The Saints said goodbye to some longtime defensive players early in the offseason and there could be similar changes coming on the other side of the ball.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Saints are “shopping” running back Pierre Thomas and wide receiver Lance Moore to other teams. Thomas played a prominent role in the New Orleans once again last season, running for 549 yards and catching 77 passes while getting the most work of any tailback on the team.
Trading him would clear $2.9 million from the cap while moving Moore would open up another $2.5 million. It would leave the same amount of dead money on the cap and his trade value may not be great coming off a year that saw him get hurt and lose playing time to other wideouts.
Schefter also reports that the team “could be open” to trading running back Darren Sproles as well, although it’s not clear if that’s something they’re actively considering. Sproles is set to make $3.5 million in 2014 and it’s not clear how the trade talk around one back would wind up impacting the other one.