Final Presser

QBREES9 · 01-02-2008, 10:07 PM

New Orleans Saints - Head Coach Sean Payton Season Ending Presser

You have three receivers that are free agents. Do you intentionally say that you want Robert Meachem to be in your top three or four and make that work?

“No, I think a player earns his way always into the top three or four. Always. He just gets the opportunity that they all get. He’ll get plenty of reps and he’ll get plenty of opportunities. I’ve been encouraged with what I’ve seen in the last part of the season. But obviously we want to see good things from him because we selected him in the first round. I’m excited by what I’ve seen from him in the last four or five weeks. As we head into the offseason, it will be a big offseason for him. He’s healthy; he’s running now without a gait; you don’t see him limping at all and he’s made a lot of plays on scout team. Those are all encouraging signs that give him a chance. His ability to stay healthy and actually participate in the minicamps and training camps are going to help him a great deal. There will be competition, though, with all of those guys. We’re never setting out a specific path just for one guy to have.”

Do you see Meachem as one of the guys to fill one of the top spots at wide receiver?

“I see him as a guy that’s going to be in the mix to compete. Those free agents that we talked about at receiver, I’d like to have those guys back. They are some guys that played real well for us. Certainly, he’s a guy that’s in our plans. We’re optimistic about the last month-and-a-half of what we saw, but that’s something that he’ll earn.”

01-02-2008, 10:07 PM	#1
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,989	Final Presser New Orleans Saints - Head Coach Sean Payton Season Ending Presser You have three receivers that are free agents. Do you intentionally say that you want Robert Meachem to be in your top three or four and make that work? “No, I think a player earns his way always into the top three or four. Always. He just gets the opportunity that they all get. He’ll get plenty of reps and he’ll get plenty of opportunities. I’ve been encouraged with what I’ve seen in the last part of the season. But obviously we want to see good things from him because we selected him in the first round. I’m excited by what I’ve seen from him in the last four or five weeks. As we head into the offseason, it will be a big offseason for him. He’s healthy; he’s running now without a gait; you don’t see him limping at all and he’s made a lot of plays on scout team. Those are all encouraging signs that give him a chance. His ability to stay healthy and actually participate in the minicamps and training camps are going to help him a great deal. There will be competition, though, with all of those guys. We’re never setting out a specific path just for one guy to have.” Do you see Meachem as one of the guys to fill one of the top spots at wide receiver? “I see him as a guy that’s going to be in the mix to compete. Those free agents that we talked about at receiver, I’d like to have those guys back. They are some guys that played real well for us. Certainly, he’s a guy that’s in our plans. We’re optimistic about the last month-and-a-half of what we saw, but that’s something that he’ll earn.”
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