SmashMouth

Coby Fleener had little trouble figuring out where he wanted to land in free agency.

NFL teams aren’t very subtle.

First, Fleener and his agent figured out which teams were seriously interested, and then, as free agency kicked into high gear, the list whittled itself down as teams bowed out financially or looked elsewhere for help at tight end.

By the time Fleener was ready to make a decision, he had a clear favorite.

“There were a few other teams, but once the Saints popped into it — and obviously I couldn’t tell them this — but obviously that was really exciting for me,” Fleener said. “The way they use the tight end, having an outstanding quarterback in Drew Brees, to me it’s a no-brainer.”

Fleener, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound prize New Orleans landed on the first day of free agency, is joining an offense that has produced a tight end with more than 70 catches in every season since 2011, when Jimmy Graham burst onto the scene.



Graham’s talents were obvious, but even with the former Pro Bowler plying his trade in Seattle last season, veteran Benjamin Watson produced a career year at age 35. Before Graham, guys like Jeremy Shockey, Billy Miller and David Thomas played key roles in the offense, even if their numbers didn’t approach the same stratosphere the Saints tight ends have occupied the past five years.

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