The New Orleans Saints have never been shy about shaking up the roster after having a disappointing season. They finished with an abysmal 7-9 record in 2014 and this past Tuesday they showed that no one man is bigger than the team. They accomplished this by shipping their three-time Pro Bowler and All Pro tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle for the Seahawks’ 2015 first round draft pick and center, Max Unger. Also in the deal, was the Saints’ fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.
This move by the team has some Saints’ fans foaming at the mouth. As much of a shock as it may have been however, Who Dat Nation just needs to just breathe. There’s a silver lining around every cloud.
At the end of last summer New Orleans locked up Graham to a four-year, $40 million contract. Saints fans may be thinking that, to part ways with a player that presents such a mismatch for opposing team’s defenses is just plain stupid. It is true that the All Pro has had 386 receptions for over 4,700 yards and 51 touchdowns in his five years as a Saint. Graham accounted for 85 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns last season… all excellent numbers.
Most have gone in the direction of talking about Graham’s injuries and how they might hinder him from being on the field. Those points are valid and were factors in New Orleans’ decision-making. However, there’s a different way to look at this situation for the Saints. A team with the lead in a game can have the greatest receivers or tight ends and that’s fine. But if its quarterback cannot be protected, these weapons are to no avail.
The Saints not only get compensation for Graham in this year’s draft with that first-round pick (31st overall), they also get an important need filled by getting Unger. An offense is only as good as its offensive line in this league. A quarterback not only needs time in the pocket but a solid running game. Unger — a two-time Pro Bowler and All Pro — will help provide this and, in turn, take the pressure off of Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees.
In the last three games of the regular season, Brees had passing attempts of 36, 47 and 38 yards. He was sacked 29 times in 2014 which the second highest season sack-total of his career. New Orleans is looking to take some of the pressure off of their signal-caller and develop a more balanced attack on offense. This trade allows them to improve themselves at the center position as well as giving them two first-round picks in this year’s draft in order to address the defense.
With veteran linebacker Curtis Lofton being cut and the potential loss of cornerback Keenan Lewis, the Saints will be looking to get younger and more talented on defense to compliment an offense that still has plenty of fire power.
Saints fans… it’s not the end of the world. Think of it more as the ushering in of new beginnings in an NFC South division that is up for grabs.
Who Dat
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