May 20, 2019

Is 40 the new 30 for quarterbacks in the NFL? No, not so much. There are few players in history who can play at the level of Drew Brees and Tom Brady at their age. So, let’s relish it and respect it while we can. At age 40 Brees is the heart and soul of the team and the city of New Orleans, and he will again prove himself as he leads the Saints to a hopeful Super Bowl run once again. In 2018 with Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram and Michael Thomas, Brees had another Pro Bowl-caliber season with 3,992 yards and 32 touchdowns while again compiling a hefty 74.4 completion percentage. Coming into 2019, the only differences in the offense are that Tre’quan Smith is a year older and more experienced, and Latavius Murray replaces Ingram as a younger version of the same running back to compliment Kamara. Thomas is still going to be a target monster for Brees and could follow up his 125 receptions from 2018 with similar or better numbers this season. The main critique for Thomas is his lack of target depth, as on 125 catches he only achieved 1,405 receiving yards. While 11.2 yards per catch is solid, it is not to the level of a Mike Evans who achieves the same yardage on far fewer catches due to his much higher depth of target. If Smith and the returning Ted Ginn can provide the downfield threat then Brees is set to be even better than he was last season. This is going to be crucial as he is currently being taken just behind Russell Wilson and just in front of Carson Wentz as the QB8 in drafts. As much as I love Drew Brees, this could represent his ceiling in this pass heavy climate. He can and will still sling the ball around, and is still the cream of the crop when it comes to accuracy. The only hesitation is whether he will take this team on his back and throw for 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns or will he defer to more running by Kamara and Murray? There is enough doubt to provide a limited ceiling for Brees this season. One thing we do know is as fired up as he and the Saints will be this season, he will have ice in his veins when it comes to feeling any pressure. And for your fantasy team? This could mean a championship as well.--Dominick Petrillo - RotoBaller