By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints were once 5-2 last season while being ranked 32nd in passing YPG in the league. The Saints were beating squads like the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and the Seattle Seahawks with a mediocre passing attack. The Saints crumbled in the second half of the season, but they also lost Jameis Winston from a season-ending injury on October 31st, Taysom Hill for many games, and they never received Michael Thomas back from injury (missed the entire season).

It’s really safe to say we can expect the 5-2 version of the Saints back in 2022 if they bring back Jameis Winston. With that said, it’s worth noting that the ceiling of the 5-2 Saints is still scary. The Saints could really skyrocket their offense and team with Michael Thomas healthy and potentially an upgrade from Winston.

If the Saints brought in Deshaun Watson, as they have reportedly offered the Texans a deal for him, they would instantly have the NFL’s top offensive trio. Watson, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas would be an unearthly offensive force.

The new-look offense would have an elite defense to help them, as well. The Saints had the eighth-most sacks in 2021 and they also allowed the fewest yards per carry (3.7) last season. They also accomplished these marks with Marcus Davenport, who was once called the Saints best defense player by Dennis Allen, out of the lineup for six games. I believe when Davenport is healthy and Marshon Lattimore is playing at a high level, the Saints have the best defense in the NFL.

There are many Saints fans that may believe a trade for Watson is like a “deal with the devil”. Watson won’t be facing criminal charges, but I would like to see him receive a suspension. According to Clutch Points, Watson could still face a suspension from the league.

So, should the Saints have any concern for Watson’s persona? The legendary Saints head coach didn’t want to trade for Watson, while the new head coach Dennis Allen does want to acquire him. From a pure business perspective, Watson is a Top 5 QB and it “appears” he is more likely than Winston to help the Saints win another Super Bowl trophy. He was easily a Top 3 QB in 2020 with 4,823 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and 444 rushing yards.

I ultimately believe Watson was going to most likely have a future in the league and it really appears the legal system has helped him hit the ground running soon. Michael Vick went to jail for 548 days and he returned as a Pro Bowl-caliber QB with the Philadelphia Eagles. Even if Watson was handed a reasonable worst-case outcome from the courts (as I believe he deserved), I would expect the 26-year-old QB to have another opportunity in the NFL.

I would still like to see him come back stronger and I am still rooting for him. It may be easy to slam him while a million other people do as a “keyboard warrior”, but he is a hard worker and he can grow. The world just watched Ben Roethlisberger, also known as Big Ben, turn to faith after his recent exit from the league.

All in all, Watson is a gifted athlete and a shady personality at this day in age, who can potentially make a few QB-needy teams a serious playoff soon. I would still like to see the Saints still ride with their old guns in 2022. Myself and many Who Dat Nation fans are more intrigued in witnessing Jameis Winston re-sign with the Saints. Watson might be shiny in some ways, but I believe there’s a certain combination of factors that should form another marriage between Winston and the Saints. The former Florida State QB has familiarity with the Saints, he’s still ascending, he’s a much better fit for the Saints culture, and the Saints wouldn’t have to cough up “likely at least 3 first-round picks” to bring back Winston.

The post Should the Saints trade for Deshaun Watson or bring back Jameis Winston? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Tim Rodriguez

The world of college football was vastly different in 2017 than what we know now. There was no talk of super conferences. Any type of NIL deal seemed like a fairytale. The transfer portal was gaining steam but was nothing like it is in 2021. That season was fairly normal. The most out of the ordinary thing to happen then was brewing in Orlando, Florida. The University of Central Florida took the college football world by storm. Scott Frost’s bunch steamrolled their competition and found themselves sitting at 13-0 when the dust settled. In their bowl game, the Knights put away an Auburn team that had beaten both teams competing for the national championship. That’s when the trouble started. Being the only undefeated team in the country, as well as beating the team who put the only blemishes on Alabama and Georgia’s records, the Knights declared themselves “co-national champions” with the Crimson Tide. 

