Report: Saints Showing Interest In Much-Needed Veteran Wide Receiver

Desperate for offensive help, the Saints have been linked to a possible trade for a veteran wideout, per reports.

New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams makes a catch against the Denver Broncos / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints need help at wide receiver. That need increased exponentially because of injuries to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Olave will miss Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos with a concussion. Shaheed may be gone longer, perhaps for the season, after having surgery on his knee.

New Orleans was reportedly among the teams interested in trading for Davante Adams from the Raiders. Ultimately, Adams would get dealt to the New York Jets. Following that move, the Jets may be interested in dealing one of their veteran wideouts.

NFL Insider Diana Russini and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic have both reported that the Jets are shopping veteran WR Mike Williams for a potential trade. Russini goes on to report that the Saints, along with the Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, are the first teams to inquire about acquiring Williams.

Mike Williams

Sep 17, 2023; Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams (81) runs after a catch against the Tennessee Titans / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Williams, 30, began his career with the Chargers as a first-round choice in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Clemson, the seventh overall selection. After a slow start to his career, he became a huge part of the Chargers attack as a deep threat and a big-bodied target in traffic.

In seven years with the Chargers, Williams had 309 receptions for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns. He led the Chargers with 10 scoring receptions in his second season (2018), then led the NFL with 20.4 yards per catch in 2019. That was also his first 1,000-yard campaign, pulling in 49 passes for 1,001 yards.

Williams had his most productive year in 2021. He had 76 receptions for 1,146 yards and nine scores, leading the Chargers in receiving yardage and touchdowns. Despite missing three games in 2022, he'd have another productive year with 63 receptions and 895 yards.

Injuries limited Williams to only three games last season. The Chargers released him just prior to the start of free agency. He'd sign with the New York Jets early in free agency. It was expected that Williams and WR Garrett Wilson would make an extremely effective receiving duo for QB Aaron Rodgers.

New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams (18) hauls in a pass against the New England Patriots / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

In six games with the Jets this season, Williams caught 10 of his 17 targets for 145 yards with no touchdowns. He's also had a few costly drops, which have fueled the recent trade rumors. Williams will be a free agent at the end of this season.

If a team does trade for Williams, it's possible that they'll be expected to assume the bulk of his salary this year. However, he's counting for just under $2.8 million on the Jets salary cap.

Mike Williams is a physical wideout at 6'4" and 218-Lbs. who still possesses outstanding deep ball ability. He isn't the most precise route runner, but uses his body well to shield defenders on contested throws.

The Saints enter Thursday's game against the Broncos with a 2-4 record and losers of four straight. There's a good chance that Olave returns from his concussion when New Orleans returns to action against the Chargers on October 27. However, Shaheed is expected to perhaps miss significant time, if not the rest of the year.

Even if the Saints get good news about Shaheed's recovery, it was obvious prior to the injury that they needed more weapons. Mike Williams would give the Saints something they don't currently have on their roster--a big-bodied presence in traffic with big-play athleticism.