I can’t remember an off-season as a Saints fan where we as a fan base weren’t wondering/worrying about one position group or another (not nearly as long of a time frame as many of you to be fair) and its potential impact on the team. Often times its been the defensive line or corner positions, sometimes its been the offensive line, but interestingly enough I don’t think I can remember a year since 2006 (when I first started watching football) where we have been overly worried about the skill positions. In particular the WR position.
Now some of the reason for that is the fact that Drew Brees has a demonstrated ability to maximize the talents of those around him, and while the media inundates us with a never ending stream of baloney of how Brady has done the most with the least…Drew actually has. Not a single one of the players who Drew Brees has consistently made productive at the WR position would be considered even a ‘number 2’ on another contender. Meachem was a disaster in San Diego (my Uncle happens to be a Chargers fan and I LOVE reminding him of this), even though he was older Moore couldn’t even crack the Stealers lineup, and not even Marques Colston would have had production anything close to what he has here on any other team. And just for the record that is NOT a knock on ANY of those guys, they found a system and a QB with whom they could be productive and effective NFL players, and at the end of the day that is what is important. Now the real question is how does all of that tie in to the Saints present predicament, where fans are questioning the receiver position and the offenses ability to remain elite like we have never done before.
What if I were to tell you that from a purely talent based perspective this is the best Saints WR group in the Brees/Payton era? Would you feel a little better? I know I would. Now I’m certainly not going to ‘blow smoke’ and pretend that there aren’t some pretty serious question marks with this group, however there is just as much potential for greatness as there is for mediocrity this year. For just a moment I want you all to come with me and take a look at the tools that Drew and Sean will be working with this off-season. We aren’t going to talk about consistency, previous production, or anything like that. What I want to look at is merely the amount of talent the Saints have currently compiled at the position to help fans better understand why the team didn’t really address it in the off-season.
I will look at each player in order based on my opinion of how their talent ranks on the team.
Brandin Cooks: 5’10”, 189 ILBS
If what we are looking at is the athleticism and ability of our WR group then the guy who comes first is Cooks and it isn’t close. Brandin has a rare blend of straight line speed, quickness, balance, hands, and leaping ability that allows him to play all over the field despite his diminutive size (for an NFL wide out). There are a lot of expectations being placed on Brandin’s shoulders this year, and especially now that both Kenny Stills and Jimmy Graham will be playing for different colors next season. There are some who wonder whether or not he can handle being the teams number 1 option, and to a certain degree I think those concerns are warranted. There are after all only a few true ‘number 1’ guys throughout the league and only one of them is around Cooks size (Antonio Brown). However I may have an advantage (or a disadvantage if you don’t agree with me I suppose) over some other Saints fans as I got to watch his evolution at Oregon State in person. Why do I believe that Cooks will step up and become the star the Saints need him to be? 3 simple reasons: his drive, his skills, his fit.
Cooks has been driven for greatness for years and has always been ready and willing to work for it. From the very first day he stepped foot in Corvallis when he asked his receiver coach what he needed to do to play as a freshman, to making sure he got to spend as much time with Drew in the off-season this year as possible. Cooks is consistent in his desire to live up not only to his own expectations, but to make his family, friends, and self proud of him. People that are driven like that and willing to put in the work rarely fail.
He also has a great skill set that is well suited to the NFL game. Not only does he have blazing 4.3 speed that allows him to get past even competent secondaries like its nothing (ala Green Bay), but he also has the lateral quickness and balance that allows him to be a possession receiver as well. The skill set that made him the Belitnikoff Award winner at ORST was built around his ability to attack both the width and length of the field at anytime and from any position. His physical attributes compound the skills he has developed and make him an incredibly potent combination of Lance Moore AND Devery Henderson (solid reference points for fellow Saints fans).
