Arizona Cardinals–New Orleans Saints Trade History

New Orleans acquired veteran guard Herschel Turner from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967 for an undisclosed future draft choice. The Saints' own 1967 roster book confirms the player-for-pick structure. Turner had played 27 games for St. Louis in 1964-65, but New Orleans released him on September 21, 1967 before he appeared in a Saints regular-season game.

St. Louis acquired John Gilliam from New Orleans and immediately unlocked a major offensive season: 52 catches, 997 yards, and nine touchdowns in 1969. The Cardinals paid Dave Long, Dick Kasperek, Brady Keys, and the second-round pick that became Richard Neal. Gilliam was clearly the best individual performer in the deal, but surrendering three veterans plus a second-rounder made the acquisition expensive.

New Orleans acquired defensive end Andy Dorris from St. Louis for the 1975 eighth-round pick used on John Adams. Dorris became a meaningful Saints contributor, playing 42 games from 1974 through 1976 and starting 21 of them. Adams never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, so the Saints received far more realized football value from the exchange.

St. Louis acquired veteran defensive back Ken Reaves from New Orleans on October 17, 1974 for the 1975 fourth-round choice that became Charlie Hall at No. 99. Reaves immediately joined the Cardinals and remained there through 1977, intercepting eight passes for St. Louis over those seasons. New Orleans converted the pick into Hall, but the selected player did not match the multi-season defensive contribution Reaves supplied the Cardinals. That balance of realized value gives the edge to Arizona Cardinals / St. Louis Cardinals.

New Orleans acquired defensive tackle Steve George from St. Louis in late July 1976 for an undisclosed choice in the 1977 NFL draft. George never appeared in a Saints regular-season game; he went to injured reserve in August, was released, and later played one game for Atlanta. St. Louis therefore recovered draft capital for a player who produced no regular-season value for New Orleans.

St. Louis acquired defensive end Bob Pollard and guard Terry Stieve from New Orleans. Stieve arrived as a young lineman with starting experience, while Pollard provided veteran defensive help, giving the Cardinals two usable roster pieces in one transaction. New Orleans also received meaningful veterans, but the combination of age, role, and depth gave St. Louis a narrow edge.

On 1978-08-27, Arizona Cardinals received Jim Thaxton (James Ivory Thaxton), while New Orleans Saints received 1979 seventh round pick (selection not identified). The hindsight verdict is Even Trade, with Arizona Cardinals graded C and New Orleans Saints graded C. The evaluation follows the documented consideration and the football value that can be traced from it, while treating conditional terms and later draft outcomes as context rather than as assets exchanged directly on trade day.

Arizona acquired veteran defensive end Elois Grooms from New Orleans for a 1983 third-round pick that became running back Cliff Austin at No. 66. Grooms started 26 games for the Cardinals from 1982 through 1984 and recorded 7.5 sacks in those three seasons. Austin spent only his 1983 rookie year with the Saints and produced 41 yards from scrimmage, giving Arizona the much stronger direct return.

New Orleans sent cornerback Robert Massey to Phoenix on August 19, 1991 for offensive lineman Derek Kennard and a 1992 fifth-round selection. Kennard became a regular Saints starter, including all 16 games in both 1992 and 1993, while the extra pick later became part of another draft move. Massey started extensively for Phoenix and intercepted five passes in 1992, including three returned for touchdowns.

New Orleans paid an enormous package to move from picks 17 and 18 to No. 6 in 2003, also exchanging second- and fourth-round value with Arizona. The Saints selected defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan, while Arizona's return produced Bryant Johnson, Calvin Pace and Anquan Boldin. Sullivan became a major first-round disappointment and Boldin became a franchise star, creating one of the widest draft-trade gaps of the era.

New Orleans moved Adrian Peterson after four games in a crowded backfield and received a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick that became No. 189, used on Kamrin Moore. Arizona needed a runner after David Johnson's injury and got six starts, 448 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Peterson. The Cardinals received the more useful direct return, although the short stay keeps the margin modest.