Brees: Cook will 'fit very well in our offense'
The New Orleans Saints' high-flying offense, headlined by stars Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, wasn't hurting for options prior to the arrival of veteran tight end Jared Cook in free agency.
The Saints haven't heavily utilized a receiving tight end since trading away Jimmy Graham in 2015. But now Drew Brees believes the presence of another Pro Bowler who can consistently win one-on-one matchups will improve New Orleans' offense.
"I'd read a lot of good things about him before he got here, but he's certainly impressed us these first couple of days," Brees said, according to Nathan Brown of The New Orleans Advocate. "He's got a great feel for the game, and I think he's going to fit very well in our offense.
"He's got great length, so he's got a big catch radius. You feel confident with those 50-50 balls. You feel like there's a lot of places where you can throw it where he can get it and the other guy can't. Anytime you have a target like that, you feel like that's a good matchup."
Graham was one of the league's most dynamic threats during his five years in New Orleans, racking up 4,752 receiving yards and 51 touchdowns, including two seasons with over 1,200 yards.
Coby Fleener, who was signed in 2016 as a long-term replacement for Graham, produced 926 yards and just five touchdowns in two seasons before New Orleans released him. Benjamin Watson spent 2013-15 and 2018 with the Saints and recorded 825 yards immediately following Graham's exit, but the veteran lacked the speed to threaten defenses downfield.
Cook joined the Saints on a two-year deal knowing the heights tight ends can reach in Sean Payton's scheme, and he's ready to help take some of the offensive workload off Kamara and Thomas' shoulders.
"This has always been a tight end-friendly offense, and I thought it would be a great place for me to come and extend my career and come and shine," Cook said. "They were with Mike and Alvin a pretty potent one-two combo last year, and I thought I could come in and help Mike. And at the same time him help me and relieve some pressure off each other and make this a high-powered offense once again this year."
The 32-year-old averaged 13.2 yards per catch - sixth-best among tight ends - while playing for the Oakland Raiders in 2018. The Saints will be hoping his speed can add an extra dimension to the third-ranked scoring offense from a season ago.
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