Saints RB Alvin Kamara Active vs. Jaguars Despite Ankle Injury
Oct 11, 2019
New York Jets cornerback Buster Skrine (41) carries in the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Kamara has missed just one game since the Saints selected him in the third round out of Tennessee in 2017.
He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl with 728 rushing yards, 826 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns, one of which came on a kick return.
He finished with 883 rushing yards, 709 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns in 15 games in his second season, making the Pro Bowl again. He's also been essential to the offense this year in the wake of Drew Brees' thumb injury. The 24-year-old leads the team with 101 touches and 583 yards from scrimmage.
His nose for the end zone makes him all the more dangerous in the Saints offense, and his ability in the passing attack has provided quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with another weapon.
New Orleans cannot turn to Mark Ingram II in the rushing attack without Kamara like it could in the past, but Latavius Murray can serve as the primary option when needed.
Teddy Bridgewater Saved the Saints' Super Bowl Run and Could Save Your Team Too
Oct 10, 2019
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 06: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints warms up prior to the start of a NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on October 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Teddy Bridgewater was available to any team in the NFL in the summer of 2018 for the price of a third-round pick.
If the Colts or Panthers wanted affordable insurance for their roughed-up franchise quarterbacks, they could have acquired Bridgewater. If the Jaguars or Dolphins sought inexpensive, viable exit strategies for moving on from their faltering young starters, Bridgewater was available. If the Steelers wanted to plan for the post-Ben Roethlisberger future, they could have traded for Bridgewater. If Washington had realized that putting all of its faith in a then-34-year-old Alex Smith wasn't such a swell long-range plan, it could have traded for Bridgewater.
Heck, the Jets could have retained Bridgewater, spent some of their cap-space wealth to keep him financially satisfied as Sam Darnold's mentor and may be averaging more than 9.8 points per game right now.
All of those teams passed on Bridgewater because he fell into the NFL's blind spot. The league's decision-makers believe quality quarterbacks cost $80 million-plus or high first-round picks; backups are either 30-something-year-old has-beens or anonymous randos; and backups who can actually keep their teams in playoff contention are rare-to-nonexistent. An affordable, starting-caliber quarterback? Preposterous. There has to be a catch.
The Saints thought slightly outside of the box when they traded for Bridgewater in August 2018, even though Drew Brees was among the league's most durable quarterbacks, and then retained him this offseason, even though Bridgewater was barely used last year and their cap situation made a veteran backup seem like too much of a luxury.
Now the Saints may earn a trip to the Super Bowl as the return on their very small investment in a very good quarterback.
Bridgewater has led the Saints to three straight wins in relief of Brees, who is recovering from a thumb injury on his throwing hand. The Saints are 4-1, and Football Outsiders ranks their future schedule as less difficult than the schedules of the Seahawks, Bears, Rams, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys and Panthers, all teams they may find themselves jockeying against for playoff seedings. The Football Outsiders playoff odds system now gives the Saints an 82.3 percent chance of making the playoffs, in part because Bridgewater-led victories against the Seahawks and Cowboys are likely to have important playoff tiebreaker implications.
And here's the best news of all for Saints fans: Brees was upgraded this week from posting pictures of himself throwing a Nerf football on Instagram to actually participating in some Saints practices. He's not throwing real footballs yet. But Brees, who was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks (Sunday was week three), told WWL Radio that he thinks he can return sooner, via ESPN's Mike Triplett.
So Bridgewater is doing exactly what a backup quarterback is supposed to do: keeping his team in contention. It wouldn't be a noteworthy accomplishment if it wasn't so rare.
Teddy Bridgewater has completed more than 70 percent of his passes and thrown for six touchdowns over the four games he's played this season.
Sure, Bridgewater tossed a lot of glorified handoffs to Alvin Kamara in the Seahawks win and watched his running back go into Invincibility Mode. And yes, the Saints offense managed four measly field goals against the Cowboys. Bridgewater hasn't done anything single-handedly: Kamara and Michael Thomas have stepped up, the Saints defense and offensive line have played well, the game plans started out a little conservatively, kicker Wil Lutz has done his part, etc.
Then again, Brees has been known to rely quite a bit on Kamara, Thomas, the defense and some dink-and-dunk tactics himself. And very few backup NFL quarterbacks could win back-to-back games at Seattle and against the Cowboys, even with a playoff-caliber supporting cast.
