NEW ORLEANS — With the first week of OTAs under way, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is getting to know his new pair of offensive weapons in tight end Jared Cook and running back Latavius Murray.
Even though the record-setting quarterback has only had a few days to work with his new teammates who were signed during free agency, Brees has been impressed with what each one brings to the table.
“Really good,” Brees said of Cook on Thursday. “Really impressed. (He) Comes across as a real savvy veteran, a real pro. I’d heard a lot of good things about him before he got here, but he’s certainly impressed us these first couple of days. He’s got a great feel for the game and I think he’s going to fit very well in our offense.”
Saints head coach Sean Payton is optimistic that Cook, who is coming off a career year with the Oakland Raiders as he earned his first Pro Bowl honor, can replicate that production in New Orleans’ high-powered offense.
“Look, what he did in Oakland was similar to a lot of the things we do formationally,” Payton said. “But he’s smart and he has range, you see his route savviness and his ability to get in and out of cuts. The best thing he does is run after the catch. It’s hard to measure that out here when we’re not tackling, but he’s real good that way.“
With the brief retirement of starter Benjamin Watson, the Saints targeted tight end as a position of significant need in free agency — and Cook was the top name on the open market after the 6-foot-5, 254-pound 10-year veteran was coming off a season of recording career highs in receptions (68), yards (896) and touchdowns (6).
The Saints’ trio of tight ends (Watson, Josh Hill and Dan Arnold) combined for only 63 receptions, 600 yards and three touchdowns last season.
In fact, the Saints have not had a tight end corp combine for more than 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns since 2015. That season Watson, Hill and Michael Hoomanawanui hauled in 1,021 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Having a large and reliable pass catching tight end could help free up All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas and Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara.
“He’s got great length, so he’s got a big catch radius,” Brees said. “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.”
Brees added, “Anytime you have a target like that, you feel like that’s a good matchup. Obviously, a lot of attention goes to Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara and so I think having a weapon like that in addition to the other pieces that we have as well, I think that they complement each other really, really well.”
Cook isn’t the only new weapon for the Saints.
After the team allowed longtime, and fan favorite, running back Mark Ingram to walk in free agency, the team signed former Oakland and Minnesota running back Latavius Murray to help back up Kamara.
The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Murray had his best season in 2015 with the Raiders as he rushed for 1,066 yards and scored six touchdowns, while also catching 41 balls, to earn his first, and only, Pro Bowl honor. In the seasons since then, he has served primarily as a backup.
The Saints believe that Murray can be a great compliment to Kamara, and help fill the large void left by Ingram.
The former first-round draft pick rushed for 2,167 yards and scoring 18 rushing touchdowns from 2016-17, including eclipsing 1,000 yards both years, for the Saints before managing just 645 yards and six touchdowns in a suspension-shortened season in 2018.
“Thunder and lightning,” said Brees of what Murray and Kamara can become for the Saints in 2019. “Look around the league. You have that running back room that typically brings different skillsets and you are able to mix and match.
“I think our offense is proven that we do a lot of things with two backs in the game,” Brees added. “It just gives us a lot of flexibility and gives a lot for the defense to have to worry about and game plan for. Again, we’re only three days into it, but I’m impressed with what I’ve seen with him as well.”