Saints’ late-night trade with 49ers becoming part of a pattern

Saints' late-night trade with 49ers becoming part of a pattern.

Key points

• White, 26, had a productive finish to his 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
• 18: New Orleans created a player-for-player swap just like this one, sending defensive lineman Khalen Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for backup center Luke Fortner.
• 26: Asim Richards was acquired in a pick swap with the Dallas Cowboys, downgrading their 2028 sixth-round pick to a seventh rounder that same year.
• And this Jones-White trade is part of a pattern under head coach Kellen Moore.
• Miller returned and is healthy now, but Neal is dealing with another hamstring matter and Estime's outlook is uncertain.

It's that time of the year again; the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers worked out a player-for-player trade late Sunday evening that kept veteran linebacker Deion Jones in California with running back Zamir White joining the Saints on their way home to Louisiana. White, 26, had a productive finish to his 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. He rushed for 397 yards and a touchdown in the final four games, a stretch where the Raiders went 3-1 and saved Antonio Pierce's job. But he spent much of the last two years as a healthy scratch on Sundays.

In practice, the accord produced sense for the Saints. After top-paid free agent pickup Travis Etienne Jr. And maybe Kendre Miller (now that he's healthy), there aren't plenty of sure things in the New Orleans backfield. That goes for Alvin Kamara, too. This person is one of a number of Saints running backs dealing with an injury this summer. Jones wasn't going to create the team in a crowded linebacker corps, so he gets a fresh start, too. Cutting deals right now, a week before roster cuts, is just striking when the iron is hot. Teams have a sense of which guys will create their teams and who won't. They'd rather obtain something back than nothing.

And this Jones-White trade is part of a pattern under head coach Kellen Moore. We saw the Saints create a couple of similar deals around this time of the year last season.

Aug. 18: New Orleans created a player-for-player swap just like this one, sending defensive lineman Khalen Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for backup center Luke Fortner. He concluded up starting 10 games in relief of injured Pro Bowler Erik McCoy.

Aug. 20: New Orleans additionally paid a premium in a agreement with the Denver Broncos for wide receiver Devaughn Vele (sending a fourth rounder in 2026 and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft), and he popped off with 20 receptions for 254 yards and a touchdown in six games after Tyler Shough took over as the starting quarterback.

Aug. 26: Asim Richards was acquired in a pick swap with the Dallas Cowboys, downgrading their 2028 sixth-round pick to a seventh rounder that same year. Richards has since discovered his footing as the go-to backup for both Kelvin Banks Jr. At left tackle and Taliese Fuaga on the right side.

Injuries have plagued the Saints at running back all summer, with Kendre Miller and Devin Neal missing much of training camp before Audric Estime went down with an ankle injury in the preseason. Miller returned and is healthy now, but Neal is dealing with another hamstring matter and Estime's outlook is uncertain. That's additionally true for Kamara. This person could be a candidate to start the season on injured reserve after suffering an MCL sprain last week.

With two healthy backups both struggling in ball security against the Los Angeles Rams — Ty Chandler fumbled in the red zone after CJ Donaldson lost a ball out of bounds at the end of a long gain — the Saints clearly felt like they needed more support here. We'll see just what kind of workload they have in mind for White going into the final preseason game on Friday night. Roster cuts are just around the corner on Sunday, Aug. 30, and he must act fast to create a robust impression.

Taken together, the developments around saints late-night trade with 49ers becoming part of a pattern point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.