The New Orleans Saints have been busy this week building their roster in the trade market.
First they acquired center Luke Fortner from the Chargers in exchange for Khalen Saunders, but the bigger splash came when they pulled the trigger on 6-5 WR Devaughn Vele from the Broncos in exchange for draft picks. So what does the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert think of the move?
"I think even before the draft and everything we’d been harping on oh, we need a big receiver, we need a big receiver," Hebert said, "so Mickey went out and got a big receiver for the quarterbacks and Kellen Moore."
Hear Bobby Hebert's full breakdown of the trade in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
That need has been clear throughout training camp and was only emphasized by a season-ending injury to second-year WR Bub Means. There are names like Kevin Austin and Cedrick Wilson in the WR room, but neither has stepped up to claim that role. The room is led by intriguing speedsters with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks, but none are best suited at running routes over the middle of the field or making catches through contact.
Vele was a 7th round pick of the Broncos a year ago, but brought significant production with 41 catches for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns in 13 games. Saints fans will remember fondly the days of Marques Colston, also a 7th round pick and a player that Broncos head coach Sean Payton compared Vele with throughout last season. It's a high point of praise, but one that Hebert is taking with a grain of salt at this stage.
"If he’s like Colston," Hebert continued, "why would Sean Payton let him go? ... I’m sure Sean will talk him up, oh, you know, we had the numbers game, you know, and we think he has a bright future, you know, and we just wanted to get something for him. That’s what I think Sean would say. He wouldn’t say, boy, I’m sure glad Mickey [Loomis] took him."
Related
The criticism of the move will come on a few fronts, most notably the steep cost -- a 2026 4th and 2027 7th round picks -- to bring him in. There's also the fact that Vele, despite entering his second NFL season, is already 27 years old. That's largely a product of his 2-year Mormon mission prior to joining Utah as a walkon in 2019. Vele has also been dealing with knee issues this camp, something Payton has downplayed.
Vele is entering Year 2 of his 4-year rookie deal. In the end it'll be what he does in a Saints uniform that tells the story of the deal.
"What kind of difference-maker will he be?" Hebert said. "At least they’re doing something, but the question is going to be he’s going to produce or what is everybody going to say, oh, Mickey gave up too much, Sean took him to the cleaners. … You can’t win for losing, you know how that is. Whether you look at it positive or negative, oh, glass half full, half empty. No, we got a big-body receiver. Let it play itself out. Everybody is so quick to judge."
Related
It's unclear exactly when Vele will be ready to go in a Saints uniform. If he can execute a quick turnaround and get up to speed on a portion of the playbook, his first time on the field in black and gold could potentially come against his former team when the Saints host the Broncos in the Caesars Superdome at noon on Saturday.