Saints TE room has a chance to be special this season

The New Orleans Saints have made it a priority this off-season to not only create an explosive offense but one of multiplicity. At every skill position on the offensive side of the ball, the team has a guy or two that provides something specific and unique in their game.

The tight end position couldn’t prove this anymore.

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Tight end Juwan Johnson stated in his post-practice presser that the tight end room reminds him of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. I honestly couldn’t agree more. The top four guys in this room specifically all have their own set of skills that can make this group extremely dynamic this season. They’ve already been the talk of camp so far.

With this, I decided to go through each guy to give some insight on what they do well and what their possible role might be for this upcoming season.

Juwan Johnson

The top dog of the group, who’s really shown the ability to be that dynamic receiving threat that the Saints need at the tight end position. Johnson does an excellent job in creating separation and making guys miss after the catch as well. Much of his game should be played in the slot where he’ll have the advantages in his matchups against linebackers and safeties. His seven touchdowns last season mostly came in a bunch where he really put his talent on display. With consistency at the quarterback position this season, Johnson will have all the opportunity to stretch the field more and use his athleticism to make the rest happen.

Foster Moreau

When it comes to Foster Moreau, he’s the most traditional tight end that the Saints have on offense. We’ve seen Moreau do a multitude of things throughout his career as a Raider that speak to this exactly. He has an uncanny ability to work in the middle of the field, is physical when needed to be and can also create after the catch. His presence in the run game though proves to be some of his fine work in which he is outstanding at. Having a guy that can provide a little bit of everything is something that you must have on your team. It is also extremely beneficial to have exactly this type of player if an injury concerns the tight end room. Moreau likely won’t wow fans this season but don’t be surprised when he makes the play in a crucial moment.

Jimmy Graham

Many of us all know exactly how amazing it was to see Jimmy Graham in his prime. It was literally something that we haven’t seen before in a Saints uniform. As great as it is for Jimmy to be back, we should all understand that we won’t be getting that same player but there is still a role for him on this team. As he said himself in his press conference last week, “I’m still 6’7 and I love the redzone”. That’s exactly where our focus should be when it comes to Jimmy Graham. He doesn’t have the same speed and athleticism that he once had to stretch the field, but he definitely has the ability to box defenders out and make a physical catch for this team. The redzone is where Jimmy should be able to add the most value to this team. I can also envision third downs and short yardage situations to be somewhere he can also thrive as a receiving threat in a bigger body. I still fully believe number 80 can make his presence known this season.

Taysom Hill

If we're talking about uniqueness there really isn’t another player in the league that can match up to what Taysom Hill brings to the table. Many believe that he shouldn’t even be labeled a tight end because of all that he does. But quite frankly, I just don’t care. Any way the team decides to get the ball in Taysom Hill’s hands is a great way. In 2019, we seen what he can do as a receiver in this offense in his ability to separate with his speed and finish runs after the catch. And in the past three seasons, we have really gotten a glimpse of how effective he is as a runner. Oh, and don’t forget about him sneaking a couple of touchdown passes either. Having a guy like Hill can become a nightmare for opposing defenses because you truly do not know what is coming. I believe that having the guys listed above in the fold as well, will only make that more challenging.

All together if everyone can stay relatively healthy, this group has the chance to be really special this season.

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