NFC South: Jed Collins
Now, that the NFL draft is over, let’s have some fun. Let’s start looking ahead to next season with team-by-team looks at what I project as the opening day lineups for each of the four NFC South teams.
Let’s start with the New Orleans Saints, who might not have any rookies open the season as starters because they didn’t have a draft pick until the third round. Also, let’s keep in mind that the Saints could be dealing with some suspensions from their bounty program. We won’t speculate on possible suspensions. We’ll just go with the depth chart as I see it now and I’ll throw in comments where there could be competition.
OFFENSE
Let’s start with the New Orleans Saints, who might not have any rookies open the season as starters because they didn’t have a draft pick until the third round. Also, let’s keep in mind that the Saints could be dealing with some suspensions from their bounty program. We won’t speculate on possible suspensions. We’ll just go with the depth chart as I see it now and I’ll throw in comments where there could be competition.
OFFENSE
- QB Drew Brees (assuming his contract situation gets straightened out)
- RB Pierre Thomas (you can also count Darren Sproles as a starter)
- FB Jed Collins
- WR Marques Colston
- WR Devery Henderson (Lance Moore will play as much as the starters)
- TE Jimmy Graham
- LT Jermon Bushrod
- LG Ben Grubbs
- C Brian de la Puente
- RG Jahri Evans
- RT Zach Strief
- DE Will Smith
- DT Sedrick Ellis
- DT Brodrick Bunkley
- DE Cameron Jordan
- LB Curtis Lofton
- LB Jonathan Vilma (it remains to be seen if Vilma or Lofton will play in the middle)
- LB Scott Shanle
- CB Jabari Greer
- CB Patrick Robinson
- FS Malcolm Jenkins
- SS Roman Harper
- K Garrett Hartley (assuming he wins training camp competition with John Kasay)
- P Thomas Morstead
- PR Darren Sproles
- KR Darren Sproles
Jed Collins an unsung regular for Saints
February, 2, 2012
Feb 2
3:04
PM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
Unless you’re a die-hard fan of the New Orleans Saints, you might not even know who Jed Collins is.
That’s understandable because a season in which you compile four carries for four yards and two touchdowns and catch 11 passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns isn’t going to catch the eyes of casual observers.
But die-hard fans and casual observers alike might want to take a closer look at how much Collins meant to the Saints this past season. He had bounced around the NFL since 2008, but had never appeared in a regular-season game. But the Saints brought in Collins and he wound up replacing Heath Evans quite nicely.
In a season in which New Orleans set all sorts of records, Collins quietly played a very big role. He was responsible for protecting Drew Brees and opening holes for Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Chris Ivory.
Collins obviously had to be doing something right because the coaching staff used him extensively. According to playing time numbers from the 2011 season obtained by ESPN.com, Collins was on the field for 42.5 percent of New Orleans’ offensive plays. That’s the second-highest percentage of any fullback in the NFL.
Only Baltimore’s Vonta Leach (52.8 percent) was active in a higher rate of his team’s offensive snaps. Collins was on the field for 489 of New Orleans’ 1,152 offensive plays. He also contributed heavily on special teams. Collins took part in 32 percent of New Orleans’ special-teams plays.
Collins easily got more offensive playing time than any other NFC South fullback. Tampa Bay’s Erik Lorig was next at 23.6 percent. Lorig also got considerable time on special teams, participating in 66.8 percent of the Bucs’ special-teams plays. Tampa Bay’s Earnest Graham suffered a season-ending injury. But, prior to that, he got in on 18.8 percent of the offensive plays as a fullback and also was used at tailback.
Carolina’s Jerome Felton was next at 15.3 percent. Atlanta’s Ovie Mughelli also suffered a season-ending injury, but got in for 13.1 percent of the team’s offensive plays. Replacement Mike Cox was on the field for 11.9 percent of the Falcons’ offensive plays.
That’s understandable because a season in which you compile four carries for four yards and two touchdowns and catch 11 passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns isn’t going to catch the eyes of casual observers.
But die-hard fans and casual observers alike might want to take a closer look at how much Collins meant to the Saints this past season. He had bounced around the NFL since 2008, but had never appeared in a regular-season game. But the Saints brought in Collins and he wound up replacing Heath Evans quite nicely.
In a season in which New Orleans set all sorts of records, Collins quietly played a very big role. He was responsible for protecting Drew Brees and opening holes for Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Chris Ivory.
