New Orleans have a big group of running backs, and the ones who catch the ball the best should be the same ones who tend to play the most.
It’s early in the scouting process; I’m not sure how everything will play out with free agency and the draft. But for the running backs in New Orleans, it’s safe to say that receiving production will be a big part of the equation.
In each of the last three years, the running backs on this team have averaged over 73 receiving yards per game. During the same span, only five other teams have made it over 60 yards.
Receiving Yards Per Game, Running Backs, 2011-2013 | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Team | Avg |
2013 | New Orleans | 77.8 |
2011 | New Orleans | 76.9 |
2012 | New Orleans | 73.7 |
2013 | Detroit | 67.4 |
2012 | Oakland | 63.9 |
2011 | San Diego | 61.1 |
2013 | Kansas City | 60.6 |
2011 | Oakland | 58.8 |
2011 | Baltimore | 53.5 |
2013 | Oakland | 53.4 |
2013 | San Diego | 52.9 |
2012 | San Diego | 52.3 |
2013 | Atlanta | 51.9 |
2011 | NY Jets | 50.9 |
2013 | Denver | 50.8 |
2012 | Buffalo | 50.7 |
2012 | Miami | 49.9 |
2012 | Detroit | 49.6 |
2011 | Detroit | 48.1 |
2012 | Atlanta | 47.7 |
2011 | Buffalo | 47.7 |
2011 | Houston | 46.9 |
2013 | New England | 46.3 |
2011 | Tampa Bay | 45.4 |
2011 | Chicago | 45.1 |
2011 | Tennessee | 44.6 |
That’s who they are. That’s what they do. So however it plays out there, it won’t be only what those guys are doing running the ball, it also will involve pass catching.
Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas certainly have a lot of ability in that area. They’ve proven they can do it, and they know that offense.
With Mark Ingram, he might have a little more pop as an inside runner, but he’s not in the same class in the passing game. In the playoff loss at Seattle, he helped kill the first drive by dropping a dumpoff pass.
The wild card there is Khiry Robinson. He didn’t do much as a pass catcher in the regular season (no catches), but there could be some ability/potential there. Robinson caught 11 passes in the preseason, when he was winning his way onto the roster as an undrafted free agent. And he caught a pass for 13 yards when he took on a bigger role in the postseason.
The Saints pass the ball more than anyone, and the running backs are a huge part of that.
—Ian Allan