The New Orleans Saints missed out on a potential deal with Jordy Nelson as he chose to go with the Oakland Raiders instead this offseason. Now they have a chance to at least get another quality playmaker in receiver Jordan Matthews, according to Zach Kruse of Bleacher Report .
The Saints and Drew Brees came to an agreement on a new two-year deal, but there’s a possibility that the deal could be for one year only, with the Saints having an option for the second. This could be a one and done for Bress, and if so, the Saints must give him everything he wants in terms of his offense.
In 2017, the Saints ranked fifth in passing yards while Brees registered his lowest yards (4434) since he became a member of the Saints in 2006. Even so, Brees is still as deadly as ever, and with the Saints looking for revenge after their heartbreaking loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC playoffs, Brees needs more weapons at his disposal.
Matthews, one of the leading receivers for the Philadelphia Eagles between 2014-16 caught 225 passes for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns before he was traded to the Buffalo Bills. But it all went downhill from there, as injuries and inconsistencies at the quarterback position halted any momentum Matthews brought from Philly.
By paring Brees with Matthews, it would be a match made in heaven for all parties involved. Even with Brees still going strong at 38, Matthews could form a duo with Michael Thomas that will help ensure a return trip to the playoffs for the Saints. While Thomas led the Saints in receiving in 2017 with 104 receptions, the next closest receiver was Ted Ginn with 53. Another reason for the dip in Brees’ production was the running schemes that Sean Payton decided to use with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara.
With both backs doing the heaving lifting running the ball, combined, they also accounted for 139 receptions as well. This is what may have caused the drop in passing yards for Brees and why the Saints would be wise to reach out to Matthews. While Matthews is not the annual 1,000-yard receiver most teams covet, he’s the perfect partner for Thomas on the inside.
Throughout his career, Matthews has been looked upon as a possession receiver. This is exactly what Brees needs. While Thomas can go over-the-top of any defense, the Saints were missing that one player who can sit in the middle of the field or short outs and come up with that big first down catch.
