The Saints aren't looking to lighten the load just because they're filled to the brim at the cornerback position.
By moving up to select Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry at No. 41 overall in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, New Orleans fed the flames of rumors that it might look to trade longtime Saints corner, Marshon Lattimore, but general manager Mickey Loomis said Friday he has no such plans.
"It doesn't mean anything," Loomis told Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio when asked what McKinstry's selection means for Lattimore. "Marshon's been a really good player for us for a good period of time. He's one of the leaders of our team. It's just like I said, we can use as many corners as we can get. We've got a good group, a really good group, and they're gonna help each other and they're gonna help our team win."
The Saints indeed have a fearsome cornerback room.
Along with a pro-ready rookie in McKinstry, the club is stacked with talents such as Alontae Taylor, another second-round pick two years ago, and Paulson Adebo, who blossomed last season with four interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 18 passes defensed -- good for third-most in the NFL.
Lattimore, four times a Pro Bowler in seven seasons with the Saints, serves as the feisty veteran leader of the group when healthy.
The issue is that Lattimore hasn't been healthy of late. A lacerated kidney and fractured ribs in 2022 and an ankle injury in 2023 have prevented the corner from suiting up for half of the Saints last 34 games after putting together three consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns from 2019-2021.
He's currently under contract through 2026 before void years kick in. He also carries a $31.3 million dead-cap penalty should he be traded any time in May, meaning Loomis is safe to look true to his word at least through the month.
That number drops to $10.7 million for a trade completed after June 1, though, presenting a much more palatable hit if the Saints do choose to make a move. Plus, even if Loomis isn't seeking trade partners, he's forthcoming that a call could always come that spurs him into action.
"When a guy is a really good player for your team, they're not on the market per se, but there are times when you get a call and somebody makes a proposal and it might makes sense for you," he said. "That's true for any player on your team. If you get an offer you can't refuse, you at least have to look at it. So that's what I would say. I'm not actively trying to trade Marshon. Marshon is such a good player. He's an elite corner. He's had some injuries the last couple seasons that have kept him off the field, and we've got to get over that. It's not his fault. It's just circumstances. That's just where we're at."
Nevertheless, for now, McKinstry represents another add to a Saints roster that is among the deepest in the NFL at cornerback.
He might later represent the seeds of Lattimore's exit from New Orleans, even if Loomis isn't committed to making such a move at the moment.
