If the Saints want to trade Kenny Vaccaro, we know the perfect spot

It’s strange to think about any spot on the New Orleans Saints defense being loaded enough that they can afford to trade a player, much less a starting safety like Kenny Vaccaro. This is the same team that opened the season by allowing Sam Bradford to turn in the week’s best quarterback performance.

But that hasn’t slowed the team’s resolve as they spent the week shopping safety Kenny Vaccaro, according to Ian Rapoport.

Does this make sense? On the surface it does. The Saints have Vonn Bell, a second-round pick in 2016, ready to ascend. Vaccaro is in the last year of his rookie deal, the fifth-year option, which pays him $5.7 million in fully guaranteed dollars. He’s a free agent next year, so it makes sense to try and get some draft value or maybe even a competent player at any other spot on the defense where they need help.

There’s also the little matter of Drew Brees’ contract. If they want to re-sign him next year, they’ll need a mountain of cap space to do it ... despite the fact that he’ll be 39 in 2018.

Is Vaccaro worth trading for? That always depends on the asking price, but he’s a versatile, talented safety, and there aren’t very many players like that.

He’s been playing more free safety this year for the Saints, who want to have interchangeable safeties to keep opposing offenses guessing. Before that, he’s spent most of his career as a strong safety, laying wood on unsuspecting ball carriers.

Vaccaro has excelled at run defense. His run stop percentage has led the Saints defensive backfield and been solidly above average when compared to the rest of the NFL. Where he’s struggled has been coverage.

“I’ve never in my career been able to just roam and play free and roam, and that’s probably my best quality is to be instinctive, to be a plant-and-drive player,” Vaccaro said when asked about playing deep during the preseason.

Which teams make the most sense for Vaccaro? A lot of teams could use safety help; the Bucs and the Chargers come to mind. But the one that’s too obvious to overlook is the Chiefs, who just lost Eric Berry for the season. The Chiefs are contenders who can’t afford to have a gaping hole in their secondary.

Vaccaro could benefit from some better coaching to iron out his inconsistencies. He might not be more than a rental player for the Chiefs, since both Berry and Daniel Sorensen signed extensions last spring. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with renting a player to put some seriousness behind your Super Bowl bid (not even the Patriots are above it). Plus, the Chiefs have about $9 million in available cap space.