The New Orleans Saints lost a major household name when they shipped tight end Jimmy Graham off in a trade to the Seattle Seahawks back in March.
Not too worried about that departure, quarterback Drew Brees guarantees us that we will soon be impressed with the team’s young offense:
“I’m excited about all of these guys. I think all of them are chomping at the bit for an opportunity,” Brees told ESPN Baton Rouge this week. “In many cases, you don’t know these guys’ names yet, and yet I think some of these guys are going to be household names pretty quick.”
The players Brees is referring to here are second-year wide receiver Brandin Cooks and third-year tight end Josh Hill. While running back C.J. Spiller is new to the team this year, we are largely familiar with his name.
Head coach Sean Payton reportedly wants to turn the offense into a run-heavy attack that features Spiller and veteran Mark Ingram in the backfield.
Brees had this to say about those plans:
“We’ve been a top-five rushing offense before. We’ve been able to hurt you down the field with our wideouts, we’ve been able to hurt you underneath with running backs and tight ends, so I feel like we have all those components.”
The Saints needed to make some changes after a disappointing 7-9 season in 2014. Getting Brees enhanced protection, incorporating a run-heavy scheme and adding new blood to the offense, all appear to be a step in the right direction.
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