Saints WR Kenny Stills has certainly been seeing a ton of targets during these offseason practices. In fact, he's probably been the Saints' leader in receptions with the first-string offense -- highlighted by his touchdown catch in the Saints' two-minute drill simulation at the end of Thursday's practice.
With tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Brandin Cooks absent over the past three weeks and former players like Lance Moore and Darren Sproles now gone from the lineup, Stills has been a go-to guy for quarterback Drew Brees.
And this year, his role should probably expand after he was used primarily as a deep threat.
"Kenny can play inside. It would depend on the route, but he's someone that is pretty versatile. He can play more than one position," Payton said. "He is someone that can handle that, so we have to continue to get him different looks and touches.
"He's someone that after looking at him last year, we have to find a way to get him the ball more. His transition, ability to stretch the field and use his hips to get in and out of cuts is something that has helped him."
Stills figures to see a jump in snaps and targets after the Saints lost both Lance Moore and Darren Sproles, who saw a combined 143 targets last year. Stills should get at minimum the 5.5 T/G that Moore saw in the past three years, making him an intriguing WR3 with upside. The arrival of Brandin Cooks does take some of the wind out his sails, but that should only serve to keep his ADP at a reasonable level. Drew Brees had a QB rating of 139.3 when throwing to Stills, the highest in the league. He’s bound to improve as a second year receiver and is playing in one of the best pass offenses in the league. There’s a lot to like here. (For more on Stills, see the Sleeper Alert that John Paulsen issued for the second-year receiver.)
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