Saints sign Dez Bryant to bolster already great offense
The New Orleans Saints don’t seem to need help offensively, but they’ve added Dez Bryant to the group.
The Dallas Cowboys did Dez Bryant no favors by cutting him as late as they did, and he lingered available through half a season. But after a workout on Tuesday, and a report of contract negotiations, Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has reported the New Orleans Saints will sign Bryant.
The Saints have shown they can win in multiple ways this year. Drew Brees threw the ball just 23 times in a Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and then turned around and threw for 346 yards in a shootout win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9.
The Saints are seventh in the league in total offense (402 yards per game), with a good balance between pass (289.9 yards per game; seventh in the league) and run (112.1 yards per game; 15th in the league). Not surprisingly then, the league’s second-best scoring offense (34.9 points per game) calls New Orleans home.
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram have the Saints’ running game locked down. Michael Thomas is clearly the No. 1 wide receiver, as he sits second in the league in catches (70), fourth in yards (880) and second in yards per game (110). But things have been more hit-and-miss behind Thomas, with Ted Ginn (knee) out for the season while Tre’Quan Smith contributes some and Cameron Meredith has now gone catchless in three straight games.
https://twitter.com/JeffDuncan_/status/1060211552954056705
Bryant will have to know his place in the Saints’ pecking order, but playing with a quarterback like Brees should help that.
When asked where Bryant might fit best a few months ago, Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott called it.
We asked Dak Prescott over the summer where he thought Dez Bryant would fit. His answer is...interesting. pic.twitter.com/ubzpIY6OyJ
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) November 7, 2018
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As Bryant works to learn the playbook and build rapport with Brees, Sean Payton will surely put some focus on usage in specific situations. In the red zone is the most obvious way to use Bryant, where his size and ball skills are an asset, and there’s no doubt the Saints have added a helpful weapon to an already loaded offensive arsenal.