New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave Truly a Trade Candidate?

Former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave has oddly been involved in rampant trade speculation throughout the offseason, and while the conjecture has largely simmered regarding the New Orleans Saints, we must ask the question: was he ever really a trade candidate to begin with?

To be clear, teams probably did call the Saints to inquire about Olave over the last several months. New Orleans may have absolutely entertained those discussions, gauging the market to see what it could potentially get for the Ohio State product if it decided to move him.

But that does not necessarily mean Olave was ever officially "available," and it seems very hard to believe that the Saints ever actually shopped him. That's especially taking into account where his trade value likely is at the moment given that he missed half of 2024 due to multiple concussions.

Olave has now suffered five known concussions since his days with the Buckeyes, which is obviously a major concern moving forward. We know how good Olave is when he is healthy. He posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2022 and 2023 to begin his career, but he is obviously a rather high-risk player given his medical history.

Chances are, the Saints would not have been offered anything more than a third-round pick for Olave. Perhaps someone would have been willing to part with a second-rounder, but even that seems doubtful, particularly with Olave now eligible for a contract extension.

Realistically speaking, Olave was probably never a real trade candidate. He is just 24 years old, so it's not like he doesn't fit the timeline of New Orleans' rebuild, and again, it seems hard to fathom the Saints dealing Olave for a third-round draft choice.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Olave will be in a Saints jersey come Week 1, and Ohio State fans will get to watch their uber-talented alum — who led the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns twice during his Buckeyes career between 2018 and 2021 — hopefully enjoy a bounceback year.