Bridgewater is also getting better. Sunday's win against the Buccaneers wasn't another dink-and-dunk demonstration. Sean Payton appears to be opening up the offense as Bridgewater gets more comfortable with his role. Most backup quarterbacks start to fade after a few starts, not improve, as opponents get film on them. But most backup quarterbacks aren't 26-year-old former first-round picks and playoff-caliber starters whose careers were derailed by freak practice-field injuries.
The Saints could be reeling right now if they were counting on some garden-variety backup. They remain Super Bowl contenders because they didn't pigeonhole Bridgewater as damaged goods, a failed prospect or whatever other categories other teams must have placed him in when they passed over him last summer.
The rest of the NFL will get another chance to look smart by acquiring Bridgewater next season. Lots of teams will need a starting quarterback. Bridgewater is technically signed through 2021, but that's just salary-cap paperwork: He's essentially a free agent after this season. The Saints could try to keep him as Brees' insurance policy/heir apparent, but they are already using complicated economics to keep their roster intact, and many teams could be vying for his services:
The Panthers may still be looking for that Cam Newton alternative next year. (Kyle Allen, like a typical backup, is curdling now that he has been in the spotlight for a while.)
The Colts may still be seeking Andrew Luck's replacement in the offseason. (Jacoby Brissett is OK. Bridgewater is better.)
The Steelers would look pretty good with Bridgewater throwing to JuJu Smith-Schuster and handing off to James Conner behind a solid line, with the support of a speedy young defense. Why should a team overdue for a fresh start keep paying for a declining Roethlisberger?
The Dolphins are Tanking for Tua Tagovailoa (or insert your preferred quarterback prospect this week here), but here's a wild thought: What if they signed a quarterback they don't need to develop and then spent all those high picks on receivers, linemen and everything else?
Round up the usual quarterback-hungry suspects: Washington, Bengals, Broncos, etc.
The Patriots are never-ever-ever-ever-ever-ever-ever going to need a replacement for Tom Brady, who is immortal and perfect. And now that we've written that sentence to calm Patriots fans down, remember that Act Two of Bridgewater's career began with a perennial powerhouse trading to add some quarterback talent it didn't need just yet.
Whoever Bridgewater's next employer will be, it will be one that's shrewd enough to not pigeonhole him as some sturdy backup or mentor but a bona fide franchise quarterback. Nick Foles got $88 million from the Jaguars because of some (extremely) high-profile relief appearances. Bridgewater is younger, more multidimensional and was leading the Vikings to the playoffs back when Foles was getting benched by the Rams.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 29: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints hands the ball off to Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half of a NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Septem
Bridgewater is the quarterback teams think they're getting when they overpay for Foles types. Yes, he's a very good game manager. But he's also capable of more, and he's still young enough to get even better. He'll make some team that's smart enough to realize that look very happy.
Right now, he's making the Saints happy. And he could cash in—and help win a Super Bowl—as a result.
Mike Tanier covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeTanier.
Saints' Drew Brees Reportedly Trying to Return from Thumb Injury Before Week 9
Oct 9, 2019
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) warms up before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is reportedly attempting to come back from a thumb injury before the team's bye in Week 9.
Per Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, Brees is "pushing" to return on Oct. 27 against the Arizona Cardinals, but the Saints are exercising caution with the 12-time Pro Bowler and are looking at their first game out of the bye in Week 10.
Brees tore a thumb ligament when he hit his hand against Aaron Donald while throwing a pass during the Saints' 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.
NFL Network'sIan Rapoportreported Brees required surgery and estimated his recovery timetable would be six weeks.
In a Sept. 25 interview on WWL Radio (h/tNOLA.com), Brees was optimistic about beating the doctor's time frame: "As far as the timetable for getting back though, they say six to eight weeks. I think I can beat that, but I'm just gonna take it one week at a time and see how things go."
Brees posted anInstagram videoSunday that showed him throwing a mini football and had the caption, "Shhhhhhhhh...."
The Saints have won three straight games with Teddy Bridgewater as their quarterback. He's thrown for 849 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions since he took over for Brees.
New Orleans, at 4-1, sits one game above the Carolina Panthers for the top spot in the NFC South.
Teddy Bridgewater, Alvin Kamara, Saints' Fantasy Outlook After QB Throws 4 TDs
Oct 6, 2019
New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
In one week, Teddy Bridgewater has gone from game manager to fantasy relevance with a big game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback opened things up in Week 5 with 314 passing yards and four touchdowns, one of the best games of his career.
Teddy Bridgewater is having a day for the @Saints.
So far, @teddyb_h2o has tied his career high with 4 pass TD AND thrown for 300+ yards for the first time since his final season as the Vikings starting QB (Week 14, 2015 vs ARI).
Bridgewater was extremely conservative in his last game against the Dallas Cowboys but wasn't afraid to throw the ball down the field in the 31-24 win over the Bucs:
Bridgewater has SIX passes of 15+ yards so far against the Bucs.
1) Cook for 16 yds 2) Thomas 34 yds 3) Thomas 18 yds 4) J. Hill 26 yds 5) Thomas 42 yds 6) Ginn 33 yd TD
This is huge for both the quarterback and the entire Saints defense, especially Michael Thomas, who finished with 11 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns. While he had already been Bridgewater's go-to option, the upside is much greater if the offense can move the football like it did Sunday.
Meanwhile, the ability to spread the ball around to players like Ted Ginn Jr. and Jared Cook gives Bridgewater the chance for more big days as a passer.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars struggling with Jalen Ramsey, the quarterback could be a decent streaming option in Week 6. On the other hand, Drew Breesposted a video of himself throwing the football this week and could return before too long.
This means you shouldn't go too crazy trying to get Bridgewater on waivers.
Alvin Kamara took a bit of a backseat against the Buccaneers with the passing attack working so well, but this shouldn't be a regular occurrence considering his talent. What this game should do is force defenses to respect the pass and open up more space for the running back to make a difference on the ground.
Keep him in your lineups as a high-level RB1 who will only get better in coming weeks.
Drew Brees May Be Hurt, but Saints Remain a Force in the NFC Thanks to Defense
Sep 30, 2019
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 29: The New Orleans Saints celebrate a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Saints were supposed to be dead. After their 12-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, they look very spritely for a dead team.
When quarterback Drew Brees went down with a thumb injury, many across the league questioned whether his team could handle his absence. You can't blame them. After all, it's Drew Freaking Brees.
But something strange happened Sunday night against a Cowboys team that ranks as one of the league's best. The Saints relied on their defense, and that was enough. They shut down previously unbeaten Dallas.
No, the Saints defense isn't Chicago's. It's not transformational. But it is good. Fast, aggressive and smart.
During their two-point victory, the Saints did something that seemed almost impossible. They nullified the formidable trio of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper.
The Cowboys have obliterated defenses all season. They were averaging 32.3 points per game coming in, but they scored just 10 against New Orleans. They were rushing for 179 yards per game, but they had only 45. They were averaging 481.3 yards of total offense, but they had only 257—and it was only 223 as late as the final two minutes.
The last series of the game was representative of how the Saints pummeled the Dallas offense. They sacked Prescott on first down. Later, Prescott had his arm hit, causing an incomplete pass. Then Cooper, looking frustrated, was called for his second offensive pass interference penalty.
On the last deep pass to Cooper, Prescott was swamped by four Saints defenders. Then, on the final play of the game, the Saints sent a blitz off the corner, pressuring him into throwing the ball sooner than he wanted as he tried a Hail Mary.
The Cowboys just couldn't get anything going on offense. That's not something you'll often hear.
They had just three points at the half, and tight end Jason Witten and Elliott were both forced into fumbles (the team had zero fumbles in the first three games). And Elliott was a non-factor. He had just 35 yards rushing—the third-fewest of his career.
Ezekiel Elliott was held to 35 rush yards, the third-fewest of his career.
We haven't seen the 21st-century triplets shut down like this in a long time.
The Saints defense presented multiple challenges. One of the biggest was defensive back Marshon Lattimore, who shadowed Cooper extensively and held him to 48 yards over five catches and eight targets. The defensive line was absolutely vicious and jammed all the running lanes.
Can New Orleans keep up this type of football? Can defense carry the Saints until Brees returns in a month? Probably not.
Many teams fall apart when they lose a starting quarterback. The Saints haven't so far, though they did struggle on offense. The lack of smoothness was palpable. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's passes were often noticeably out of place, or the timing was off. He missed on passes Brees would have easily completed.
This was the first time in the Sean Payton era the Saints haven't scored a touchdown at home. If they keep struggling offensively, it will put a strain on this defense it won't be able to handle.
