Oct 26, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) runs for a gain past New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Saints Playing It Perfectly With Rashid Shaheed, Alontae Taylor

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The chatter around the National Football League is getting louder and louder with the Nov. 4th trade deadline inching closer.

The New Orleans Saints don't have the luxury of sitting around and just thinking about the trade deadline. New Orleans is preparing for a Week 9 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on the road. On top of this, the Saints are trying to get a rookie quarterback ready to go for his first regular-season start in the National Football League in Tyler Shough. Los Angeles is 5-2 and is a tough matchup anyway. Mix in the fact that Shough is taking over, and that makes things even more tricky.

Then, throw in the fact that the trade deadline is just two days after the matchup, and you'll see there are a lot of variables for the Saints to handle right now. When it comes to the trade deadline, the Saints are 1-7 and unsurprisingly have been talked about as a team that potentially could help contenders by selling off pieces. While this is the case, Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer shared that the current asking prices for both Rashid Shaheed and Alontae Taylor have "scared" teams away.

"Rashid Shaheed, a burner who’s only 27 and in a contract year, has drawn calls, too, but the asking price of a Day 2 pick has scared teams away to this point," Breer wrote. "Teams have reached out on CB Alontae Taylor, too, and those calls have reached a similar conclusion, with a similar price tag (Day 2 pick) proving a bit too rich for a guy on an expiring deal."

The Saints are handling the trade deadline the right way

With the deadline still days away, this is exactly what the Saints should be doing. Aim high. Shaheed is a former All-Pro and Pro Bowler for his work in the return game.

He's having the best season of his career so far receiving-wise with 431 yards in eight games. He's on pace for over 915 yards, which would be a new career-high.

Shaheed will be a free agent after the season and maybe it even makes some sense to move him, but there's no reason to even consider lowering the asking price until closer to the Nov. 4th deadline. And even then, if the Saints ultimately keep him, they could always try to find common ground on a new deal.

Taylor is also going to free agency after the season. He has been one of the Saints' most consistent defensive players this season. But, the same point stands. If the Saints want to move him, they still have a few days to discuss the possibility. Right now, the Saints should absolutely be asking high for these guys and see if a desperate team steps up.

More NFL: Saints Rumors Are Bad News Of Tyler Shough, Offense

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: