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The Saints re-signed TE Billy Miller to a one year contract yesterday. He played in 10 games for the Saints this season and he caught 14 passes for 129 yards (9.2 avg). He could become a bigger part of the offense next season as he really had a good game in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Saints have re-signed 33 year old DT Hollis Thomas to a 4 year, $12 million dollar contract. He played well for the Saints last season. He played in 12 games and made 43 tackles, sacked the QB 3.5 times, defensed 2 passes and recovered a fumble. The Saints were smart to re-sign him before free agency started on Friday.
The Saints made an excellent move by franchising defensive end Charles Grant. He would have been impossible to retain if he hit the free agent market. Grant is also a winner as he will be paid 8.66 million dollars next season for the Saints.
The Saints have to feel really lucky right about now that Drew Brees and Reggie Bush weren’t injured worse than they were. Drew Brees fractured his left elbow in the Pro Bowl but the Saints have reported that he should be ready to go by the time training camp starts. Reggie Bush injured his ankle in the NBA’s All-Star Celebrity Basketball Game but he won’t miss much time as he only sprained his ankle which was very lucky.
The Saints didn’t use their TEs much in the offense last season. As a unit they caught 45 passes for 411 yards and 1 TD. Mark Campbell played in 14 games (10 starts) and he caught 18 passes for 164 yards (9.1 avg). For his career, Campbell has played in 102 games (73 starts) and he has caught 134 passes for 1,235 yards (9.2 avg) with 10 TD grabs.
Billy Miller played in 10 games (3 starts) and he caught 14 passes for 129 yards (9.2 avg). For his career, Miller has played in 83 games (25 starts) and he has caught 128 passes for 1,341 yards (10.5 avg) with 7 TD grabs.
Ernie Conwell played in 7 games (5 starts) and he caught 8 passes for 57 yards (7.1 avg) with 1 TD catch. For his career, Conwell has played in 125 games (90 starts) and he has caught 203 passes for 2,188 yards (10.8 avg) with 15 TD grabs.
John Owens played in 5 games (0 starts) and he caught 4 passes for 44 yards (11.0 avg). For his career, Owens has played in 29 games (9 starts) and he has caught 9 passes for 93 yards (10.3 avg).
Nate Lawrie played in 7 games (0 starts) and he caught 1 pass for 17 yards. For his career, Lawrie has played in 15 games (0 starts) and he has caught 2 passes for 32 yards (16.0 avg).
Anytime you draft four starting players in a draft you have to feel great about your preparation and execution on draft day. Not only were these guys starters, but they were all impact players for the Saints. Here’s a breakdown:
Reggie Bush fell into the Saints laps after the Texans passed on him and he played great for the Saints. Bush played in all 16 games (8 starts) and he carried the football 155 times for 565 yards (3.6 ypc) with 6 TD runs. He also caught 88 passes for 742 yards (8.4 avg) with 2 TD catches. He also returned 28 punts for 216 yards (7.7 avg) including one that he returned for a TD to beat the Bucs. Reggie Bush is just scratching the surface of what he’s going to be in the near future.
FS Roman Harper was a fine pick in the 2nd round for the Saints. He only played in 5 games before injuring himself and missing the remainder of the season. He still made an impact in those 5 games with 26 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and he defended 3 passes. He’s going to be a starter for the Saints for a long, long time.
In the 4th round the Saints selected big OT Jahri Evans. Evans started all 16 games and played very well. He could be a future Pro Bowler for the Saints.  He also recovered 2 fumbles for the Saints last season.
In the 5th round the Saints selected DE Rob Ninkovich. Ninkovich only played in 3 games and made 4 tackles and defensed 1 pass.
The 6th round was a waste for the Saints as neither Mike Haas (WR) or Josh Lay (CB) made the team.
The Saints made up for a bad 6th round with an outstanding 7th round. The first pick they had in the 7th round wound up being OT Zach Strief. Strief played in 9 games and started one. He will be a reserve again next season for the Saints, but he could be a starter someday.
The biggest gem of the draft for the Saints is Marques Colston. What an amazing 7th round pick for the Saints. He played in 14 games (12 starts) and he caught 70 passes for 1,038 yards (14.8 avg) with 8 TD grabs. The sky is the limit for Colston. He’s big, fast and could be a dominant WR for a long time in the NFL.