RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesAll of the good vibes surrounding the New Orleans Saints this summer were disrupted on Wednesday, with news breaking of a potential season-ending injury to standout defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. After leaving practice early under his own power, the Saints feared the worst after initial evaluations suggested Bresee tore the ACL in his knee. More tests will confirm the severity but it's looking like the team will be without one of their few difference-makers on defense. That puts more pressure on highly-drafted guys like Christen Miller and Vernon Broughton , among others, but it also raises the question of whether the Saints have enough depth at the position to weather this storm.
So what's to be done? Whether it's trawling the free agent market or calling around the league in search of a trade partner, we should expect the Saints to bring in someone to take Bresee's place in the rotation. Here are four potential trade candidates to keep an eye on as other teams ramp up their own training camps in the days and weeks ahead.
Vita Vea
Projected compensation: 2027 first-round draft pick
This isn't happening, but Vea is the top name on the market right now and we'd be remiss to not mention him. Vea, 31, wants a new contract that will put him up there with the top-paid defensive tackles in the game like Dexter Lawrence ($28 million per year), Chris Jones ($31.75 million per year), and Jeffery Simmons ($35,276,000 per year). The Saints may have plenty of salary cap space to work with after this year, but they really aren't in a position to pay a top-of-the-market contract to an interior lineman on the wrong side of 30. Combine that with the added cost of trading within the division and this deal just wouldn't make sense for them.
Daron Payne
Projected compensation: 2027 fifth-round draft pick
Payne, 29, is also going to want a new deal, what with being in the last year of his contract, but he won't command top dollar like Vea. Extending him hasn't been a priority for Washington , and the Commanders may be open to moving him after a couple of down seasons. If the Saints could acquire him at the right price point, his $16.4 million base salary could fit under their salary cap with a restructure down to $4.32 million, putting the difference on next year's cap as dead money if he doesn't re-sign. In a best-case scenario, he plays well enough to earn a bigger deal than the Saints can match in 2027 and brings back a compensatory draft pick in 2028 to replace what they traded for him in the first place.
Tommy Togiai
Projected compensation: 2027 fourth-round draft pick
This is a case of plundering another team's depth chart for an ascending player. Togiai, 26, broke out last season with 28 quarterback pressures and 59 tackles, with the Texans having signed him to a smart one-year extension in Sept. 2025. But Houston has an embarrassment of riches on their defensive line between Sheldon Rankins, 2026 second-round pick Kayden McDonald, former Buccaneers second rounder Logan Hall, and other contributors (all lining up between Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter). Maybe the Texans aren't confident they can afford Togiai long-term and are willing to pick up a draft pick a year early.
Byron Young
Projected compensation: 2028 seventh-round draft pick for Young and a 2027 sixth-round pick
Young, 25, isn't to be confused with the Los Angeles Rams star linebacker but he could be a good fit for New Orleans. He quietly chipped in 13 quarterback pressures, 2.5 sacks, and 37 tackles with a fumble recovery on just 350 snaps behind bigger names like Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, plus Moro Ojomo, who led the Eagles ' defensive interior in snaps. Young wouldn't replace Bresee on top of the depth chart but he could offer more than other guys currently on the team in a rotation. Like Ojomo, Young will be a free agent after this season and the Eagles may not have room for him in their budget after extending both Davis and Carter. Unlike Ojomo, who is going to be paid a pretty penny in 2027 , trading for Young wouldn't cost a premium draft pick.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 4 trade options Saints could pursue if Bryan Bresee out for the year
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