Payton reunites with Trautman as Saints trade TE to Broncos

The New Orleans Saints traded tight end Adam Trautman and a seventh-round pick (257th overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick (195th overall), the teams announced Saturday.

Trautman, a third-round pick in 2020, will reunite with new Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who drafted him during his tenure in New Orleans.

Trautman caught 60 passes for 641 yards and four touchdowns in his career. He registered only 18 receptions in 2022, down from 27 in 2021.

The 26-year-old is expected to have a chance to start for a Denver team that's been looking for a new No. 1 tight end since trading Noah Fant to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the trade to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson.

The Broncos hired Payton as head coach this year to replace Nathaniel Hackett after a disappointing 2022 season. Payton became one of the NFL's most respected offensive-minded head coaches after helping the Saints win one Super Bowl title between 2006 and 2021.

New Orleans used the No. 195 pick to select Wake Forest wide receiver A.T. Perry, while Denver used the 257th choice to take Oregon center Alex Forsyth.