The Saints continue trading away expensive veteran players.
After previously trading tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks, the Saints have now traded guard Ben Grubbs to the Chiefs. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Chiefs are sending a fifth-round draft pick to New Orleans for Grubbs.
That’s not much compensation for Grubbs, a two-time Pro Bowler. But Grubbs has a cap hit this season of $9.6 million, so the cap-strapped Saints likely would have released him if they hadn’t found a trading partner.
The 31-year-old Grubbs has started all 16 games for the Saints in all three of his seasons in New Orleans. He’s in the fourth year of a five-year, $36 million contract he signed with the Saints in 2012 after starting his career with the Ravens.
Grubbs should provide an instant upgrade on the Chiefs’ offensive line. His absence may make Drew Brees’s life more difficult. Given that Brees has already expressed disappointment about the Graham trade, it’s likely that the franchise quarterback is not a happy camper in New Orleans right now.