After yet another underwhelming campaign, John Spytek cut his losses with defensive end Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in 2023, this past offseason. Wilson was sent to the New Orleans Saints on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, along with the No. 219 pick, in exchange for the No. 150 pick.
Wilson wasn't necessarily a bad player, but for where he was drafted, he was a complete bust. Not living up to expectations was commonplace for selections under Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, though. Take running back Zamir White, a 2022 fourth-round pick, as another example.
White flamed out with the Raiders after once looking like the antidote for losing Josh Jacobs, and he spent much of this offseason unsigned. He recently found a home with the San Francisco 49ers, but now, the plot has changed for him again. On Sunday evening, White was traded... to the Saints.
Go figure.
Saints are collecting former Raiders letdowns with Tyree Wilson and now Zamir White
It is inexplicable that New Orleans has now made trades for two Las Vegas letdowns this offseason in Wilson and White. This would be explainable if a Ziegler-McDaniels-era front office member or coach was with the Saints, but none are there, or at least none stick out. They'd have little influence, anyway.
Ziegler was a personnel advisor in New Orleans back in 2024, but it's hard to imagine that his one-year stint there has anything to do with this pair of trades. This has more to do with the fact that the Saints, for some reason, got a bit desperate after Alvin Kamara suffered an injury this preseason.
That's why they sent defensive end Deion Jones to the 49ers for White, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. And it didn't hurt on the other side that Jones is now reunited with his former coach, San Francisco defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. It made sense for both teams.
Even though Kamara will be sidelined for perhaps the first few weeks of the season with an MCL sprain, White still has an uphill battle for playing time. The Saints' running back room is very solid, with Travis Etienne, Kendre Miller and Devin Neal all still expected to play a role.
Honestly, it is unlikely that White will make the roster in New Orleans, but if he does, he won't have a major role anyway. Wilson will make the Saints' roster, but he is currently listed as a second-stringer on the depth chart and either the fourth or fifth edge rusher in the rotation.
If White does stick around in New Orleans, at least on the practice, it would be somewhat of a homecoming for him. White grew up in North Carolina and played collegiately at Georgia, so Louisiana is a lot closer to home than Nevada or California are.
Best of luck to these two players. Just because they didn't live up to expectations in Las Vegas doesn't mean that they can't make an impact elsewhere or change their fortunes. And as always, once a Raider, always a Raider.
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