Mike Triplett on the Saints' tight end situation:
Veteran tight end Benjamin Watson was arguably the New Orleans Saints’ player of the day during Thursday’s OTA practice – catching both short and long passes alike. Watson caught one deep pass over the middle that likely would have gone for a touchdown even if the Saints were live tackling. He broke open past outside linebacker Anthony Spencer before safety help arrived.
Of course, Watson won’t become the next Jimmy Graham in New Orleans’ offense. But at the same time, don’t sleep on the idea that the 34-year-old could play an expanded role as a pass-catcher after Graham was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
As I wrote in my recent fantasy breakdown, I don’t think this is a case where young backup tight end Josh Hill will simply leapfrog Watson in the pecking order. Watson will likely even play more snaps than Hill because of his blocking ability.
While Watson could cause Hill owners headaches in certain situations, he's 34-years-old and is going to have a tough time playing starter's snaps ahead of Hill. HC Sean Payton continues to fawn over Hill's skillset, so we believe he's going to breakout this season, a la Travis Kelce or Jordan Cameron in recent years.
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