Could the New Orleans Saints move Cesar Ruiz at the NFL trade deadline? Teams in the playoff picture like the New England Patriots are feeling the pressure to compete, and ESPN likes New England as a potential fit for the former first-round pick. We'll add them to the list of team fits for Ruiz, along with the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.
"Both of the Patriots' Week 1 starters at guard -- Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Mike Onwenu (ankle) -- are on injured reserve," ESPN's Seth Walder wrote. "In Ruiz, New England would be adding a starting-caliber guard who is having a particularly good season, with a 78th percentile pass block win rate. He's a better pass protector than run blocker, but the former is more important in New England where
protecting Drake Maye is the most important job of the offensive line."
Ruiz has been the weak link on the New Orleans offensive line for a long time, but moving him won't do much to help their salary cap situation because the Saints restructured his contract so many times. Trading him would only save $607,500 against the cap for the rest of this season. The savings in 2027 are even smaller ($565,600). So this wouldn't be as much about cleaning up the cap outlook as it would be moving a player who isn't in the team's long-term vision.
Rookie draft pick Jeremiah Wright has struggled in relief of Ruiz (the starter missed most of two games with a concussion), but he won't get better by not playing. If the Saints are offered strong enough compensation to move Ruiz -- say, a fourth-round pick -- they could justify the trade by giving an inexperienced player more reps. The Patriots are expected to pick nine times in the 2027 draft, so they have the ammo to get a deal done if they choose to pursue it.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints' Cesar Ruiz linked to Super Bowl team before NFL trade deadline
