After an incredible 2006 season, the New Orleans Saints came back to earth last year as they finished 7-9 overall with sub-par performances all around. The Saints lost their first four games, with quarterback Drew Brees throwing nine interceptions and just one touchdown in those games, and were simply unable to recover. Brees actually finished strong, setting career highs in passing yards (4,423), attempts (652), completions (440), completion percentage (67.5) and passing touchdowns (28). Unfortunately he added nine fumbles, four of them lost, and a career-high 18 interceptions. The running back tandem of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush took a major hit when McAllister was lost for the season with another knee injury in the week 3 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Without McAllister, Bush’s production suffered, as he finished with 581 rushing yards and 417 receiving yards, down from 565 and 742, respectively, in 2006. Bush found the end zone six times, but that was also down from eight in his rookie season. With McAllister hurt and Bush not playing well, Aaron Stecker and Pierre Thomas got a chance to play and they both played well. Stecker gained 448 yards and had five touchdowns while Thomas averaged 4.8 yards per carry for a total of 252 yards.
Wide receiver Marques Colston , as well as the other Saints receivers, didn’t have a regression, as he caught 98 passes for 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns. The only number that dropped was his average yards-per-reception, a stat that has little and very indirect fantasy football impact. Second receiver David Patten had his best season since 2002, catching 54 passes for 792 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Eric Johnson had his best season since 2004 as he caught 48 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns.
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Key Departures
Olindo Mare (K) — Not often does a team go through an entire offseason without losing an impact player, but that can be said for the New Orleans Saints. In fact, the only player worth noting in this section is Olindo Mare, but he had little to no fantasy football value in 2007. In fact, Mare was expected to join the Saints high powered offense and be a top 10 fantasy kicker, instead he finished the season having played in just 13 games and converting on just 58.8% (10-17) of his field goal chances.
Key Additions
Aaron Glenn, Randall Gay and Jonathan Vilma (DEF) — The offense struggled at times last season, but the defense was downright atrocious, as it ranked 25th in points allowed, 26th in total yards allowed and 30th in passing yards allowed. General Manager Mickey Loomis quickly got to work in the offseason, trading for Vilma from the New York Jets and signing corner backs Glenn and Gay to beef up a terrible pass defense. With Vilma in the mix, the Saints linebacking corps immediately goes from one of the weakest in the NFC to respectable. While there is still much work to be before the New Orleans defense can be considered one of the top ones, the Saints will be much improved in 2008.
2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
Drew Brees (QB) — Forget about how Drew Brees played in the first four games last year and remember that his numbers are trending up in all the right areas. The only reason his interceptions went up was because the lack of running game in New Orleans, had him trying to carry the team and he forced a lot of passes. With the running game expected to be back in full force, the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff believes Brees should be able to put together what could be his best season yet in 2008. Expect 4,100 passing yards, 28-30 touchdowns and 14-16 interceptions.
Deuce McAllister (RB) — With two knee (ACL) injuries in the last four years, it’s starting to appear that McAllister’s best years are behind him, but that’s not a bad thing. A healthy McAllister in a part-time role is still much better than a McAllister on crutches. McAllister will be declared 100 percent healthy, but in reality that still is only 70% of what the "Deuce" used to be. Plus, with the growing role of Pierre Thomas, you just never know how many touches he will truly get. You can expect around 500 rushing yards and 4-5 rushing touchdowns from the "Deuce."
Reggie Bush (RB) — With two seasons under his belt, we’ve pretty much seen what Bush is capable of in the NFL and it’s not as glamorous as once thought. Without Deuce McAllister, Bush struggled when given the chance to be a primary back. Still, Bush has incredible skills that haven’t been fully tapped and if he stays healthy should be able to enjoy his finest season in the NFL. Expect 650 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards with a total of 8-10 touchdowns.
Marques Colston (WR) — Colston displayed that his rookie season was no fluke and went on to establish himself as one of the game’s elite receivers last year. Flanked by David Patten, Colston will again receive a majority of the throws and could reach triple-digit receptions this season. Expect close to 105 catches for 1,400 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns this season, making Colston a sure fire WR1.
David Patten (WR) — Patten is nothing more than a compliment to Marques Colston, but in this offense that’s still pretty good. In most leagues, Patten would make for a perfect second or third receiver though you shouldn’t expect much more than what he did last year. Something along the lines of 45 receptions for 625 receiving yards and 2-3 touchdowns is realistic for Patten.
Eric Johnson (TE) — Johnson did well in his first season with New Orleans, providing a much-needed outlet for Brees. Injuries had prevented Johnson from becoming one of the better tight ends in the league but he is still a solid option. Expect Johnson to repeat his 2007 season and haul in 45 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns.
Martin Gramatica & Taylor Mehlhaff (K) — Splitting time with Olindo Mare, Gramatica kicked well as he was perfect on extra points and field goal attempts for a total of 27 fantasy football points. However, the Saints decided it would be wise to draft Taylor Mehlhaff to compete for the starting job in 2008. Realistically, whether it's Gramatica or Mehlhaff, the powerful Saints offense could land your fantasy kicker up wards of 130 points. Therefore, it would be wise for you to keep an eye on training camp to see who head coach Sean Payton decides to go with.
Rookies to Watch
Sedrick Ellis (DT) and Tracy Porter (CB) — Neither player will get drafted in your league, unless you consider them in an IDP league, but the additions of Ellis and Porter are huge for the New Orleans defense. The Saints, who ranked 25th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed and 30th in passing yards allowed realized they needed to make a commitment to defense and did. Combine Ellis and Porter with newly acquired linebacker Jonathan Vilma and the signings defensive back's Aaron Glenn and Randall Gay, the Saints are suddenly a defense that could surprise in 2008.
Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