The strategic brilliance behind Saints Mickey Loomis acquiring Devaughn Vele from Broncos

Cooper Kupp, Isaac Tesla, Gabe Davis, Tetairoa McMillan, and Keenan Allen. The Saints were connected to them all during the off-season.

Cooper Kupp - Signed with Seahawks

Gabe Davis - Likely didn't look the part coming off a 2024 injury

Keenan Allen - Signed with Chargers.

Tetairoa McMillan - drafted one spot ahead of them by the Panthers

Isaac Teslaa - drafted one spot ahead of them by the Lions, who traded up.

Five swings, five misses. Proof that free agency and the draft can be fickle with regards to acquiring targeted talent.

Trading for a player is less of a dice roll, but the potential to overpay is likely because you're negotiating from a position of need. Yet, if you purchased bitcoin at 20k in 2022 some would have said that was an overpay, three years later it's worth 117k.

Moral of the story, value is in the eye of the beholder, if you believe it's an appreciating asset go get it - fate favors the bold, and detractors become supporters when they see the results.

Bigger picture, there's a similar number of available players that fit in 2026 via Free Agency and the draft.

In free agency Mike Evans, Juan Jennings, Keenan Allen (again), and Christian Watson stand out as possession WR's with size. The draft has names like Denzel Boston, Nick Anderson, and Elijah Sarrat with a similar body type as Devaughn Vele.

However, who's to say the Saints wouldn't face a similar struggle obtaining a preferred talent in 2026?

Getting Vele for a 2026 4th and a 2027 7th guarantees the acquisition of a player that fills a need and gives you a rare body type, as well as baked in NFL production that removes the projection factor typically associated with drafting a player as well as the competition from other teams seeking the same archetype.

Vale caught 41 of his 55 targets for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns in a Sean Payton system where he played multiple positions. Not an easy task by far.

Is he older? Sure, but he's under 30 now, and will be under 30 through the 2026 season. If he under performs he's on a rookie deal that only cost 1.3 million per year, if he performs up to standard, he's on that same deal. In the event he over performs, you're likely not making a decision until 2027 and there will be built in negotiation leverage due to his age - ask Terry McLaurin

Vele is a mature asset, but there's still potential for a 6x return, and if he hits no one saying it was an overpay now will be saying it later.