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Saints Roster Countdown 2014: #16 Brandon Coleman and #66 Ben Grubbs

With the third game of the preseason tomorrow, the Saints have already begun whittling down the final roster. Meanwhile, we continue counting down the days until the Saints hit Atlanta, by taking a brief look at the guys who are still with the team. Today we check out #16 (WR) Brandon Coleman and #66 (G) Ben Grubbs

By Jon Oliver
Sean Gardner

The Saints began whittling down their roster this week, releasing several players ahead of schedule.  Come Tuesday, NFL rosters must be pared down to a maximum of 75 players.

As we count down the last 50 days until the New Orleans Saints begin their regular season in Atlanta, on September 7th, we're getting to know a little bit about those players who have signed on to bring home another Lombardi trophy.

Today, we take a brief look at wide receiver Brandon Coleman and left guard Ben Grubbs!

So, with no more ado:

16 DAYS UNTIL ATLANTA!!!


#16 WR Brandon Coleman (Rookie)

Brandon Coleman was picked up by the New Orleans Saints after this year's draft, as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers.  He struggled badly with drops during the spring, but has improved greatly during the offseason, playing faster and dropping fewer balls since the start of training camp.

Coleman started all 13 games in each of his three seasons in college, though his performance last year was affected by the surgery he had on his right knee during the 2013 offseason. In 39 games at Rutgers, he recorded 94 receptions for 1,808 yards (19.2 average), and matched the school record for receiving touchdowns by catching 20 over the course of his college career.  Ten of those touchdowns came during his sophomore year, which also tied a school record for TD receptions in a season.

At 6'6' and 225 lbs, the rookie is the closest thing the Saints have had to Marques Colston since picking up the star veteran receiver.  With all the receiving talent currently vying for a spot, however, Brandon Coleman may be snatched up before he gets a chance to prove what he can do for the black and gold during a regular season.

Contract:
3 yr(s) / $1,530,000.  Average $510,000 per year through 2016.

#66 G Ben Grubbs (8th Year, 3rd with Saints)

Benjamin Richard Grubbs was originally drafted out of Auburn by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.  During his five years with the Ravens, Grubbs started 70 of 74 games and made the Pro Bowl following his 2011 season.  Less than two months later, he signed a five-year, $36 million contract with New Orleans as an unrestricted free agent on March 15, 2012.  Since then, he has started every game with the Saints at left guard, and returned to the Pro Bowl again after another stellar performance last season.

In high school, Grubbs excelled as both linebacker and fullback, and also lettered as a four-year starter on the basketball team.  After choosing Auburn over LSU and Alabama, Grubbs switched from defensive tackle to tight end for his freshman campaign, and then to offensive guard during spring drills before his second year in college.  He went on to start every game over the next three years, finishing his bachelor's degree and then starting a year of graduate school as he continued making a name for himself as one of the best offensive linemen in the country... a trend he has continued throughout his professional career.

This offseason, Ben Grubbs restructured his contract, slashing his base salary from $5.2 million to $1.2 million and spreading the other $4 million over the last four years of his deal in order to open up $3 million in salary cap space for the team.

Contract:
5 yr(s) / $36,000,000. Average $7,200,000 per year through 2016.

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