Collins obviously had to be doing something right because the coaching staff used him extensively. According to playing time numbers from the 2011 season obtained by ESPN.com, Collins was on the field for 42.5 percent of New Orleans’ offensive plays. That’s the second-highest percentage of any fullback in the NFL.
Only Baltimore’s Vonta Leach (52.8 percent) was active in a higher rate of his team’s offensive snaps. Collins was on the field for 489 of New Orleans’ 1,152 offensive plays. He also contributed heavily on special teams. Collins took part in 32 percent of New Orleans’ special-teams plays.
Collins easily got more offensive playing time than any other NFC South fullback. Tampa Bay’s Erik Lorig was next at 23.6 percent. Lorig also got considerable time on special teams, participating in 66.8 percent of the Bucs’ special-teams plays. Tampa Bay’s Earnest Graham suffered a season-ending injury. But, prior to that, he got in on 18.8 percent of the offensive plays as a fullback and also was used at tailback.
Carolina’s Jerome Felton was next at 15.3 percent. Atlanta’s Ovie Mughelli also suffered a season-ending injury, but got in for 13.1 percent of the team’s offensive plays. Replacement Mike Cox was on the field for 11.9 percent of the Falcons’ offensive plays.
It was a big year for offense in the NFC South. The New Orleans Saints set all sorts of records. The Carolina Panthers lit up scoreboards and, when the Atlanta Falcons were on, they sometimes were spectacular.
That made for some difficult choices, but here’s my All-NFC South offense.
Tackle: Jordan Gross, Panthers. He’s getting along in years, but Gross is still the best tackle in the division.
Tackle: Jermon Bushrod, Saints. This was a really tough call because Tampa Bay’s Donald Penn seemed destined for this spot, but his play slipped as the Bucs collapsed and lost their last 10 games. I refuse to put any offensive lineman from Atlanta on this team, so I’m going with Bushrod almost by default. I know he made the Pro Bowl, but I’m not convinced Bushrod is anything more than an ordinary left tackle. But he’s better than any other tackle the NFC South had to offer.
Guard: Carl Nicks, Saints. He might be the best guard in the NFL.
Guard: Jahri Evans, Saints. If Nicks isn’t the best guard in the NFL, then Evans is.
Center: Ryan Kalil, Panthers. He’s becoming a Pro Bowl regular and might be the best center in the league.
Wide receiver: Steve Smith, Panthers. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton came along and revitalized Smith’s career. But I also think Smith deserves a lot of the credit for Newton’s success.
Wide receiver: Marques Colston, Saints. I went back and forth on this one between Colston and Atlanta’s Roddy White and Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams also got some consideration. I’m joking. Williams didn’t get one bit of consideration. White’s numbers were slightly better than Colston’s in terms of catches and receiving yards. But Colston missed a couple games with a broken collarbone and still had very nice numbers in an offense where there are a ton of other options. White had nice numbers, but he didn’t look like the dominant receiver he was a year ago. White led the league in drops.
Tight end: Jimmy Graham, Saints. This one was easy. Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez had a very nice season and is the best tight end in history. But Graham had one of the most prolific seasons ever by a tight end in only his second season. Graham should only continue to get better and, if he stays healthy, he could eventually pass Gonzalez as the best tight end ever.
Fullback: Jed Collins, Saints. In his first real NFL season (Collins was with Cleveland in 2008), he emerged as a steady role player in the league’s best offense. Collins didn’t have much in the way of numbers, but his blocking was a key factor in the offenses’ success. If Atlanta’s Ovie Mughelli hadn’t gotten injured, he’d be in this spot. But Collins is a worthy replacement.
Running back: Darren Sproles, Saints. Sproles ended up with an NFL record for all-purpose yards. Out of the backfield, he contributed as a runner and receiver and created enormous matchup problems for opposing defenses.
Running back: Michael Turner. Yeah, I'm going with two running backs because it's my team, I can want and there are two guys that deserve to be on here. Turner looked slow for most of the second half of the season. But he still rushed for 1,340 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's not a bad season by any measure.
Quarterback: Drew Brees, Saints. He threw for a league-record 5,476 yards and also passed for 46 touchdowns. Brees has been great for a long time, but he took his game to another level. He’s the reason the Saints won 13 games without a defense.
That made for some difficult choices, but here’s my All-NFC South offense.