That is, unless Bridgewater improves significantly, which he might. He can take pressure off the defense.
But for the moment, this defense—not Bridgewater, the slippery Alvin Kamara, superstar playmaker Michael Thomas or the brilliant Payton—is the true star of a Saints team that looks like it's still an NFC contender despite the Brees injury.
"No one said it had to be pretty," Bridgewater said on NBC after the game.
Defense is beautiful, Teddy. Don't hate.
It's the reason your team is 2-0 at home for the first time since 2014.
Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.
Saints' Drew Brees Thinks He Can 'Beat' Timetable for Return Following Surgery
Sep 26, 2019
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
In an interview with former Saints signal-caller Bobby Hebert on WWL Radio, Brees suggested Wednesday night that he is aiming to get back on the field prior to the minimum timetable of six weeks that has been presented thus far: "As far as the timetable for getting back, though, they say six to eight weeks. I think I can beat that, but I'm just gonna take it one week at a time and see how things go."
With Teddy Bridgewater starting in place of the injured Brees, the Saints beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-27 on the road in Week 3 to improve to 2-1.
Brees also discussed the specifics regarding his injury, including the fact that surgeons put "a little piece of tape" on top of the ligament repair to aid in his recovery:
"It's something that immediately gives it strength and stability. And allows you to start rehab right away. You don't have to be immobilized. You don't have to be in a cast for a couple of weeks. You can start that rehab process right away, and it just fast tracks the whole thing. It gives you that strength and stability while the ligament actually heals."
The 40-year-old Brees has missed just four games in the past 15 seasons, and most of them were because of rest. He went 13-2 as the starter last season and was in the MVP conversation until Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ran away with it.
Brees set a single-season NFL record by completing 74.4 percent of his passes and finished with 3,992 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and just five interceptions. In parts of two games this season, he completed 72.9 percent of his attempts for 408 yards, two touchdowns and two picks.
In Bridgewater, the Saints have a quality backup with a fair amount of starting experience, dating back to his time with the Minnesota Vikings. The New Orleans offense was far more conservative with him in the lineup in Week 3, though, and head coach Sean Payton had to rely more heavily on running back Alvin Kamara and his defense.
New Orleans has a tough home game against the undefeated Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, but three of its next four games after that are against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals.
If the Saints can keep their heads above water during that fairly easy stretch, they have a good chance to remain in playoff contention while Brees recovers.
Report: Saints' Drew Brees Reached out to Angels' Mike Trout About Thumb Surgery
Sep 22, 2019
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees watches from the sidelines after getting hurt during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. Brees has been diagnosed with a torn ligament near the thumb of his throwing hand that is expected to sideline him at least six weeks, said a person familiar with the situation. Brees has elected to have surgery, but it is not yet clear when the operation will take place or who will perform it, the person said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday, Sept. 16, 2019.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Drew Brees went outside the NFL for advice on his latest injury.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback reportedly reached out to Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout this week before undergoing surgery to repair his torn thumb ligament, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.
Dr. Steven Shin performed the surgery on Brees this past week after completing the same operation on Trout in 2017.
Trout missed about six weeks of action during the 2017 season after tearing a ligament in his thumb, although the two-time American League MVP reportedly told Brees he could have returned in five. He was also "pain-free and had full range of motion" after returning.
This advice appeared useful because Brees is breaking new ground among players in his own sport.
"After speaking with both doctors and other professional athletes, there have been no other NFL quarterbacks to have this surgery with the internal bracing on their throwing hand," he told ESPN. "I take that as a challenge!"
Brees chose Shin to perform the InternalBrace ligament-augmentation operation rather than go with another hand specialist based out of Houston.
A return in just five weeks would be a huge boost for the Saints, who are hoping backups Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill can keep the team in playoff contention while the perennial Pro Bowler is on the sidelines.
Report: Drew Brees' Thumb Surgery 'Went Perfect'; Still Could Return in 6 Weeks
Sep 19, 2019
The surgical procedure on the thumb of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' throwing hand reportedly "went perfect" Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the update Thursday and added it remains possible Brees returns to the Saints' lineup in six weeks.
"Step 1 complete...successful surgery," the 12-time Pro Bowl selection wrote Wednesday onInstagram.
Brees was injured on the Saints' second drive of a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. His thumb stuck Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald on a follow through, and he was replaced by TeddyBridgewaterat the start of the next drive.
