If they keep losing, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler suggest the New Orleans Saints could move a starter at the NFL trade deadline. But would they trade Chase Young? That would be the clearest signal Mickey Loomis could send that his team is heading into crisis, but one can’t imagine head coach Dennis Allen would sign off on it.

Still: never say never. Teams like the Detroit Lions are desperate for a pass rusher after losing Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. Here’s the case for trading Young at the Nov. 5 trade deadline from ESPN:

Grace: What about Chase Young? The Saints really like the guy and could be interested in signing him to a long-term deal, but if they reach out and don’t like their chances, could he be on the move for the second straight season?

Fowler: That’s not a bad decision. Young signed a one-year contract with New Orleans in hopes of converting it into a new contract with the team. With the Saints at 2-4, perhaps the organization would listen to offers closer to the deadline. I would be slightly surprised if something happened. Young secured a third-round pick in the trade from Washington to San Francisco last year, and now that he’s fully healthy and playing productive snaps, I’d suspect New Orleans wouldn’t accept anything less in a deal, if anything at all thinks.

It feels unlikely. Although not reflected on the weekly depth chart, Young has replaced Cameron Jordan in the starting lineup. Young took nearly all of the snaps from the right defensive end spot, with Carl Granderson playing ahead of Jordan on the left side. He has developed into an extremely important offensive player for the Saints.

Young may not have the sacks (1.5 in 6 games), but he creates a lot of pressure and demands the attention of the offensive line. His 25 quarterback tackles at Pro Football Focus rank ninth among defensive ends. Granderson had 26 pressures, which is the fourth most. Jordan ranks 49th with 11.

If you read the writing on the wall and look at the salary cap sheet, it looks like the Saints are hoping that Young can be the long-term replacement for Jordan. This could be the final year for No. 94 if he decides to retire and begin a full-time career in football media. Jordan’s maximum earnings next year are over $20 million, but only $9 million of that is guaranteed. The calculation is pretty simple.

Still, Young will be a free agent in 2025, and the best compensation the Saints can hope for if he leaves is a third-round pick in 2026. It’s certainly possible that things change that much this season get worse that they decide to trade him and get a third-rounder (or better) a year early and then start the search for Jordan’s replacement again. But it sure would be more convenient if this guy was already in the building making plays across from Granderson.