The Rashid Shaheed Trade Frees Devaughn Vele

Although it’s devastating to lose a player like Shaheed, the value New Orleans gets in return, both in the draft and on the field, will be worth it.

A Real Head-Scratcher

On Aug. 20, New Orleans made a trade with Denver to acquire WR Devaughn Vele.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton had high praise for Vele, comparing him to Saints Hall of Fame WR Marques Colston. Colston was perhaps the greatest Saints WR of all time, amassing 9,759 yards and 72 touchdowns over his career with the team.

Obviously, we can’t expect that type of career out of Devaughn Vele. But he can still be productive. So far, his season with the Saints has been anything but that. Through nine weeks, Vele has only five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.

To be fair to Vele, he has only played 26.34% of the Saints’ offensive snaps — an extremely low number for a player you gave up hefty draft capital for. This is because he did not fit into the rotation. With a top three of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks, it was hard to find room for Vele to play.

A Problem Finds a Solution

The Shaheed trade with Seattle should fix Vele’s usage. Vele essentially now becomes the new WR3, which guarantees a much higher snap count. With it, the Saints can expect to see far more production come from the highly-touted receiver. We will be seeing a lot more of Vele in the red zone, where he is arguably most needed, due to his 6-foot-5 height.

While he doesn’t have breakaway speed, he is a reliable target due to his physicality and route-running abilities. With the Broncos in 2024, Vele had a nice season for a team with a deep WR room. He recorded 41 receptions for 475 yards and three touchdowns.

Trading Rashid Shaheed definitely stings, but the return the Saints will see out of Devaughn Vele will be well worth it.