"We're getting ready to find out," Saints head coach Sean Paytontold reportersafter the game about whether his team can overcome the loss of its starting QB. "Hopefully, the news is good and the length of time—if there is any—that he's out will be shorter than longer. But, again, that's part of our sport."
New Orleans is 1-1 after a Week 1 victory over the Houston Texans.
Although the next two weeks are tough, withmatchupsagainst the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, the schedule is more navigable afterward as the Saints face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals.
That would complete the projected six-week timetable, and the team has its bye in Week 9, giving Brees some extra time to get back up to full speed with the offense if there are no setbacks.
It will mark the first time since the 2003 season with the then-San Diego Chargers he'll miss more than one game in a campaign.
If the Saints do get the 40-year-old Purdue product back for the season's second half, the NFC South title should still be within reach since five of the team's six division games come after the bye.
Bridgewatershould see a majority of the snaps during Brees' absence, butTaysomHill could also work in on select packages to give the offense more variety.
Saints QB Drew Brees Undergoes Successful Surgery on Thumb Injury
Sep 19, 2019
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees revealed on Instagram that he underwent successful right thumb surgery to repair a torn ligament suffered against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Brees is expected to miss six weeks. That would force the signal-caller off the field until the Saints' Week 9 bye, with a return against the Atlanta Falcons at home looming on Nov. 10.
Head coach Sean Payton told reporters that Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill will both take snaps behind center in Brees' absence.
Brees suffered the torn ligament after his thumb made contact with pass-rushing Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald's outstretched hand upon releasing a throw:
Saints QB Drew Brees has been removed from the game after he hit his throwing hand on the hand of Aaron Donald during a pass rush.
Bridgewater took over on the team's next possession near the end of the first quarter. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards in the Saints' 27-9 loss.
New Orleans' slate over the next six weeks provides a few challenges, beginning with games against a pair of 2-0 teams in the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. The Saints will travel to the Pacific Northwest before heading home for the Dallas game.
New Orleans has enough talent on both sides of the ball to stay afloat during Brees' absence, with running back Alvin Kamara and wideout Michael Thomas pacing the offense and cornerback Marshon Lattimore and defensive end Cameron Jordan doing the same on defense.
Replacing a quarterback who completed a league-leading 74.4 percent of his passes last year isn't a simple task, but Brees should rejoin the team for the entire second half of the season, which features five games against NFC South foes. The Saints are currently tied with the Bucs and Atlanta Falcons at 1-1 atop the division.
Saints' Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill Will Both Play QB After Drew Brees Injury
Sep 18, 2019
New Orleans Saints quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater, left, and Taysom Hill sit on the bench in the first half of an NFL preseason football game in New Orleans, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton didn't name a starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks, indicating instead the team will use both Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill.
"We'll approach this game with two quarterbacks," Payton said Wednesday, per ESPN's Mike Triplett. "Look, these guys have been here now two seasons. It's just kind of taking a step back and looking at the things we want to do with those guys in the game and putting that plan in place this week in practice."
Sean Payton won’t name a starting QB heading into Sunday without Drew Brees.
Saints are ready to use “two quarterbacks” in Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill 👁 pic.twitter.com/YMAxYYLwBW
The Saints will be without Drew Brees, who's set to undergo surgery on his right thumb.
According to Triplett, New Orleans isn't placing Brees on injured reserve, which would seemingly indicate the team expects him back within eight weeks, the minimum time allowed before a player can be activated from IR.
Bridgewater replaced Brees in Sunday's 27-9 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, finishing 17-of-30 for 165 yards.
It's difficult to gauge how much Payton's comments are down to gamesmanship or a genuine commitment to a somewhat equal split between Bridgewater and Hill.
All signs would point to Bridgewater as the primary QB.
He has much more experience (36 career appearances and 904 attempts) than Hill, who has thrown seven passes since the Saints signed him in 2017. New Orleans also made a pretty firm commitment to Bridgewater when it signed him to aone-year, $7.25 milliondeal to ward off interest from the Miami Dolphins.
But Payton gives the Seahawks a little more to think about by basically putting Bridgewater and Hill on equal footing. Hill threw for 6,929 yards and 43 touchdowns in five years at BYU, so it's more than plausible he'll have a chance to lead New Orleans' offense for stretches.
There's no question it will probably take a novel approach to replicate Brees' impact.