The New Orleans Saints have traded away veteran linebacker Deion Jones to the San Francisco 49ers for former Georgia Bulldogs running back Zamir White. Jones signed with the Saints a few weeks ago on a one year contract, and he already finds himself in another jersey. White also signed a one year contract this offseason after spending several years with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders took White in the fourth round of the NFL draft, and he failed to produce much on the field.
Adam Schefter tweeted: “Trade: the Saints are sending veteran LB Deion Jones to San Francisco in exchange for RB Zamir White, per sources.”
The New Orleans Saints have their top two running backs solidified on their depth chart. No one is surpassing Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara on this roster. However, the options behind those two are largely unproven. The Saints have now added White to compete with the likes of Devin Neal, Audric Estime, Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler, and CJ Donaldson. Kamara, Neal, and Estime currently have injuries.
With Jones now off the roster, the Saints now feel comfortable with their linebacker depth. Led by Pete Werner and Kaden Elliss, the two starting coverage linebackers are a key strength for New Orleans’ defense.
New Orleans Saints Trade For Running Back Zamir White
White left a lot to be desired with the Las Vegas Raiders, and his role never expanded in his four years with the organization.
Its unclear what White provides to the New Orleans Saints currently as he has never impressed when given opportunities in the NFL. Over the course of his four year career thus far, White has totaled 888 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns with 223 touches in 45 games. His average success rate is 40.4% throughout his career. When the Raiders drafted Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the NFL Draft last season, it became clear that White’s time ended in Las Vegas.
Jones became a reserve linebacker over the last few years of his career. He was once a starter for the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons before moving to the Cleveland Browns. Since then, Jones bounced around the NFC South, playing for the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints would have completed that odd achievement, but he will now focus making the 49ers 53-man roster.
Saints Now Have a Plethora of Options for RB3 on the Depth Chart
It’s unknown what White possesses over some of these other candidates for the RB3 role, but perhaps they see something in him.
Looking at the preseason thus far, White ran for 29 yards on 12 carries in the second preseason game for the 49ers. PFF gave him a 48.7 offensive grade overall, so it seems that White is still struggling to produce in the NFL. Regardless, trading away a veteran linebacker for an unproven running back is strange especially considering the other options the Saints have currently. The best hypothesis is that the Saints were not going to give Jones a roster spot, and they are not content with the options they have at running back. However, White still does not instill much confidence.
New Orleans Saints Trade Veteran Linebacker for Running Back Depth