Detroit Lions player reveals he was almost traded to New Orleans Saints at final cuts

Chris Roling

Detroit Lions player reveals he was almost traded to New Orleans Saints at final cuts image

It’s not often an NFL player outright reveals or confirms trade rumors, yet veteran wideout Tim Patrick has done just that with the New Orleans Saints

Patrick, now a member of the Detroit Lions after being cut by the Denver Broncos at the recent deadline, recently told the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett that he was almost shipped to the Saints at the deadline. 

The entire thing says much, especially now that Patrick chose to join the Lions’ practice squad. 

Those Saints were smart to go after the veteran who averages 13.9 yards per catch over the course of his career. It would have been a nice low-cost gamble on a guy who couldn’t play in 2022 and 2023 due to a torn ACL and torn Achilles, respectively. 

Instead, it sounds like things fell through and Patrick chose elsewhere. He would have been one of the most experienced wideouts on the Saints’ roster upon arrival. Instead, they will continue to hope for an A.T. Perry breakout while leaning on Chris Olave and someone like Rashid Shaheed, too. 

This also meshes well with the current vibes about the wideout room, given that the Saints recently worked out other veterans before Week 1. As of this writing, though, they haven’t signed anyone. 

Clearly, the Saints remain a team to watch when it comes to the wideout position as they head into a critical year for head coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr.

 

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Chris Roling

Chris Roling Photo

Chris Roling has covered the NFL since 2010 with stints at Bleacher Report, USA TODAY Sports Media Group and others. Raised a Bengals fan in the '90s, the Andy Dalton era was smooth sailing by comparison. He graduated from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and remains in Athens.