How would you grade the New Orleans Saints’ trade deadline pickup? The Saints shipped out backup linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round draft pick for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander in a bid to improve their inconsistent-at-best defense.
NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund is a fan of the move to acquire Alexander, citing the Saints’ vulnerabilities in defending the middle of the field. While Frelund did take time to temper expectations due to Alexander’s injury history, she still graded the trade with a B+ for New Orleans. Here’s some of what she wrote to explain that praise:
“The middle of New Orleans’ defense has been an area of weakness this season, especially at critical times.