Every year in June I compile the list of my top 10 Saints going into a season, in terms of their value to the team going into that season. Compared to last year there are some significant changes and this is probably the hardest list I’ve ever done. This is my seventh year doing this and while so much has shifted year to year, Brees remains at the very top every time I’ve done this. As always it was very hard to leave some players off but with only 10 spots I had to be judicious. My initial list carried 14 players that were clearly at the top in terms of both talent and performance. I decided to drop Terron Armstead because he’s not there quite yet and Kenny Vaccaro because he was a disaster last year. That left me with 12 and I decided to keep Jairus Byrd off the list for the same reason as Vaccaro. Then, I decided to stomach leaving Marques Colston off this list. If I had done 11 players, Colston would have been 11, but he’s trending downwards and I just don’t think he’s a top 10 player on the team anymore. I hope he proves me wrong this year. Here is the list:
1. Drew Brees, QB: Many have suggested he’s starting to decline but he’s clearly still the cornerstone of the franchise. It’s reasonable to ask at 36 how many “elite” years he has left but for now he’s clearly the best player on the roster. (2014 pick was Drew Brees)
2. Thomas Morstead, P: This is actually a much tougher question now with Jimmy Graham gone. If someone asked you to name who the second best player on the Saints roster is off the top of your head, what would be your choice? Admittedly it’s a little crazy to put a punter at #2. Last year I listed Morstead at 9 mostly because of the position he plays. But never have the Saints had a player so automatic at what he does. The luxury of Morstead on both kickoffs and punts is something we probably take for granted. And the way he turns field position over, he is a weapon. (2014 pick was Jimmy Graham)
3. Max Unger, C: You haven’t seen him play in a Saints uniform yet so you might find this one crazy, too. But he’s one of if not the best center in football. Giving up Jimmy Graham was a shocker but make no mistake the Saints got a fantastic player in return. (2014 pick was Cameron Jordan)
4. Cameron Jordan, DE: He drops one spot from last year with the ascension of Morstead and the acquisition of Unger. But it’s less about others and more about his having a down year. Even so, Jordan is a keeper. The point I keep making about why his extension was a must is he’s a complete player. Regardless of the assignment or down/distance, there’s no scenario where he’s a liability out there. Very few players in the NFL fit that description. (2014 pick was Jairus Byrd)
5. Keenan Lewis, CB: The fact that Brandon Browner is on the other side of him now might give him a chance to better showcase his stuff. And before you criticize his play of last year too harshly, remember that he played on one leg. Lewis is the best cover man the Saints have and one of the few players on his side of the ball that can be counted on week in week out. (2014 pick was Keenan Lewis)
6. Brandin Cooks, WR: This is a bit of a leap of faith but I’m putting my eggs in his basket here. I really believe with the way the offseason played out the Saints are poised to make Cooks the focal point of the passing game. I believe this will be Cooks’ breakout season. The Saints don’t make the moves they made unless they have an enormous amount of faith in his ability to step up and produce at an extremely high level. I think there’s a good chance many of you will be telling me #6 is too low for him by the end of the season. (2014 pick was Jahri Evans)
7. Jahri Evans, G: If he plays like last year, he might not be a top 10 Saint. But he was banged up all year and I still firmly believe that when healthy Evans is one of the best guards in the NFL. He might not be the best player at his position anymore but he can still bounce back and play at a Pro Bowl level. (2014 pick was Marques Colston)
8. Mark Ingram, RB: He earned his new contract coming off an excellent 2014 campaign. He’s trending upwards and I’m expecting even bigger, better and badder things from Ingram in 2015. Coming off a season rushing for over 900 yards and a Pro Bowl, there were times when he looked like a top 5 back in football last season. Something to build off for sure. (2014 pick was Kenny Vaccaro)
9. Junior Galette, DE/OLB: He’s a bit feast or famine as a player but when he’s on he’s awesome. His explosiveness rushing the passer is undeniable. And while his antics have soured him on Saints fans, he can get back in their good graces with another double digit sack season for the third year in a row. (2014 pick was Thomas Morstead)
10. C. J. Spiller, RB: Spiller has lived up to his potential very seldom in Buffalo but his ceiling is so high I think New Orleans is the perfect destination. He could explode with the Saints. This feels a little high for him but his skillset combined with how successful this offense has been for a player like him in the past lead me to believe he could have a very special season.
Honorable mentions: Marques Colston, Jairus Byrd, Kenny Vaccaro, Terron Armstead, Brandon Browner, Zach Strief, Josh Hill, Rafael Bush, Akiem Hicks, Andrus Peat
Players that dropped from the top 10 this year: Jimmy Graham (traded), Jairus Byrd, Marques Colston, Kenny Vaccaro.
How would your top 10 be different? Which player would you have placed at #2?
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