The New Orleans Saints have been sellers at the trade deadline for the last two seasons. And at 2-5, they have a record that suggests they could take a similar approach this year.

But key differences exist between now and then.

For one, the NFC South is still very much up for grabs.

“We have great opportunities ahead of ourselves,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “Basically, a game back with 10 games (left), five of them are in division. We can create any path we want moving forward here. So it's going to be a fun battle for us.”

The Saints' position in the NFC South could alter their approach to Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The Saints were four games back in 2024 when they decided to ship Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. And they were 5½ games back in 2025 when they dealt Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks and Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The other main difference? The Saints arguably don’t have a Lattimore or Shaheed who would bring back notable compensation — at least one New Orleans would be willing to part with, anyway.

Six Saints have been mentioned in trade rumors over the last few weeks, but that does not include their best players, such as Chris Olave or Chase Young. The Saints have no incentive to part with Olave after giving him a four-year, $133 million contract months earlier. And premium pass rushers like Young are too hard to find.

Let’s take a further look at the Saints who have been caught up in the rumors and rank them in terms of least likely to most likely to be dealt.

6. DE Cam Jordan

The Saints trading Jordan in what he has said is his final season would be very surprising, if not outright shocking. The same could be said about Jordan’s name even popping up in rumors, considering he doesn’t have a sack this season. That said, NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported Jordan “has some people interested.” Nothing suggests the Saints would move on from their all-time sack leader, or that Jordan is dying to go play for a contender. He still matters to the franchise.

What the Saints could get: Probably not much, with no disrespect to Jordan. It’s just hard to gauge the market for a 37-year-old pass rusher, as evidenced by Jordan waiting until June to return to the Saints in free agency. Jordan put up 10½ sacks last year, but any inquiring team likely would point out that he has zero sacks this season. Teams love deals involving a player and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth, so that might be the format for a Jordan trade.

5. RB Alvin Kamara

Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported that multiple teams have “mused” whether the Saints would trade Kamara. If they do, it would be another curious twist in a year filled with discussions surrounding the running back’s future. The Saints got Kamara to take a pay cut, but the 31-year-old’s new contract is far from a bargain. Kamara is averaging just 3 yards per carry, although he has been a little more effective as a receiver compared to last season.

It’s hard to envision a market for Kamara, but there is always Denver and Sean Payton. The Broncos just placed running back R.J. Harvey on injured reserve. Could Kamara serve as a suitable replacement? Maybe not, given rookie Jonah Coleman’s emergence and Harvey’s injury projected to be on the shorter side.

What the Saints could get: Kamara’s age and production likely won’t attract much. The San Francisco 49ers gave up a sixth-round pick last summer for Brian Robinson, but he’s four years younger than Kamara. In 2024, the Bengals sent a seventh-round pick to Chicago at the trade deadline for Khalil Herbert. The backup running back market is cool.

4. WR Devaughn Vele

Ben Solak at ESPN floated a possible trade involving Vele to the Kansas City Chiefs, and while it's far from concrete that the Saints wide receiver is actually available, he’s making this list for the sake of conversation. He’d be much higher if this was a pure ranking of best assets: Vele is on pace for a career season and has the size (6-foot-5) to interest other teams. But it seems unlikely the Saints would part with him so soon, given he’s on an affordable contract and they acquired him from the Broncos last year. They also badly need his skill set, and he nicely rounds out a wide receiver trio that includes Olave and Jordyn Tyson.

What the Saints could get: A fourth and a seventh? That is the package the Saints sent Denver for him, so that seemingly would be the minimum for any Vele trade. But if the Saints were to sell high, they would have to get more for him than they did a year ago. They likely would ask for more than they did for Shaheed, which was a fourth and fifth.

3. RB Kendre Miller

The Saints claiming Audric Estime off waivers this week could signal they are starting to phase out Miller. The Athletic also reported that with Travis Etienne nearing a return from his hamstring injury, the Saints could soon “part ways” with Miller. Would another team be interested? Miller looks like an explosive running back based on the eye test, but he’s averaging only 2.8 yards per carry and has a long injury history.

What the Saints could get: Miller’s age (24) may make him more valuable than Kamara. If so, perhaps the Saints could fetch a sixth-round pick. There’s also this template with Jordan Mason and the Minnesota Vikings: In 2025, the 49ers sent the running back and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick. So a 5-6 swap instead of the usual 6-7.

2. S Justin Reid

As The Athletic pointed out, Reid has no guaranteed money left on his contract and makes a palatable salary ($1.3 million) that could make him an intriguing option for a team looking for a veteran safety. Not so intriguing: Reid is playing the worst football of his career. According to Pro Football Focus, the safety is giving up a career-worst 131.9 passer rating. He’s allowed 20 catches on 24 targets. The Saints have depth at safety, so they could handle losing Reid. It makes sense why Reid is in trade rumors, and he might fit better with a contender.

What the Saints could get: The market may be set by how many other veteran safeties are available. Atlanta’s Jessie Bates, Arizona’s Budda Baker and Tennessee’s Amani Hooker also have been rumored to be available. The recent history of compensation for safeties such as Reid hasn’t been very rewarding. The Dolphins received a seventh-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Jets in March, while the Patriots and the Steelers used a 6-7 swap involving Kyle Dugger last season.

1. G Cesar Ruiz

Ruiz is polarizing to Saints fans, but he’s their best asset among the trade candidates mentioned. ESPN ranked Ruiz as the 23rd-best candidate, noting he has had at least a 90% pass-block win rate in five of his seven seasons. Several teams could use help on the interior, and the Saints would have a logical replacement — rookie Jeremiah Wright — ready if Ruiz is shipped out. Like Shaheed last year, Ruiz is on an expiring contract, which could incentivize New Orleans to get something for him now.

What the Saints could get: The Indianapolis Colts just received a 2027 third-rounder and a 2028 fifth-rounder for Quenton Nelson, an eight-time Pro Bowler. Ruiz doesn’t have those credentials, but it may serve as a soft template. Could the Saints get a fifth for Ruiz? And would New Orleans accept that?

The answers will be revealed soon.