The Saints Desperately Needed Someone Like Emmanuel Sanders
NFL free agency is all about filling holes on your roster. When it comes to real competitors in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints had a glaring hole that they couldn’t seem to fix for whatever reason. It was Michael Thomas and NOTHING else. Thomas had to beat double teams and somehow take on a ridiculous target share while no other receiver on the roster was capable of running a route. Things are about to change. The Saints desperately needed someone like Emmanuel Sanders.
Michael Thomas had 185 targets this year which is an insane number. Thomas is coming off a historic season. The problem is nobody else really contributed outside of tight end Jared Cook. The Saints needed a secondary receiver. Tedd Ginn had 421 yards and Tre’Quan Smith had 234 yards in 2019. That’s not cutting it. Someone has to step up to take some pressure off of Michael Thomas.
Sanders, 33, showed a year ago he still has plenty left in the tank. A year ago with San Francisco, Emmanuel Sanders recorded 66 receptions for 869 yards and 5 touchdowns. That sort of production is exactly what New Orleans needs. Sanders is more than capable of being a number two receiver in an offense. Despite tearing his Achilles a few years ago, Sanders really has performed well as he’s aged. Sanders sure made a difference in the 49ers Super Bowl run after being traded to San Francisco.
The hole at the 2nd receiver spot was something that really affected to championship status of the Saints. Now the question is whether Drew Brees has anything left. There were weeks that Brees looked like the old Brees. Then there were weeks he looked totally shot. His lack of arm strength is noticeable at this stage of his career. The mistake the Saints made this year isn’t the lack of a secondary receiver. It may have been keeping Drew Brees over Teddy Bridgewater.
