on the table, and Samuel can take over some of the snaps left from Olave’s absence and help Spencer Rattler.
In this scenario, the Steelers offer gets accepted by the Saints. Pittsburgh grabs a legitimate weapon to accompany DK Metcalf at WR, and the Saints improve their defensive line immediately, along with picking up an important draft pick for 2026. It simply made too much sense for the team’s needs and Olave’s value on the market.
While the Patriots offer is a fair one, they simply got beat out by those other two here. New Orleans having to send back a day three pick moves the Bills’ offer a tad bit ahead. As for the Giants’ offer, it would be a bit of a low value (in comparison to the others offered in this hypothetical) for New Orleans to take here. We’ll see if New Orleans decides to deal their top wideout (or another WR before the trade deadline).
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