by YeaSaintsWin, 5/19/05 18:20 ET
What's the big news concerning the Saints adding WR Nate Poole (6-2, 220-lbs) with a 2-year contract? The news that the Saints are adding a big WR to replace the rookie, Chase Lyman, lost for the season. Or is Poole in camp to push Talman Gardner for the 4th WR spot? Whatever the reason for the signing, the Saints are going big at the slot WR.
Never mind that the Poole is not the fastest WR or that he help elevate the careers of Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich while at Marshall... Poole can make the clutch catch and might give ABrooks a WR like Willie Jackson once was for the young gunslinger.

One thing I never liked about Jerome "Pathetic" Pathon while he was a Saints was the way he ran routes over the middle. Pathon would sprint across the middle and brace for impacts with LB and Safeties if he was in traffic. Plus, Pathon would rarely adjust to the ball causing passes to bounce off his pads or hands. Although he did a lot of work over the middle, Pathon was not a very effective WR in the middle of the field.

Fact is, after Joe Horn who is the most effective WR the Saints have all over the field, the Saints did not have much of a threat for the middle zones. Thus, you want Talman Gardner or Boo Williams to step up their play... you draft a big WR with hands and speed... and you sign a TE and veteran WR who can work the middle of the field.

Why?

A successful running attack will force teams to keep LBs in the game that will play close to the line... those LBs will be vulnerable to play-action passes that will cause them to hesitate before dropping into coverage... the safeties will hesitate too but, with speed on the outside, safeties will want to sprint over to help CBs cover Horn, Stallworth and Henderson... guess what happens when LBs are flat-footed and safeties are sprinting out to help on wideouts?

Me likey the big WRs.

GO Saints...