New Orleans Saints have yet to solve tight end problem
The draft has come and gone, but the New Orleans Saints still don’t have a tight end. Since cutting Coby Fleener, there’s a question mark around the position.
The New Orleans Saints are having a busy offseason, and not all in great ways. Not only did they get rid of Coby Fleener, but also have to deal with Mark Ingram’s suspension. Ingram will come back eventually, but Fleener leaves a gap. Many assumed they’d draft a tight end, but failed to do so ultimately.
It begs the question: What do the Saints plan to do at tight end? The team arguably hasn’t had a solid tight-end since Jimmy Graham. Even the team lost their bet to get him which sucked. If anything, it should have motivated them.
It’s a simple question, but one the Saints have yet to address. Looking at their current roster, the team has two main contenders: Benjamin Watson and Josh Hill. Let’s start with Watson, who has previously been a member of the Saints.
During his tenure in New Orleans, Watson was a solid player. He served as one of the team’s offensive captains along with racking up 10 touchdowns, over 1,000 receiving yards and over 100 receptions. His best year came in 2015 when Watson played in every game and was a cornerstone of the offense.
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Since leaving the Saints, Watson couldn’t duplicate his success. With the Saints now a contender, it was a good time for him to return. With all the good comes a bit of bad too as Watson is 37 years old. Realistically, he only has a few more years left to play and likely will retire a Saint.
Right now, Watson is a placeholder until the Saints can find someone younger. Hopefully, Watson is successful in his final years but it’s not guaranteed.
Moving onto the Saints second option, they also have Hill. Hill joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Since then, Hill has failed to live up to expectations and has continued to fall down the depth chart.
His best year came in 2015 when Hill finished the season with five touchdowns for 176 yards and 14 receptions. Not exactly what the Saints have been hoping for. It’s a surprise that the Saints are willing to keep him. Then again, he is a cheap option as a backup.
Of the two tight ends, neither is a permanent solution. At this point, the Saints have three solutions to their problem. First, the team can stick with who they’ve got and hope. Watson is likely to step up and make an impact while Hill will continue to be a backup.
The second option is pursuing someone in free agency. The tight end market is sparse as both Jimmy Graham and Trey Burton were snatched up. The team could take a gamble on Crockett Gillmore or Marcedes Lewis, but it’s unlikely.
Last but not least, the Saints could try an undrafted rookie. Right now, the team has Cam Serigne out of Wake Forest. Maybe Serigne will make the leap and maybe he won’t. If not, then the team could try another UDFA.
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As of right now, the Saints still don’t have their tight end of the future. They also don’t have their quarterback of the future. Maybe 2019 will be a huge offensive draft year for them. It’s only a matter of time before the tight end position becomes a bigger problem.