Every year Saints training camp comes with surprises, reassurances, disappointment and moments of terror. This one so far as been no exception. Below are my top 10 booms and busts so far with two weeks remaining in preseason:
BUSTS:
10. Josh Hill
It’s not that his camp has been awful but he was hurt for a while and he just hasn’t lived up to the Jimmy Graham replacement hype yet. In fact, he’s second on the depth chart behind the aging Ben Watson. I still have high hopes for Hill this season but it remains to be seen if he can have a jump in production.
9. C. J. Spiller
First we were promised his knee scope would not hamper his ability to play week 1 of the regular season and now we’re being told he’s going to miss the first two weeks. Not good for a guy that was so critical to this offense. The Saints need Spiller to be healthy and productive this season.
8. Erik Lorig
The Saints were very excited to land Lorig last year and gave him a decent 4 year contract for a fullback. He was never that impressive last year and seems squarely behind Austin Johnson on the depth chart. I don’t think he makes the 53 this year.
7. Bryce Harris
Not that anyone expected Harris to be good but he’s been a reminder just how thin the Saints have been recently at tackle depth behind two solid starters. Fortunately with Peat there might be light at the end of the tunnel there. Harris has been consistently beat when playing/practicing.
6. Andrus Peat
His camp hasn’t been bad, just very up and down. That’s not shocking to see from a rookie but it’s disappointing as a 1st round pick. I expected more. He still seems very promising but he does not seem ready to be an NFL starter. Fortunately with Armstead and Strief the Saints don’t need him to be ready yet but my hope was he’d come into camp and clearly show from the first moment that he can’t be kept on the bench. So far that hasn’t happened.
5. Jalen Saunders
With injury and the emergence of Marcus Murphy the writing is on the wall for Saunders. He was very good late last season and I liked him, though, so the fact that his stint with the Saints seems like it’s going to be very short is a disappointment. Too bad, I really liked his game last year.
4. Seantavius Jones
Unless he really comes on with strong performances in these last two preseason games I think he’s going to be cut. As much talk and hype as there’s been for him and Brandon Coleman, I don’t really feel like either has been good enough – though Coleman has been slightly better.
3. The #3 tight end
This has been a revolving door. The Saints have tried to claim off waivers, sign a marquee free agent and trade for player at the tight end position this offseason only to see all attempts fail. So they are left with Ben Watson, Josh Hill and a huge hole at #3 tight end. Every guy they have tried, including Alex Smith, has sucked.
2. Nick Toon
The end is near for Toon who has had a miserable and inconsistent camp. He recently sprained his ankle, too, and won’t be able to play for the remainder of preseason. So disappointing after he finally seem to turn a corner late last season.
1. Jairus Byrd
He still hasn’t practiced. Starting to feel like an epic colossal bust of Heath Shuler magnitude.
BOOMS:
10. Drew Brees
It’s not like we don’t expect him to be awesome but he looks healthy and back to his normal self after oblique problems last year. This biggest reason for optimism in 2015 may be a rejuvinated Brees.
9. Stanley Jean-Baptiste
He’s been a little up and down but most importantly he’s shown very steady progress. Buried in the abyss of no man’s land last year, SJB is rotating in with 1s and 2s now. He’s going to make this team and play this year, it looks like, which is a huge step considering how last year went.
8. Bobby Richardson
It looks like he’ll make this team and be a prominent rotation guy. Impressive for an undrafted rookie. He’s come in and looks explosive on the interior and shown lots of hustle. Tyrunn Walker 2.0?
7. Vinnie Sunseri
He leads the team by far in camp interceptions. He always seems in the right place and looks very comfortable with the defense. And, of course, he continues to have worth on special teams. He’s a good sub to have and he’s had an excellent camp.
6. Ben Watson
As quiet as Hill has been, that’s how loud Watson has been. He’s looked healthy, fit and better than ever. He may be worth a look in fantasy leagues this year. He seems to be catching the football well and he’s developed excellent chemistry with Brees on and off the field.
5. Willie Snead
It’s going to be hard to cut this guy. He’s had a Lance Moore meets Andy Tanner type camp. As thin as receiver is he’s been by far the most consistent in camp not named Cooks.
4. Max Unger
As good as advertised. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough room for Stephone Anthony on this list but he’s been great too. The Jimmy Graham trade is looking outstanding so far.
3. Dustin Hopkins
Steady, powerful and reliable so far. He’s your new Saints kicker barring anything crazy between now and week 1. You should be excited, the future looks really bright with him.
2. Delvin Breaux
Canadian Deion has been better than expected. He’s firmly entrenched in the top 3 corners which basically means he’s a starter and his cover skills have been on display throughout camp. He has the Saints feeling very good about corner going into the regular season.
1. Brandin Cooks
He looks absolutely ridiculous. He’s going to have a monster season, you can already tell. By the end of this season we might be saying he’s the best player on the team – better than Brees. That might sound like an exaggeration but based on his camp and preseason so far the only limits I’m willing to put on him would be durability if he gets hurt again.
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