A fire sale should be on the horizon for plenty of teams around the NFL ahead of the league’s Nov. 4th trade deadline. The New Orleans Saints lack 2026 NFL Draft capital and have plenty of experienced roster pieces to move on from in a season where they have struggled consistently under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. As of now, the Saints hold the first overall pick in next year’s draft and are destined to earn a last place finish in the NFC South.

Making a trade to bolster the Buffalo Bills defense may be in New Orleans’ best interest for their long-term success, and edge rusher Carl Granderson is a name that could spark interest for plenty of playoff contenders.

Trading Carl Granderson to the Bills makes sense for the Saints

Granderson holds some of the most intriguing value when it comes to roster pieces that New Orleans could deal at the deadline.

He is still just 28 years old and has produced at a solid clip this season for the Saints. Granderson is also under contract for two more seasons on his current deal. I believe that he’s been underrated in seasons past for New Orleans, but his ceiling is clearly limited. Moving on is a route that the Saints must consider if they receive the right offer for Granderson.

Adam Zientek, who covers the Bills, explained some reasons why this sort of deal makes sense for Buffalo and how they can find a way to make the money work with it. The Saints need to entertain this scenario if the Bills are showing interest in adding a talented pass rusher.

“The Buffalo Bills need some serious help after injuries to both defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. That’s where the New Orleans Saints enter the mix, no, it’s not about wide receivers Chris Olave or Rasheed Shahid, but rather outside linebacker Curtis Granderson. What makes him so enticing for the Bills would be his current cap situation, paired with Buffalo’s. According to Over the Cap, the Bills are sitting at $1,670,488, which doesn’t make moves easy. They still need money to operate in the ever-changing landscape of the team, with injuries, practice squad signings, among a host of other things.

For Granderson, Buffalo could pull off the trade with some cash to spare. With nine weeks already come and gone, Granderson’s total salary would be reduced to $585,000, which is absolutely within the range of what the team is hoping to spend. Through nine weeks, Granderson has two passes defended with four and a half sacks with 33 combined tackles. Buffalo needs help, and the cost of Granderson might be too sweet to pass up. He’s not the big-name Bills Mafia was hoping for, but he could come in and make an immediate impact on the roster. Brandon Beane, your move.”
— Adam Zientek, A to Z Sports

Granderson is a player who would certainly hurt the defense’s talent pool if he’s dealt. There would be a clear hole at his position, even with the recent emergence of Chase Young since he has returned from injury. Cameron Jordan has been a non-factor for much of this season, and there’s little other proven depth when it comes to getting after the QB in New Orleans.

That being said, sending Granderson to the AFC for some sort of notable draft capital is the best plan in the long-term. Awe could probably net the team a third or fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and provide some long-term financial improvement for the Saints salary cap situation as well.

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