Led by Bush and Brees, Saints’ offense should improve

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, August 29, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

New Orleans Saints
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Following an understandably terrible 2005 offensive campaign, the New Orleans Saints' unit is back, and it appears vastly improved. Gone are players who couldn't fit the system and welcomed in are performers who have proven themselves in the past.

It all begins with a highly improved quarterback position for the Saints. The organization said goodbye to mistake-prone Aaron Brooks and said hello to Drew Brees, a one-time Pro Bowler who was terrific with the San Diego Chargers for the last two years. Brees signed a lucrative deal in the offseason with the Saints even though he had a questionable rotator cuff. All in all, though risky, it was a move New Orleans will end up reveling in.

Is there officially a No. 1 running back in Louisiana? Not necessarily. Three-time 1,000-yard back Deuce McAllister returns from a knee injury, but he's joined by Reggie Bush, who was the most electrifying player in college football last year, winning the Heisman Trophy. The Saints' new head coach, Sean Payton, has faith that both McAllister and Bush, the No. 2 overall pick from April's draft, can get enough touches to stay happy. The ability Bush will add as a receiver lining up out wide and in the backfield will be key for Brees and the offense.

Recently, the Saints' receiving corps has endured a notable change. The team traded away former first-round pick Donte' Stallworth to the Philadelphia Eagles this week for a draft pick and linebacker Mark Simoneau. In the now permanent absence of Stallworth, the dependable Joe Horn and third-year man Devery Henderson must pick up the slack. Don't expect that to be a problem for Horn, but it could be for Henderson, who had only 22 receptions in 2005.

Starting tight end is currently somewhat of a question for New Orleans in terms of production. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Ernie Conwell is a nice option as a blocker, but the 34-year-old probably won't be much of a safety valve for Brees in the passing game. Though Conwell has good hands, his declining athletic ability will stymie him from making a true impact catching passes. However, he'll serve as almost an extra offensive lineman, much like battering-ram fullback Mike Karney.

On the offensive line, the Saints seem fairly comfortable with their starting tackles, LT Jammal Brown and RT Jon Stinchcomb. Brown, a first-rounder from 2005, was so impressive last year at RT that the team shifted him left and decided not to draft D'Brickashaw Ferguson over Bush this past April. Stinchcomb, on the other hand, seems like quite a question mark. In his two-year career, the 315-pounder has appeared in just 10 games, starting none.

New Orleans' offensive guards are also questionable at this point. LG Jamar Nesbit hasn't started more than two games in a season since 2002, while RG Jahri Evans is a rookie fourth-round from little-known Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. Yikes.

On paper, center doesn't necessarily get a whole lot more promising. But that's why the NFL is decided on the field. The Saints were forced to let two-time Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley bolt during free agency, moving them to trade for ex-first-rounder Jeff Faine, a Cleveland Browns castoff. Last year, though, Faine was actually impressive, starting in 14 games and taking just two penalties and surrendering 1 ½ sacks. Perhaps there's hope for this 25-year-old Notre Dame grad after all.

The offensive depth the Saints possess isn't exactly noteworthy, but there are some bright spots. New addition Jamie Martin is a decent enough backup QB, Aaron Stecker is among the best third-string runners in football, WR's Chris Horn, Marques Colston and Bethel Johnson are impressive, while the same can be said about reserve RG Jermane Mayberry.

Final prediction: The New Orleans' Saints offense finished last season ranked 31st in the league in points scored. With the additions of Brees, Bush and a healthy McAllister, they'll easily join the top half of the NFL. Look for Bush to make his bid for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while McAllister regains his bulldozing, hard-running style. None of that will happen, however, with a terrible group of blockers up front. There's still a chance the Saints' o-line could be really bad, but nobody will truly find that out until the season begins.

Got feedback? Connor J. Byrne responds to questions and comments on a daily basis: cbyrne@realfootball365.com.
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