Finally, Cooks is a tremendous fit within Payton’s system precisely because he has the versatile skill set that allows him to be moved all over the place and used in various ways, a Sean Payton staple. He is able to fill multiple ‘roles’ within the offense at different times while also possessing the character and drive to succeed that the team covets. Perhaps one of the most underestimated components to the making of a ‘star’ in the league is team fit. The right player, at the right time, with the right people around them can do incredible things. I firmly believe that Brandin is in such a position and is going to not only live up to the hype, but exceed it for the Saints for just that reason.
Nick Toon: 6’4″, 218 ILBs.
Let’s be clear; Nick Toon is NOT the second best WR on this team, he is the second best talent on the team. There has been a lot of consternation both from the ‘legit’ media and the blogging community directed at the second generation player. Some of it is certainly deserved as Toon has shown flashes of star potential, usually in training camp, but has never seemed to be able to show it out on the field. To be fair to Nick though a lot of that has to do with the fact that he simply hasn’t been given a ton of chances. You can talk about a guy earning his spot in practice all you want, but the fact is that Payton has repeatedly gone with ‘his guys’, guys who he trusts, over younger players with higher ceilings over the years. That isn’t always a bad thing either, but it does make it very difficult to truly gauge where a player is in his development if he can’t get on the field and get consistent game reps. Last year was the first time Toon got that and he showed some flashes of the player he could be, and he may have developed some trust and confidence with his QB finally.
This season is going to be a make it or break it year for him. That goes without saying, but in order for him to have the best chance to make the most of the opportunities he is going to be getting this year he also needs to be put in a position to succeed. I can’t count how many times I have seen him compared to Colston and expected to be a similar player because they are both ‘big’ receivers, but to me that is an erroneous comparison. Toon is much more like a more physically gifted Robert Meachem (bigger mostly) than he is a Colston 2.0. He is at his most comfortable when going down the field and he has very good speed for a guy his size (4.4 40). Toon actually got wide open on a couple of big play opportunities last year, but was either missed by Brees, or Brees couldn’t connect with him because the protection was so poor (imagine that). I make no guarantees with Toon and certainly won’t be betting on him this year, but understand that as far as pure talent is concerned Toon has all the tools to be a very productive player for the Saints. Now the question is if he can finally realize that potential or if he has to find work with someone else after this year.
Sentavious Jones: 6’3″, ~200 ILBS.
This is obviously a matter of personal opinion, but based on what I have heardfrom various Saints related news outlets Jones has built on what he had last year and has really started to come into his own. Arguably the biggest weakness he had coming out of college was his rather slight frame, but according to multiple reports he has bulked up considerably. Jones isn’t a tremendous athlete from the standpoint of you can just look at his workout numbers and go ‘he can play’ like you can with Toon or Cooks. However, stretch earned his nickname by having some pretty incredible hands and by being a very natrual catcher of the football. Jones is a fairly versatile player, however the added bulk to his frame is very important for the Saints because it gives him the ability to be used as both a possession receiver who moves the chains as well as a guy who runs the deep slants and crossing routes that are such a staple of this offense. For all of the talk about Toon needing to become the heir apparant to Colston I honestly believe that Jones is the guy who is going to fill that role. Sentavious doesn’t have tremendous straight line speed, but he is a long limbed ‘accelerator’ who can still make a big play when needed and if the added bulk allows him to be effective on a consistent basis for the team he could be another legendary Payton udfa steal. Only time is going to tell, but he is definitely a fit with what the Saints try to do and Payton clearly has a lot of confidence in him.
Joseph Morgan: 6’1″, 184 ILBS.
Morgan was VERY, VERY, close to being the number 2 guy for me. The reason for it is simple; Morgan at his best is absolutely electric. The Joseph Morgan highlight tape is pretty amazing and the play he had against the Bucs a couple of years ago still remains one of the biggest ‘Oh My God’ moments for me as a Saints fan. One thing the team has really missed since Devery left was a player who could end a drive at any time from anywhere on the field, and in a good way. Devery could go 44 minutes and do basically nothing, and a player would leave him ONE time…60 yard TD. That element has been missing from the team for a while and Morgan is the one guy on the roster (other than maybe Cooks) who can bring that element. To me Morgan could be to the Saints what J.R. Smith is to the Cavs this year (this is actually a good thing for those who don’t know) in that on any given night he can basically win the team a game on his own. Remember that last season he had two plays of 63 yards in the same game…one rush…one pass. If we are looking at pure explosive ability Morgan is the best weapon we have had in years, but the question is does he have his head right.