Tackle: Jordan Gross, Panthers. He’s getting along in years, but Gross is still the best tackle in the division.
Tackle: Jermon Bushrod, Saints. This was a really tough call because Tampa Bay’s Donald Penn seemed destined for this spot, but his play slipped as the Bucs collapsed and lost their last 10 games. I refuse to put any offensive lineman from Atlanta on this team, so I’m going with Bushrod almost by default. I know he made the Pro Bowl, but I’m not convinced Bushrod is anything more than an ordinary left tackle. But he’s better than any other tackle the NFC South had to offer.
Guard: Carl Nicks, Saints. He might be the best guard in the NFL.
Guard: Jahri Evans, Saints. If Nicks isn’t the best guard in the NFL, then Evans is.
Center: Ryan Kalil, Panthers. He’s becoming a Pro Bowl regular and might be the best center in the league.
Wide receiver: Steve Smith, Panthers. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton came along and revitalized Smith’s career. But I also think Smith deserves a lot of the credit for Newton’s success.
Wide receiver: Marques Colston, Saints. I went back and forth on this one between Colston and Atlanta’s Roddy White and Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams also got some consideration. I’m joking. Williams didn’t get one bit of consideration. White’s numbers were slightly better than Colston’s in terms of catches and receiving yards. But Colston missed a couple games with a broken collarbone and still had very nice numbers in an offense where there are a ton of other options. White had nice numbers, but he didn’t look like the dominant receiver he was a year ago. White led the league in drops.
Tight end: Jimmy Graham, Saints. This one was easy. Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez had a very nice season and is the best tight end in history. But Graham had one of the most prolific seasons ever by a tight end in only his second season. Graham should only continue to get better and, if he stays healthy, he could eventually pass Gonzalez as the best tight end ever.
Fullback: Jed Collins, Saints. In his first real NFL season (Collins was with Cleveland in 2008), he emerged as a steady role player in the league’s best offense. Collins didn’t have much in the way of numbers, but his blocking was a key factor in the offenses’ success. If Atlanta’s Ovie Mughelli hadn’t gotten injured, he’d be in this spot. But Collins is a worthy replacement.
Running back: Darren Sproles, Saints. Sproles ended up with an NFL record for all-purpose yards. Out of the backfield, he contributed as a runner and receiver and created enormous matchup problems for opposing defenses.
Running back: Michael Turner. Yeah, I'm going with two running backs because it's my team, I can want and there are two guys that deserve to be on here. Turner looked slow for most of the second half of the season. But he still rushed for 1,340 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's not a bad season by any measure.
Quarterback: Drew Brees, Saints. He threw for a league-record 5,476 yards and also passed for 46 touchdowns. Brees has been great for a long time, but he took his game to another level. He’s the reason the Saints won 13 games without a defense.
Results in on Pro Bowl fan voting
December, 21, 2011
12/21/11
4:33
PM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
The results of the fan voting for the Pro Bowl are in and the NFC South didn’t fare very well.
New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and strong safety Roman Harper were the only players to lead the NFC at their positions. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees finished third overall in league-wide voting, but Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers was the league’s top vote-getter.
Fan voting counts for one-third of the final tally. Votes from coaches and players make up the rest. The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Tuesday night.
I was able to obtain the top five in fan voting at each position and I’ll run down the NFC South representatives. Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton was third behind Rodgers and Brees.
Atlanta’s Michael Turner was No. 5 among running backs and New Orleans’ Jed Collins was No. 3 among fullbacks.
Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez was second to Graham among tight ends and Carolina’s Steve Smith was fourth among receivers.
New Orleans’ Jahri Evans was third among guards and teammate Brian de la Puente was No. 4 among centers.
On defense, Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon (No. 5 at outside linebacker) was the only NFC South player besides Harper to finish in the top five.
New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead finished fifth, return man Darren Sproles was No. 4 and Courtney Roby was No. 5 among special-teams players.
New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and strong safety Roman Harper were the only players to lead the NFC at their positions. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees finished third overall in league-wide voting, but Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers was the league’s top vote-getter.
Fan voting counts for one-third of the final tally. Votes from coaches and players make up the rest. The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Tuesday night.
I was able to obtain the top five in fan voting at each position and I’ll run down the NFC South representatives. Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton was third behind Rodgers and Brees.
Atlanta’s Michael Turner was No. 5 among running backs and New Orleans’ Jed Collins was No. 3 among fullbacks.
Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez was second to Graham among tight ends and Carolina’s Steve Smith was fourth among receivers.
New Orleans’ Jahri Evans was third among guards and teammate Brian de la Puente was No. 4 among centers.
On defense, Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon (No. 5 at outside linebacker) was the only NFC South player besides Harper to finish in the top five.
New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead finished fifth, return man Darren Sproles was No. 4 and Courtney Roby was No. 5 among special-teams players.
NFC South Pro Bowl voting is light
December, 14, 2011
12/14/11
4:02
PM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
The fan portion of Pro Bowl voting comes to an end Monday, and the NFC South isn’t faring well so far.
Fan vote counts as one third, with players and coaches each taking up a third. Here’s a link to go cast your ballot before the deadline.
But, as of the moment, New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and strong safety Roman Harper would be the only NFC South starters. I’ve obtained a list of the top five vote getters at each position and it’s light on NFC South representation.
Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is running away with the voting for the NFC quarterback. But New Orleans’ Drew Brees is No. 2 and Carolina rookie Cam Newton is No. 3.
Atlanta’s Michael Turner is No. 5 at running back and New Orleans’ Jed Collins is third at fullback. Graham leads the tight ends, but Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez is No. 2.
The only other NFC South players in the top five on offense are Carolina receiver Steve Smith (No. 3), New Orleans guard Jahri Evans (No. 4) and New Orleans center Brian de la Puente (No. 5).
Aside from Harper, the only other NFC South player in the top five at any position is Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon. He’s No. 5 among outside linebackers.
New Orleans kicker Thomas Morstead is No. 5, return man Darren Sproles is No. 4 and Courtney Roby is No. 5 in the special-teams category.
Fan vote counts as one third, with players and coaches each taking up a third. Here’s a link to go cast your ballot before the deadline.
But, as of the moment, New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and strong safety Roman Harper would be the only NFC South starters. I’ve obtained a list of the top five vote getters at each position and it’s light on NFC South representation.
Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is running away with the voting for the NFC quarterback. But New Orleans’ Drew Brees is No. 2 and Carolina rookie Cam Newton is No. 3.
Atlanta’s Michael Turner is No. 5 at running back and New Orleans’ Jed Collins is third at fullback. Graham leads the tight ends, but Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez is No. 2.
The only other NFC South players in the top five on offense are Carolina receiver Steve Smith (No. 3), New Orleans guard Jahri Evans (No. 4) and New Orleans center Brian de la Puente (No. 5).
Aside from Harper, the only other NFC South player in the top five at any position is Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon. He’s No. 5 among outside linebackers.
New Orleans kicker Thomas Morstead is No. 5, return man Darren Sproles is No. 4 and Courtney Roby is No. 5 in the special-teams category.
If the Pro Bowl were held now and selected only by what has taken place so far in fan balloting, the NFC South would not be sending much of a contingent to Hawaii.
The NFL makes periodic announcements about who is leading the fan voting and the latest one showed New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham was the only NFC South player leading at any position.
I was able to obtain a little more information and got the list of the top five vote-getters at each position, according to results through Wednesday night. Even on that list, the NFC South isn’t having a very good showing. At the moment, the NFC roster would be dominated by players from Green Bay, San Francisco, Chicago and the always-hyped NFC East teams.
Let’s take a look at the sparse group of NFC South players, who are in the top five at their positions.
Tight end actually is the NFC South’s strongest position. One spot behind Graham is Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez.
Next, we’ll move to the quarterbacks, partly because everybody cares about quarterbacks and partly because that’s the only other position where two NFC South players showed up in the top five. New Orleans’ Drew Brees is No. 2 (behind Aaron Rodgers, of course). But here’s the surprise. Carolina rookie Cam Newton is third on the list, slightly ahead of Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.
The only other NFC South players even in the top five on the rest of the offense are Atlanta running back Michael Turner (No. 5), Carolina receiver Steve Smith (No. 3), New Orleans fullback Jed Collins (No. 3) and New Orleans guard Jahri Evans (No. 4).
On defense, it’s even worse. Carolina’s Charles Johnson is No. 5 among defensive ends. Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon is fifth among outside linebackers and New Orleans’ Roman Harper is No. 2 among strong safeties. That’s it on defense.
Even the special-teams voting is disappointing, especially because New Orleans kick returner Darren Sproles and punter Thomas Morstead are having huge years. But you wouldn’t know it from the voting. Morstead is fifth at his position and Sproles is No. 4.
