The Ending of a Chapter, the Beginning of Another

by Brees4TheWin9 | 4 years ago | 0 Comments

The Ending of a Chapter

The front office was in fight or flight mode.

Following the resigning of QB Sam Darnold, the massive blunder of the improper use of the Franchise Player contract violated the current CBA, thus resulting in a ruling, and a reversal of that ruling. Sam Darnold was to be cut from the Saints roster, and to eat the penalty to the salary cap.

The front office did not have a plan for such a circumstance. They had just given up several draft picks to get Sam Darnold in black and gold from the Jets, and then he is left in Free Agency in a blind bid for any team to pick up. 

This unfolded moments before the first team was going to be on the clock in the Redzone draft. With only QB Rob Reed on the roster, the choice was obvious. If our guy was there at pick 18, he was going to suit up for the New Orleans Saints.

The Beginning of a New Chapter

Following the release of a USC QB, we brought in a new USC QB. QB Benji Watson, a 21 year old pocket passer, was drafted with pick number 18. Benji's arm strength was appealing to our scouting department, even in their short time in looking at QBs. The Scouting team did not look at any QBs until hours before the draft, due to the elite QB under center all season getting a new deal. 

The choices of QBs was very limited in the S68 draft. Benji was the only standout other than the other QB that did not show up to the combine. Benji Watson was the clear choice for our organization. 

Throughout the preseason, Benji worked tirelessely to adapt to the change of pace in the NFL vs the PAC-12. His comfort in the pocket has been credited to the Pro-Bowl caliber offensive line. His accuracy has improved from training camp to now. Benji is ready for week 1 vs the New York Giants.

The Beech Bowl is always a spectacle for the league to watch. Coach Beech has won more games than Coach Jordan in these games. The Saints had an oppurtunity to make a statement to the league that with or without Sam Darnold, they could win games. 

Benji comes out and throws for 3 touchdowns in the first half against the Giants. After being down 3 points to the Giants, Watson was firing on all cylinders. This was his oppurtunity to lead the offense and gain the confidence of those he takes the field with. 

Watson ended up with 200+ yards passing, a 116 passer rating, and a W under his belt against the rival G-Men. 

While the CBA violation could have been a Trojan horse to the Saints front office, a new chapter has begun in New Orleans, with excitement and determination going forward.