Mr. Versatile: What's Next?

Just about every NFL analyst or competent fan labeled Darren Sproles as the best free agent signing of last offseason. When he left the Chargers to reunite with his good friend Drew Brees, immediately Saints fans dreamed of Sproles being everything that Reggie Bush was supposed to be. He was not a beat short of this mission, as he went on to break Derrick Mason's single-season all-purpose yards record. Darren totaled 2,696 yards from runs, receptions, and returns.

Last week Pat Yasinskas put a link in his NFC South blog to an article written by Gary Horton. In this article Horton ranked the top versatile players in the NFC and AFC. And who sat atop the NFC rankings? That's right, our man Darren Sproles.

There's no question that Gary Horton made the right decision. Sproles is able to provide for the team in every angle of attack. On the ground, he led the team with 87 rushes for 603 yards. His whopping 6.9 yards per cary led the entire league. Through the air, Darren had 86 receptions for 710 yards; a number good enough for third on the team. Finally, in the return game Sproles had 29 returns for 294 yards off of punts, and 40 returns for 1089 yards off of kicks. Whenever he stepped on the field, there was a sense that he could make something magical happen.

Next season we can only expect the same from our little speedster. But can we also expect something different? While coach Sean Payton serves his suspension and Pete Carmichael Jr. is calling the plays, could he get creative with this powerful offense?

For a team that is constantly throwing wrinkles into their style of play, I wouldn't be surprised if they implemented a type of Wildcat offense focused around Darren Sproles. So many teams do it these days, so why not the Saints? They have the perfect, versatile player that could make it happen.

Think back to how dangerous he was catching and running the ball with not much space and time. If he received direct snaps, he could immediately turn on the jets and get out there. Plus, the Saints would have an exceptional line in front of him to create the necessary time and space for him to run. Then, when they switched back to their traditional offensive packages with Sproles in the game, anything could happen.

I think the Wildcat would be a great addition to this offense as it would constantly keep the opponents defense guessing. What do y'all think?