If you feel outraged by any of this, go over and vote. If not, the NFC South will have to get a lot of support when coaches and players vote (each counts one-third) later in December.
The NFL makes periodic announcements about who is leading the fan voting and the latest one showed New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham was the only NFC South player leading at any position.
I was able to obtain a little more information and got the list of the top five vote-getters at each position, according to results through Wednesday night. Even on that list, the NFC South isn’t having a very good showing. At the moment, the NFC roster would be dominated by players from Green Bay, San Francisco, Chicago and the always-hyped NFC East teams.
Let’s take a look at the sparse group of NFC South players, who are in the top five at their positions.
Tight end actually is the NFC South’s strongest position. One spot behind Graham is Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez.
Next, we’ll move to the quarterbacks, partly because everybody cares about quarterbacks and partly because that’s the only other position where two NFC South players showed up in the top five. New Orleans’ Drew Brees is No. 2 (behind Aaron Rodgers, of course). But here’s the surprise. Carolina rookie Cam Newton is third on the list, slightly ahead of Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.
The only other NFC South players even in the top five on the rest of the offense are Atlanta running back Michael Turner (No. 5), Carolina receiver Steve Smith (No. 3), New Orleans fullback Jed Collins (No. 3) and New Orleans guard Jahri Evans (No. 4).
On defense, it’s even worse. Carolina’s Charles Johnson is No. 5 among defensive ends. Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon is fifth among outside linebackers and New Orleans’ Roman Harper is No. 2 among strong safeties. That’s it on defense.
Even the special-teams voting is disappointing, especially because New Orleans kick returner Darren Sproles and punter Thomas Morstead are having huge years. But you wouldn’t know it from the voting. Morstead is fifth at his position and Sproles is No. 4.
If you feel outraged by any of this, go over and vote. If not, the NFC South will have to get a lot of support when coaches and players vote (each counts one-third) later in December.
Time for a stroll through the NFC South headlines.
The New Orleans Saints reportedly placed tight end David Thomas on injured reserve and promoted tight end Michael Higgins. They also added tight end Daniel Hardy, a seventh-round draft pick by Tampa Bay this year, to the practice squad. Thomas was a jack of all trades last season. But he wasn’t really a factor this year as he had problems with concussions. The Saints have used John Gilmore in his place at times and let fullback Jed Collins take on some of Thomas’ blocking duties.
Atlanta receiver Julio Jones said he’s not sure if he’ll play Sunday. Jones has missed time with a hamstring injury. It appears he’s close to being able to return, but how much he practices the rest of this week will provide a big clue on Jones’ status.
Carolina rookie Kealoha Pilares has won the NFC special Teams Player of the Week award after returning a kickoff for a touchdown against Detroit. Pilares is the first NFC South player to earn the weekly special teams award this season.
Stephen Holder reports that the Buccaneers fear defensive end Michael Bennett may miss some time with an injury. We’ll learn more on Bennett’s situation later Wednesday when coach Raheem Morris meets with the media. If Bennett is going to miss some games, we could see a lot more of rookie Da’Quan Bowers.
The New Orleans Saints reportedly placed tight end David Thomas on injured reserve and promoted tight end Michael Higgins. They also added tight end Daniel Hardy, a seventh-round draft pick by Tampa Bay this year, to the practice squad. Thomas was a jack of all trades last season. But he wasn’t really a factor this year as he had problems with concussions. The Saints have used John Gilmore in his place at times and let fullback Jed Collins take on some of Thomas’ blocking duties.
Atlanta receiver Julio Jones said he’s not sure if he’ll play Sunday. Jones has missed time with a hamstring injury. It appears he’s close to being able to return, but how much he practices the rest of this week will provide a big clue on Jones’ status.
Carolina rookie Kealoha Pilares has won the NFC special Teams Player of the Week award after returning a kickoff for a touchdown against Detroit. Pilares is the first NFC South player to earn the weekly special teams award this season.
Stephen Holder reports that the Buccaneers fear defensive end Michael Bennett may miss some time with an injury. We’ll learn more on Bennett’s situation later Wednesday when coach Raheem Morris meets with the media. If Bennett is going to miss some games, we could see a lot more of rookie Da’Quan Bowers.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Pat Yasinskas
Yasinskas joined ESPN.com in January 2008 after covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer for nine seasons. He began his journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990.
