One day after the New Orleans Saints traded away two offensive starters — one a former All-Pro, the other a former first-round draft pick — Coach Kellen Moore described it as one of the difficult aspects of the profession.
Receiver Rashid Shaheed, an undrafted rookie in 2022 who became an All-Pro returner in '23, was traded to Seattle on Tuesday in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2026. Offensive lineman Trevor Penning, New Orleans' first-round pick (No. 19 overall) in 2022 – who played left tackle, right tackle and left guard during his tenure as a Saint – was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2027 draft pick.
"The personal side of this thing is real. It's not easy for any of us," Moore said Wednesday, as the Saints (1-8) ramped up preparations for Sunday's game against the Panthers (5-4) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
"You get to know these guys on a personal level and you love 'em. There's the business component of this thing that obviously is the reality of it. We lost two guys that have contributed for this organization for a long time, have been positive examples to everyone around this place.
"It's going to provide opportunities for some other guys and there's certainly some excitement from that component. But those guys will go on and still have success in this league just like they had it here."
Shaheed, a consistent home run threat, was New Orleans' second-leading receiver this season with 44 catches for 449 yards and two touchdowns, including an 87-yarder. Penning started all six games he played this season and opened 29 of the 46 for which he was available. After struggling at left tackle, he moved to right tackle last season, then shifted to left guard this year.
Moore said trading two starters did not diminish the goal of attempting to win while developing players.
"There's a future component of this that's real with what came back in return, but it provides opportunities for some guys that we feel really good about," he said. "For Dillon (Radunz) to hop in there at left guard – Dillon is going to play left guard, he's going to play great. He's had some success in this league, he has played well when we've asked him to play.
"The receiver room – (Devaughn) Vele, Tip (Mason Tipton), Cooksy (Brandin Cooks), those guys are going to play more snaps naturally. The snaps will get distributed to those guys, so their roles will increase. We have a lot of confidence in those guys as well. You can compete and go after each and every one of these games like we always do, and still provide yourself with something in the future as we develop this thing."
Since '22, Shaheed scored 13 touchdowns of 40-plus yards, including a 76-yard punt return and a 44-yard run.
"Obviously, there's the vertical threat that Sheed has that is rare in this league," Moore said. "You lose that component. We feel like there's still some speed with our group.
"Cooksy has done it for a long time in his career, Vele and Tip have some speed to get downfield. So we feel like we've got some guys that will be able to supplement that and I'm excited for those guys' opportunities moving forward."
