Saints Ship Pro Bowl CB to NFC Foe to Help Falcons' 2024 Rival

Always a thorn in the side of the Atlanta Falcons, the New Orleans Saints helped a contending NFC foe with a deal before the NFL trade deadline.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons saw the worst of both worlds in a deal made hours before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the New Orleans Saints sent Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. The Saints included a 2025 fifth-round pick in the deal and received a third-, fourth-, and sixth-round picks in 2025 in exchange.

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Sources: The #Saints are trading Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore to the #Commanders for a premium draft pick. Washington loads up. pic.twitter.com/lmEvWPiAcY

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2024

Lattimore is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, and he hasn't made the Pro Bowl since 2021. But he was still one of the top defensive backs available before the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5.

Lattimore should make a strong Washington secondary even stronger. The Commanders enter Week 10 ranked eighth in passing yards allowed.

The Falcons will visit the Commanders during Week 17. As of Nov. 5, both teams are in first place, so each squad should feel comfortable about its playoff chances.

But if the Philadelphia Eagles and/or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a push for their respective divisions, the Atlanta-Washington showdown could turn into a de facto playoff game with the losing sitting out in January.

At the very least, the Falcons-Commanders matchup will probably determine playoff seeding, meaning the winner could see "an easier" matchup in the first round. In that scenario, the winner would also be the home team if the two clubs met again in the playoffs.

Lattimore will have spent more than seven weeks with his new team by the time the Falcons face the Commanders.

In the short term, the Falcons won't have to worry about whether Lattimore returns to the field this week. They visit the Saints, who are going through significant organization changes this week, on Nov. 10.

But in the long run, the Falcons will have to deal with a Saints franchise that just added more valuable draft capital. It's only mid-round capital, but it could give New Orleans a significant advantage over the Falcons next April.

The Falcons only have two selections after the first two rounds in the 2025 draft. It could be even less than that too if the Falcons use a draft pick in their own trade Tuesday.