NFL Draft Trade Watch: Saints Among Top NFL teams to Land Miami QB Cam Ward

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward emerged as the best QB in the nation this past season and is now widely projected to be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and the favorite to be the first-overall player picked.

It would be shocking if he didn’t hear his name called as one of the first three picks, and every pick three may be a stretch. However, that doesn’t mean one of the teams currently slated to pick at the top of the draft has to be the team to pick him. A quarterback-needy team could offer up a bounty to slide up and snatch their franchise quarterback of the future. We will take a look at the three teams most likely to make a move for Ward and what it could mean for his future.

Las Vegas Raiders

Vegas currently holds the sixth-overall pick and is desperate to find a franchise quarterback. The issue is they have very little to surround a young QB with, especially if they give up a haul to move up and draft Ward. The franchise, in general, hasn’t shown any ability to build a winning team or develop a young quarterback. This is a situation that any young player would prefer to avoid.

New York Jets

The Jets sit at pick seven overall and have been looking for a franchise quarterback since Joe Namath. This organization is a dumpster fire from top to bottom and has been for decades. What’s even more alarming is the success that we’ve seen both Geno Smith and Sam Darnold have had after leaving New York, being considered complete busts due to their failures with the Jets. This team is incapable of developing a young quarterback and is a disaster on and off the field. This would be the worst-case scenario for Ward. The Jets are where quarterbacks’ careers go to die.

New Orleans Saints

With the ninth pick in this year’s draft, the Saints are in a full rebuild coming out on the other side of salary cap hell. Ward would be the perfect player for them to build around. He could lift a rebuilding team out of the basement and make them a perennial playoff team for the next decade.

Jets Predicted to Steal Rival’s Top Player on $80 Million Deal

Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland reacting after an NFL game.

The New York Jets could make a splash this offseason.

ESPN ran a simulation for several big name free agents to see how things would potentially play out in free agency. Miami Dolphins defensive back Jevon Holland’s name was brought up and it led to some big money offers.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini represented the Jets and offered a four-year deal for $80 million with $42 million of that guaranteed. The only other offer came from ESPN’s Stephen Holder who represented the Indianapolis Colts. He offered a four-year deal for $64 million with $30 million of that guaranteed.

After the offers were made, ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano ended up making the final call for each of the free agents. He took the Jets’ sizable offer for Holland.

“Honestly, these offers weren’t close. I really expected more teams to be interested, but if this is what I’m choosing between, it’s not difficult. The Jets are offering $4 million more per year and $12 million more in guarantees,” Graziano said.

Insider Explains the Jets’ Motivation to Make This Seismic Splash

“The Jets are desperate. Their top four safeties — none of whom are star quality — are pending free agents. Holland is young enough (he turned 25 on Monday) to be a foundational player for this new regime. Jets fans already are familiar with him. In 2023, Holland intercepted a Hail Mary and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown against quarterback Tim Boyle,” Cimini said. “Though Talanoa Hufanga and Tre’von Moehrig are other options, Holland goes a long way in improving this defense. This deal would have a $20 million signing bonus, and we’d guarantee the first- and second-year base salaries. I’d tack on one void year for cap purposes.”

Cimini’s offer of $20 million per year would place Holland No. 2 among the highest paid safeties in football, per Over The Cap. The only safety that is currently making more money than that is Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. with a $21.02 million salary.

Holland, 25, has appeared in 60 games and has made 57 starts since coming into the league. The former Oregon product was the No. 36 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Holland has racked up five interceptions, one pick six (we know what that one was Jets fans), five forced fumbles, five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and has totaled over 301 tackles.

The Juice Is Worth the Squeeze for the Jets

$80 million is a lot of moolah.

If you’re going to shell out that kind of cash as an NFL team, you want to get your bang for your buck. Holland is only 25 coming off of his rookie contract. He would fill an immediate position of need for the Jets. Plus you’d be taking away one of the best players from a bitter rival in the Dolphins.

This is the ultimate win-win move for the green and white.

You on paper are getting much better and they simultaneously are getting a lot worse.

“The Jets have shopped in the bargain bin at this [safety] position for many years but I expect that to change this offseason with Glenn in the fold. In 2022, the Lions drafted Kerby Joseph in the third round. In 2023, they drafted Brian Branch in the second. Joseph was an All-Pro in 2024, while Branch made the Pro Bowl. Both are playmakers with the versatility to move around the formation,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic explained.

Saints Hall of Famer Drew Brees Reveals which NFL QB New Orleans should sign and why it reminds him of himself

During the 2024 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints inducted Drew Brees into the Saints Hall of Fame. When he’s eligible in 2026, the legendary quarterback will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The reason why is that he was one of the best quarterbacks the league has ever seen.

New Orleans is still searching for his replacement, hoping to find another quarterback that plays like Brees. While the Saints have been unsuccessful in doing so, the Hall of Fame quarterback does see himself in at least one current quarterback.

Speaking with Malcolm Harris-Gowdie on radio row for Super Bowl 59, Brees revealed that Joe Burrow is the quarterback who immediately comes to mind when he hears that question.

Drew Brees says Joe Burrow reminds him of himself

The two have a Louisiana connection, and Brees made sure to point that out, saying that he loved watching the young quarterback at LSU, while Brees was playing his final years with the Saints. Beyond playing in the same state, Brees also highlighted that LSU was running the same offense New Orleans was, so he was able to see him operate in the same fashion that he did.

