Grading the Trade: Saints send away former LSU team captain to NFC team just two weeks after adding him to the roster
The Deion Jones era with the New Orleans Saints has come to an end after (checks notes) two weeks. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jones is being traded to the San Francisco 49ers for running back Zamir White.
The Deion Jones era with the New Orleans Saints has come to an end after (checks notes) two weeks.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jones is being traded to the San Francisco 49ers for running back Zamir White.
Jones, a former second-round draft pick who played for LSU, was claimed off waivers on Aug. 8, a week before New Orleans’ first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former LSU team captain and 2017 Pro Bowler played 24 snaps against Jacksonville, and then 25 snaps against the Los Angeles Rams during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams.
Jones may have a chance to face the Rams twice more this season as a new member of the 49ers, and the Saints now have an extra RB.
Injuries necessitated the Saints trading for a running back
New Orleans was not short on ball carriers, but they were running low on available ones. Devin Neal suffered a hamstring injury against the Rams. Audric Estime is expected to miss time with an ankle injury. Alvin Kamara will be out for the next month with an MCL injury.
That leaves Travis Etienne Jr., Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler, and CJ Donaldson before adding White into the equation. Chandler fumbled just shy of the end zone on Saturday, so he wasn’t exactly making a promising case for the 53-man roster. Donaldson is but a rookie UDFA.
Who is Zamir White?
White was originally selected No. 122 overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. He played 45 games in four seasons for the Raiders, rushing for 736 yards and two touchdowns on 198 attempts.
Las Vegas elected not to re-sign White this offseason as a new coaching staff took over. San Francisco signed him to its roster on Aug. 12, so he’s experiencing almost the exact same situation Jones is going through. He played in both of the Niners’ preseason games this month, amassing 30 yards on 14 carries.
Grading the trade
Jones was a long shot to make the roster. Kaden Elliss, Pete Werner, Danny Stutsman, Jaylan Ford, and Isaiah Stalbird are the locks and safe bets to make the team at LB. Barring injury, Jones wasn’t likely to make an impact.
Considering how battered and bruised the Saints are at RB, landing a veteran in White makes sense for now. They can at least roster a healthy group when the season starts and re-evaluate after the first few weeks.
It’s definitely not a game-changer, but the logic is there.
Grade: B-
