The latest generation of New Orleans Saints players are more active than any other when engaging with fans and the news, especially on social media. Running back Mark Ingram is no exception. The two-time Pro Bowler responded on Twitter to a CBS Sports report alleging that the Arizona Cardinals were looking to trade several starters: linebackers Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick, and cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Ingram’s response is brief and perfect for the millennial age, as all he did was tag Peterson in his post and share a ‘shifty eyes’ emoji. For those who don’t speak emoji, Ingram is basically nudging Peterson in quiet support of a possible trade to the Saints. It’s almost meaningless. And for whatever it’s worth, Peterson did not respond to Ingram’s tweet with a reply, retweet, or like. This is hard-hitting social media analysis, folks. If only my college professors could see me now.
For their part, the Arizona Cardinals have dismissed any reports that Peterson could be traded. The perennial Pro Bowler is a big part of their game plans, having shadowed Minnesota Vikings star Stefon Diggs outside the slot on Sunday. Head coach Steve Wilks struggled to dignify questions about trade rumors with a reaction, settling with, “I don’t respond to things that are ludicrous.” General manager Steve Keim was less vociferous, telling Arizona Sports 98.7:
“The one part of my job is to have dialogue with other teams when it comes to trades and different transactions,” Keim said. “Number one, the one thing I won’t do is I won’t confirm or deny those in public. I will tell you it’s a lot of gossip, people enjoy it, it’s water cooler talk. A lot of the stuff that you’ll read is certainly false. I know that on Wednesday I woke up to three different names that were brought to my attention and those conversations never happened. I would say to most fans to tread lightly when it comes to trade talks because very rarely are those accurate.”
So this isn’t likely to happen, if we believe the word of the people deciding so. But what if there was a chance? Before we get too deep into the weeds, know that I’m not advocating for whether or not the Saints should pursue Peterson in a blockbuster trade. I’m attempting to make my best guess at how they could accomplish it, much like how I speculated on a trade for Teddy Bridgewater earlier in the year.
We’ll model this transaction off what it took the Los Angeles Rams to pick up cornerback Marcus Peters. Peters was on his way out from the Kansas City Chiefs and just turned 25 years old – his theoretical prime. Peters also is still on his rookie contract. On the other hand, Peterson is a 28-year old franchise cornerstone in the middle of a contract earning him $14 million per year.
Peters changed teams in exchange for a 2018 fourth-round draft choice and a second-round pick in 2019. It would take more than that to acquire Peterson, even if Arizona could be talked into letting him go. So let’s flip it: a 2019 second-round draft choice and several draft picks in 2020 (say, a fourth and fifth), plus Saints cornerback Ken Crawley. Without Peterson, the Cardinals would have to promote Bene Benwikere or Jamar Taylor, so the Saints would have to lose a starter – though still upgrading the position.
Then there’s the financial impact. Per CBS Sports salary cap expert Joel Corry, any team waiting until the Oct. 30 deadline to trade for Peterson would need about $5.8 million in 2018 cap space. Peterson’s 2019 salary cap hit is $11.25 million, and it climbs to $12.55 million in 2020. The Saints currently have around $2.1 million in spaceavailable now, but it would climb to a little over $2.7 million should they pass off Crawley’s contract.
Early extensions for other players could lower their 2018 hits, creating more space – names like Cam Jordan ($14.4 million against the cap), and Ingram ($5.3 million). There are tougher considerations down the road with Drew Brees and Bridgewater each needing resolution next spring, but if the Saints really wanted to get Peterson, they have the resources to do it.