The New Orleans Saints are buckling under the weight of an absurd number of injuries, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano believe that streak of bad luck could force a move from Chase Young. The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, injuries and inconsistencies prevented the pass rusher from getting a big contract on the open market. The Ohio State product settled for a one-year deal in New Orleans and recorded 1.5 sacks in the first six games of the season. Although he doesn’t live up to his potential, he still makes a valuable contribution.

Unfortunately, the Saints find themselves in a situation where moving Chase Young might make more sense than keeping him around for the rest of the season. If they lose to the Denver Broncos tonight, they drop to 2-5 and are essentially eliminated from the playoffs. Perhaps fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler can lead the upset with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed out due to injury, but that’s unlikely. Since they’re well over the 2025 salary cap, they probably won’t be able to keep Young beyond this season, so they might as well maximize their return and see if the Detroit Lions or Baltimore Ravens could use him.

Lions and Ravens could trade for Chase Young after Thursday Night Football

The Detroit Lions are one of the best teams in football, blessed with a strong defense, offense and a strong coaching staff. After making it to the NFC Championship Game last year, it looks like Detroit could be making its first Super Bowl appearance. However, their chances of bringing the Lombardi Trophy to the Motor City took a significant hit when Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury in the blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. With the potential Defensive Player of the Year lacking significant depth, Detroit could trade for Chase Young to try to regain some of Hutchinson’s spark.

It goes without saying that Young isn’t as good as Hutchinson. While both players were selected with the second overall pick in their respective drafts, Hutchinson is a consistent game-destroying force on par with elite players like Myles Garrett and TJ Watt. Young, on the other hand, is a talented but inconsistent starter with high peaks and low troughs. That might not sound like much, but it’s better than what the Lions currently have. With Hutchinson and free-agent signing Marcus Davenport out, moving Chase Young would add much-needed depth to a defense whose best healthy pass rusher is currently Josh Paschal.

Strength in numbers

The Baltimore Ravens are always trying to build a pass rush by committee under head coach John Harbaugh. This was evident in 2023, when seven players finished the season with three or more sacks. While Baltimore continues to be one of the league’s elite teams, their defense isn’t what it once was, largely because they need another pass rusher. Kyle Van Noy continues to defy Father Time and former first-round pick Odafe Oweh is having a good season, but they could trade for someone like Chase Young to fill the role of the departed Jadeveon Clowney.

Similar to Clowney, Young is a strong fullback whose sack line doesn’t always reflect his impact on the game. While Clowney is more consistent, a great coaching staff like Baltimore’s could get the most out of a Chase Young trade. With the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills providing offensive support, Baltimore should counter by adding someone who can bring opposing quarterbacks to the ground.

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