6. New Orleans Saints sign Jared Cook
It’s been a long time since the New Orleans Saints had a tight end that opposing defenses had to fear. From 2010 through 2014, Jimmy Graham was the talk of the NFL, as the pass-catching tight end was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. In five seasons in the bayou, Graham had 4,752 yards receiving with 51 touchdown receptions.
He was then traded to the Seattle Seahawks and there’s been a host of tight ends trying to fill the void he left. Ben Watson did well in 2015, pulling in 825 yards and six scores but at 35 years old, he wasn’t the long-term answer. That led to the signing of former Indianapolis Colts tight end Coby Fleener.
While Fleener was a good receiver for Indianapolis, his skillset didn’t translate to the Saints. He lasted just two seasons before they brought Watson back in 2018 at the age of 38. Now, they turn to another veteran in Jared Cook, who just so happens to be coming off his best season as a pro.
Cook joins his fifth team, but was great last season for the struggling Oakland Raiders. He had career highs in receptions (68), yards (896) and touchdowns (six), as he developed into the best receiving option for Derek Carr.
In New Orleans, he won’t need to be the No. 1 target, as Michael Thomas has that job down. The Saints will probably also throw the ball more to Alvin Kamara out of the backfield than they will Cook.
Even so, what the veteran tight end does is opens the offense up, as there’s a player capable of causing damage in the middle of the field. He’s their best option since Jimmy Graham. This was a great move — even if it was an under-the-radar signing.