Was it weird and kind of desperate? Yes, but that should not take away from how special that UCF team was. Their lowest scoring games of the season were two 31 point performances. The captain of this ship was a 5-11 Sophomore out of Hawaii named Mckenzie Milton who simply dominated the AAC. Despite losing Frost and some key contributors, Milton was still playing well in 2018, regardless of the dip in his numbers. However, disaster struck on November 23rd. In a blowout win against state rival South Florida, Milton went down with one of the most gruesome leg injuries we had ever seen. Milton suffered ligament, nerve, and artery damage after dislocating his right knee. Almost three years later, Milton is back and in a position to win the starting job at Florida State. 

Now as a member of the Seminoles, the transfer quarterback finds himself next to a familiar face. Former AAC rival Mike Norvell made the move from Memphis and is set to begin his second season coaching the once-storied Seminoles. Norvell has seen firsthand what Milton can do. In three games vs Norvell’s Tigers, his new quarterback posted 961 yards and five touchdowns, to just three interceptions. Norvell’s Tigers lost all three matchups. Now, Milton looks to lead Norvell’s team to a bounce back season in the ACC, but first, he has to win the job. His competition, the uber-athletic Jordan Travis, will not go quietly and kiss the “ring”. Milton’s name may live in college football lore, but he has had to go out and compete every day for this starting job. While Milton is the favorite to win the job, nothing has been handed to him because of who he once was. 

How much is left?

The best part of Milton’s game was unquestionably his athleticism and ability to make “off-platform throws”. Upon watching two games of his 2018 film, it’s evident that a healthy Mckenzie Milton is a top-tier college football quarterback. The question just remains of how much of that athleticism is left. For a team that still has questions on the offensive line, his ability to play off-script would add a boost to an offense that sorely needs it. However, the most important thing that Milton brings with him to Tallahassee is an expansion of Mike Norvell’s playbook. 

With the combination of quarterbacks that FSU trotted out in 2020, the offense looked like a shell of itself compared to its time at Memphis. Norvell was unable to run his preferred form of offense with the Noles last season due to a lack of competent quarterback play. Jordan Travis struggles to hit the simple “gimme” throws and Chubba Purdy played like how you would expect a true freshman on a bad team to play. The addition of Mckenzie Milton allows Florida State to run RPO’s like Norvell always intended and can keep the quarterback run plays (Draws, zone reads, etc.) that they were running for Travis in 2020. An added bonus is that if Milton is the starter, Norvell can still use Travis in certain packages. 

Perhaps the best thing that Milton will bring to the Seminoles is simply a calming presence that comes with experience and maturity. Turning 24 this year and having faced adversity like few others, his experience, leadership, poise, and mentality will bring a new feel to a team in desperate need of some positivity. Almost three years ago, he was not entirely sure that he’d ever had both legs again, let alone play football. For him, this is the easy part. That poise and maturity were showed on the field as well though, before his injury. A perfect example is his 2018 game against Florida Atlantic. Early in the first quarter, Milton overshot his receiver on first and ten on a double-move that would have been an 80-yard touchdown. Most young quarterbacks would get down on themselves and start to press. Milton, however, stood calmly in the pocket on the next play and delivered a twenty-yard strike to his receiver. It was dropped but was a perfectly placed ball low to the ground to protect his target from an incoming hit. That’s the type of poise and professionalism that Florida State is getting in 2021 if Milton is the starter. 

Regardless of who takes the field under the bright lights of Doak Campbell Stadium when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish come to town, it’s more than just a game for Mckenzie Milton. September 5th is a culmination of everything he has spent most of the last three years working towards. When it appeared as if his dream was taken from him, Milton put his head down and did everything he could to become his old self again. While it remains to be seen what’s left of the former eighth place Heisman finalist put his head down and did everything possible to recapture the magic of his 2017. While it remains to be seen what he looks like, the last version we saw of him was miles better than the quarterback play that Florida State fans have been subjected to in recent memory.

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