Giants Trade Former First-Round Pick Eli Apple To Saints

The Giants have reportedly traded cornerback Eli Apple to the Saints, according to Adam Schefter. Following a tough loss Monday night, the Giants seem to be going all in on a rebuild, trading their 2016 first-round draft pick to the Saints. In New Orleans, he joins a secondary that’s routinely gone through No.2 corners.

CB Eli Apple Traded To Saints

New Orleans sent over a 2019 fourth-rounder and a 2020 seventh-rounder for the corner.

Apple struggled in New York but the Saints hope a change of scenery helps him. The Saints were also in the market for Patrick Peterson but a lack of a 2019 first-round pick makes a trade extremely difficult.

The move is much needed for New Orleans. While they have the No.1 run defense, they’re No. 28 against the pass. While Marshon Lattimore has bounced back, the rest of the secondary has struggled. Injuries have hurt as well, with 2018 free agent signing Patrick Robinson sidelined with a broken ankle.

Apple also left his last game with an ankle injury, which the Saints need to watch.

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This move now leaves the Giants without their 2015 or 2016 first-round picks. The team recently released Ereck Flowers, one of the league’s worst guards.

One thing the Saints get out of Apple is how affordable he is. The Saints owe Apple only $1million this year and have the ability to pick up his fifth-year option for 2020 in May.

With an aging quarterback, the move is just another example of the team being in a win-now mode. The 5-1 Saints have used their draft capital to improve this season, trading away their first, third, and fourth-round picks for the upcoming draft.

Article by Bill Piersa