Countdown to New Orleans Saints Kickoff: A History of No. 16

The New Orleans Saints begin their 2017 regular season in just 16 days, with a Monday night road showdown against the Minnesota Vikings. As the team prepares for it's season opener, Canal Street Chronicles helps prepare you with our continuing series, countdown to kickoff. Today, we take a look back at the Saints players that have worn the No. 16.

Bo Burris (S, 1967-1969)

Burris was a 2nd round draft choice by the expansion Saints in 1967 out of the University of Houston, where he played quarterback. He had 3 interceptions for the team in 1968, along with a 94-yard touchdown return that was good for second longest in the league, and also the Saints only defensive touchdown that season.

Ken Stabler (QB, 1982-1984)

Then-Saints coach Bum Phillips traded quarterback Archie Manning and offensive tackle Leon Gray to the Houston Oilers in 1982 to acquire the 37-year-old Stabler. The "Snake" had already carved out a 10-year All-Pro and Super Bowl championship career with the Oakland Raiders that would eventually land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He started 8 of the Saints nine games in the strike-shortened '82 season, compiling a 4-4 record while throwing for 1,343 yards with 6 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Stabler led the Saints to the brink of a playoff berth in 1983, only falling short due to a two point loss in the season finale to the Los Angeles Rams. During the season, Stabler had a 7-7 record as a starter, showing flashes of his former brilliance during the year, and throwing for 1,988 yards. He retired 3 games into the 1984 season, finally receiving his deserved induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Unfortunately, Stabler had passed away in July of 2015, due to colon cancer.

Lance Moore (2006-2013)

The Saints signed the former undrafted free agent to a contract by New Orleans in 2005 after a brief stay on the Browns' practice squad. He was allocated to the NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder before returning to see action in four games for New Orleans in 2006, then a slightly expanded role the following year. Moore then led the team in receiving yards (928), receptions (79), and touchdowns (10) during 2008, developing into one of Drew Brees' most trusted targets during the remainder of his career. Injuries limited him to just 7 games during the Saints championship season of 2009, but an acrobatic catch of a 4th quarter 2-point conversion in their Super Bowl XLIV victory is one of the lasting memories of the season.

Moore rebounded in 2010 to finish second on the team with 763 yards and a team best 8 scores, and followed up with 627 yards and another 8 touchdowns in 2011. Moore had a career best 1,041 receiving yards in 2012 to finish second best on the team while adding another 6 more trips to the end zone. Injuries and a diminished role in the Saints offense in 2013 led to his release from the team that offseason. He played one year each with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions before signing a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons in the summer of 2016. Three days after signing with Atlanta, Moore instead came to his senses (he always was a smart player), and decided to retire from the NFL.

Lance Moore finished his New Orleans Saints career with 4,281 receiving yards with 38 touchdowns on 346 catches, all ranking within the top 7 in Saints franchise history.

Brandon Coleman (WR, 2014-current)

The Saints signed Coleman as an undrafted free agent from Rutgers in 2014. He missed his rookie season due to injury, but stepped into the team's receiving rotation in 2015 with 30 receptions for 454 yards and 2 touchdowns. Coleman's output dropped a bit in 2016, with 26 catches for just 281 yards, but he did score 3 touchdowns, and seemed to develop into a trusted red zone target for quarterback Drew Brees. Coleman entered the 2017 training camp with an eye at moving up the depth chart. He's looked sharper than he has at any point in his career, and Saints fans could be about to witness a career best performance from this No. 16.

Other Saints players to wear No. 16: Steve Ramsey (1970), Tom Blanchard (1974-78), Mike Buck (1991-93)