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Can Ben Watson Fill the Void at Tight End for the Saints?

By Joel Childers

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At this point, if you follow the NFL, professional sports, or really even just own a television, you’ve probably heard that the New Orleans Saints traded their All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle this offseason. There are lots of ramifications of this blockbuster trade, but one of them is that the Saints now have 120-150 targets up for grabs and a tight end position to fill.

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Early on the offseason, the hype was all surrounding third-year tight end Josh Hill, who caught 5 touchdowns on only 14 receptions in 2014. At 6’5″ 229lbs he’s got the size and athleticism to be a great tight end, but lately the winds have been shifting more in the direction of 11-year veteran Ben Watson.

Watson, a Georgia product, has been a solid role-player in the NFL for the last decade, but has rarely been the focal point of his team’s offense. He spent six years in New England and three years in Cleveland and in that time he showed that he can be a solid, steady target.

ALSO ON SPINZONE: 30 Greatest Tight Ends of All-Time

Before coming to New Orleans, Hill carried an average of 420 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns per season. That included two seasons with 5+ touchdowns and one season with over 750 receiving yards.

The last two years with the Saints, Hill has been sitting behind one of the league’s best in Jimmy  Graham, and hasn’t had much of a chance to shine. He also was splitting time with fellow newcomer Josh Hill, causing his production to drop below 400 yards for the first time since 2008, when Randy Moss and Wes Welker were stealing all of the targets in New England after Matt Cassell became the starter due to Tom Brady‘s torn ACL.

He was able to be efficient on a Cleveland squad with Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, and Brandon Weeden throwing him the ball, and he was able to be efficient in a New England offense while competing for targets with the likes of Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss. Now he’s playing with an elite quarterback in Drew Brees, and with a receiving corps that only contains one other player who has ever had 100+ targets in a season. This could be the best situation of his career.

The only time he’s had a situation anywhere near this nice was 2006 with the Patriots, when Tom Brady’s top target was receiver Reche Caldwell. That was Brady’s second worst year statistically, but Watson still managed 643 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Ben Watson has also shown us he can be a team’s best weapon, as he lead the Browns in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2010, while playing with a trio of below-average players behind center. With Drew Brees throwing him the ball, and taking the place of a tight end who’s averaged 950 yards and 10 touchdowns per season in his career, Ben Watson is poised to have his best season yet.

Yes, the Saints will spread the ball around, and Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston will likely have excellent seasons, but Drew Brees has gotten used to looking for his big tight end often, especially in the red zone. At 6’3″ 255, Ben Watson is a great red zone target, and he’s also got the ability to pick up big yardage downfield.

At age 34, people may think Watson is slowing down, but his statistical decline since he came to New Orleans has more to do with the situation he’s been in than his own ability. His team has been raving about him and his performance all throughout camp (via Brett Martel of the Shreveport Times):

"“He’s on the field a lot and he contributes a lot,” quarterback Drew Brees said of Watson, “He’s great (blocking) in the run game. He’s great in pass protection. He’s great in his route-running ability, his ability to catch the football, his run after the catch. He’s just a pro. He can do it all.”"

Both Watson and his team realize he’s not Jimmy Graham, and simply cannot produce like Graham did. The Saints will use a combination of receivers, tight ends, and running backs to fill the hole left by Graham. However, Ben Watson has placed himself in an excellent position to have a huge contribution to his team, and may be looking to have the best season of his career.

The New Orleans Saints have a great veteran leader on their team in Ben Watson, but now he should contribute more on the field than ever before. His reliable hands and great fundamentals will make him an asset for Drew Brees as he tries to lead the Saints back to the postseason, after missing it last year for only the second time in six seasons.

Next: Saints Roster Breakdown: Tight Ends

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