Burrow won the Heisman trophy and a National championship while playing in that offense, and went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. In the league, he has operated a lot like Brees, dissecting opposing defenses from the pocket, and leading his franchise to a lot of success.

Drew Brees was able to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl victory during his career, and that’s one accolade Burrow is still searching for. The Bengals did reach the big game once since drafting Burrow, but they fell short. However, Joe Burrow will have many more years to cement his legacy, and Drew Brees will be cheering him on.

Lions Rival Predicted to Make Humiliating Offseason Move

A chief rival of the Detroit Lions is being predicted to make an “embarrassing” move during free agency, which could make the Lions happy.
Even though the regular NFL season is long over, the offseason is heating up as free agency approaches. NFL free agency officially starts with the beginning of the new league year, which is on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern time for the 2025 season. While those in the Motor City will have their eyes on the Detroit Lions to see what kind of moves they make, some will also be observing the Detroit Lions’ key rivals. They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, after all.

Now, one of the Lions’ key rivals is being predicted to make a move that one NFL expert and analyst calls downright “embarrassing.”

Minnesota Vikings Move Could Make Detroit Lions Happy
The Minnesota Vikings are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to quarterbacks. While quarterback Sam Darnold led them to the playoffs in 2024, he’s largely expected to get picked up by another team, because his asking price will be so high. According to the Athletic’s Alec Lewis in a piece published Monday, March 3, even though the Vikings want to keep Darnold as their starter, it may not happen because of Darnold’s price tag.

If Darnold walks, the Vikings could pay a pretty penny to sign quarterback Daniel Jones, formerly of the New York Giants and currenting in Minnesota.

“The Vikings have numerous holes to fill and must use free agency to do it,” Lewis stated. “They see J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future and don’t want to hinder his progression.”

Lewis added, “They think a better path to building the optimal roster is paying a quarterback like Daniel Jones around $10 million instead of giving Darnold around $35 million. The Vikings’ decision would get tougher if Darnold considered returning for somewhere in the $25 million range.”

According to Spotrac, Darnold’s market value will be $40.1 million, so that would be difficult to support given that McCarthy is the team’s hopeful franchise quarterback and was picked with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Daniel Jones Signing Could Be ‘Laughable’
Chris Schad of Detroit Jock City chimes in on the idea of the Vikings instead paying Jones a hefty salary, stating in a feature published on Monday, March 3, that “paying Jones $10 million is extremely laughable considering his recent history.”

The Giants and Jones parted ways after the quarterback’s 10 games with the team in 2024. During those games, he threw for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. So, Jones signed to the Vikings’ practice squad, but he hasn’t seen playing time yet. Jones will be a free agent again when the new season kicks in.

Schad adds that Minnesota “caught lightning in a bottle” when they inked Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract last offseason, but that the move made since, because he “at least showed signs of life” with decent stats in his last six games for the Carolina Panthers. During those games, he tossed for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

“It’s hard to believe that Jones would be capable of the same play if he were put into the same situation,” Schad added, “giving Lions fans the chance to bask in another embarrassing move for a division rival.”

Jets $5.1 Million Team Captain in Danger of Being Cut Ahead of Free Agency

New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead reacting in the middle of an NFL game.

The New York Jets plan on trimming some fat ahead of free agency.

Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic put team captain Thomas Morstead on notice by saying he is a name to watch as a potential cap casualty.

Morstead signed a two-year deal for $5.1 million with $2.21 million of that guaranteed last offseason. The Jets could save $2.55 million in cap space with a $500,000 dead cap hit if they moved on from him this offseason, per Spotrac.

Not a Touchy-Feely Business but Rather a Cold-Blooded One

On the surface the Jets potentially cutting a 38-year-old soon-to-be 39-year-old punter to save some money makes sense.

A new regime is taking over and Morstead is a name on a roster sheet just like anyone else. However, the former SMU product developed a fun relationship with fans for his elite play and unique quirks.

For a large stretch of the last 10 years, the Jets struggled to find consistency at the punter position. That all changed when Morstead joined the team initially in 2021 as an injury replacement and then full-time in 2023 as the guy.

Morstead was named a Pro Bowl alternate during the 2023 season coming off of one of his best years as a pro.

The NFL is a business that stands for not for long. Gang Green’s decision to potentially move on from Morstead would be financially driven.

“If the Jets decide to make a change at punter, Broncos punter Riley Dixon would be an option too,” Rosenblatt revealed.

Dixon is a former Syracuse product and would welcome a return back to New York after his college days.

More Cuts Are Coming for the Jets

Rosenblatt said “expect” decisions to come through “sooner than later” on wide receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard. They are “likely cuts”, Rosenblatt added.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport shared on Sunday, March 2 that the Jets are taking trade calls on Adams ahead of the new league year kicking off.

However, they are unlikely to find a trade partner for Adams’ services. It isn’t because Adams doesn’t have gas in the tank.

In 11 games with the Jets, Adams racked up 854 receiving yards to go along with 67 receptions and seven touchdowns.

It is because of Adams’ massive contract. The talented receiver is owed a $35.6 million base salary over the final two years of his contract. That is an untenable figure for any NFL team.

In other words for a trade to go down, the Jets would need the assistance of Adams to pull it off. He would have to renegotiate his deal with a new team for that to happen.

Adams is more likely to refuse those contract alterations and force the Jets to release him. That would allow Adams to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career. At that point, he could sign with whoever he wants at whatever new contract he and his representation negotiate.

Brian Costello of the New York Post confirmed the unlikely nature of a Jets-Adams trade on “Boy Green Daily.”