The Saints brought him back after releasing him and he seems to have won the coaches over, but make no mistake Morgan is on a short leash. Morgan has all the ability in the world and I actually think he might become the team’s new Kick Returner this season in order to secure a roster spot. That will be up to him and the coaches. What I do know for sure is that Morgan needs to prove to everyone that he isn’t just another really talented screw up, but is a guy that can be counted on when it counts.
Brandon Coleman: 6’6″, 225 ILBS.
Coleman is a bit of an enigma to me. He is easily the most hyped UDFA that the Saints have signed since I started watching the team. Coleman was instantly hyped up as being the biggest steal in the history of ever for the Saints by the fanbase (and yes even some of us), but the guy who showed up on the field just really didn’t wow you beyond how he ‘looked’. That isn’t to say that Coleman can’t live up to the hype, he certainly has warranted some of it in Coach Payton’s eyes since he has mentioned him by name a couple of times so far. What Coleman brings to the team is if nothing else the fact that he is a massive WR. He definitely needs to work on both his concentration (struggled with drops) as well as his route running and ability to create separation from opponents. Where I think the Saints are going to potentially use him most is in short yardage situations (meaning down and distance not just redzone) where he can simply ‘go get it’ to get get the team a first down when needed, as well as in the redzone where could potentially run a lot of the same plays they ran for Jimmy in the past. I just don’t see Coleman ever becoming a star (would love to be proven wrong), but what I can see him becoming is a very valuable component to the Saints offense as a rotational piece.
Marques Colston: 6’4″, 225 ILBS.
I know what you guys are thinking; I have three UDFA’s whose combined CAREER stats do not equal what Colston did last year in what was unequivocally a down year….have I lost my mind? The answer is no, and the reason for Colston’s place on this list is not that he doesn’t have great value to the team or isn’t going to be as good as any/all of these guys. I simply don’t think at his age he has the ‘tools’ to hang with the young kids anymore and since the purpose of this post is to look at why the Saints didn’t waste a draft pick on a WR when the team is already flush with talent, I put him at the bottom. Make no mistake if this was Colston from say 09′ or 10′, he is at worst second on the list, and probably first ahead of Cooks. Colston is still a vet, still big (he ain’t shrinking guys), and is presumably healthy this year which he was clearly not last year. Colston is also the player who Drew trusts more than any other and while I fully expect him to do everything he can to help the young guys progress do not for a second think he isn’t trying to stay on top as long as he can. Colston may not be the Saints best receiver anymore…but he is undoubtedly still their most trusted. That may mean more in the long run than anything else.
Closing Thought:
It is entirely my opinion and you all have the right to agree or disagree, but based on my own observations as well as those more qualified than me the Saints have plenty of talent on the roster at WR. We also run a system that doesn’t really require a ‘star’ player in the traditional sense and stays more true to the equal opportunity nature of a west-coast offense. Sean Payton is thought by many to be the greatest offensive mind in the league and if he believes he has enough talent on the roster for this team to be effective, then I choose to trust him. The fact is that we actually have a lot more talent at the position than we have had in a lot of years, its just not proven. As someone who just graduated college I’m not a big fan of the whole’ you need experience to work for us’ idea….kinda hard to get experience if you wont let me…get experience. I believe that mentality has pervaded the postings of many Saints fans and bloggers lately (they may well be right), and I choose to wait and see what these kids can show us on the field. If they fall on their faces I will eat a ‘crow’ buffet and be fine with it, but I won’t judge them on what they ‘should’ have done when none of them have been given a real chance to show what they can do. Let’s enter the season with an open mind and hope that our Juicy Fruit chewing, Ambush calling, mad scientist of a head coach knows more than the rest of us.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
