Bill Barnwell’s top offensive Arsenals for 2018

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Few teams could replace Brandin Cooks with Ted Ginn Jr. and not skip a beat, but the Saints managed to pull that off in 2017, thanks to an excellent season from their offensive line and the seemingly ageless excellence of Drew Brees. The cumulative numbers were down because the Saints held leads and slowed their pace -- they ran an even 1,000 offensive plays after making it to 1,105 in 2016 -- but the duo of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara became the first pair of running backs since the merger to each produce 1,500 yards from scrimmage on the same team in the same season.


They probably won't be as effective of a duo in 2018, given that Ingram is already suspended for the first quarter of the season. Kamara is unlikely to average 6.1 yards per carry again, although he could assume a bigger workload in his second season. The receiving corps behind Michael Thomas doesn't contain many locks to be effective, although Ginn's second act as an effective NFL wideout in his mid-30s now has been going on for three seasons. Cameron Meredith is likely to see more snaps than the departed Willie Snead and should be an upgrade at wideout, although the tight end depth chart offers more in blockers than it does in receivers. The Saints' offense still should be very good, but it would be fascinating to see how their weapons would look without a future Hall of Famer under center.

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He worded it terribly, but his article should have been titled, "Best Offensive Weapons". Based off of his parameters for how he created the list, most of the teams ahead of the Saints are correct, except for the Bears

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This. Kamara is special. MT is very good but has greatly benefited from Brees as a youn player, I’m not sure if he’s a transcendent type talen but his ceiling seems very high. Ingram is a good-very good back. After that we have a bunch of guys who have question marks. We have very little at TE outside of Watson who is in the absolute twilight of his career.

These lists are stupid anyway. It seems a joke that the patriots wouldn’t be penalized for brady’s Play but the saints for Brees. Did they get someone Im forgetting because I’m taking our two young stars over anyone on that roster.

Article title was “offensive Arsenals”

Can’t evaluate an offensive arsenal without including qb. As someone said, he should’ve named the article quarterback weapons or something

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The Saints' offense still should be very good, but it would be fascinating to see how their weapons would look without a future Hall of Famer under center.

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People get paid writing garbage like this? Thank you Captain Obvoius! Bet he would agree that Green Bay would not look the same with Rodgers, New England without Brady, Atlanta without Ryan, Detroit without Stafford, etc.

In other news, water is wet.

Haven’t the Saints been like the #1 offense in football over this past decade. Bill is a clown...

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Bill Barnwell

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What a fricking idiot.

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He says “quarterback impact isn’t a factor in his rankings”

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The single most important player in the game... SMDH

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but it would be fascinating to see how their weapons would look without a future Hall of Famer under center.

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I understand the fact that Brees can elevate the play of his receivers (and keeps teams from stacking the box most of the time), but the fact is also that he isn't making something out of nothing.

Coleman elsewhere may be pretty much a nobody, but here he has been a low level number 4 receiver. Meachem had his production cut to a third and went from a solid number 3 guy to a Coleman.

But then you look at other guys we've had that never amounted to anything. Brees couldn't take very poor talent and do anything with it.

So the fact is guys like Colston and Thomas would still be good elsewhere. Colston would be a good number 2 guy, but I think Thomas would still be a number 1 guy. Maybe not in talks of top 5 in the league, but likely still top 10.

And Kamara would still be a very good running and receiving back elsewhere. Most of his catches are closer to the line and then he makes guys miss.

And Ginn was putting up these number with Newton, so it isn't the fact that Brees elevated his play at all.

I feel this group is being severely underestimated. Brees may have made Colston, Henderson, Moore, and Meachem look better than they would have elsewhere (though they still had the talent), but I feel this current group (minus Coleman) would be just about as effective elsewhere (and Ginn has already proven that).

Did he mention what his factors were in making this list?

I mean there are so many that make the Saints a top 5 offense annually. One of the biggest being Payton and Pete.

Chargers - frick no esp with Henry hurt

Bears - push. Big splash this offseason

Patriots - would fit well with what we do but our WRs & RBs are more talented. Gronk factor considered.

Eagles - no don’t think

Rams - nope. No RB depth. WRs notch below our group. No TE

Vikings- not quite either, even with a healthy Cook &! Rudolph they don’t quite stack up, esp losing McKinnon.

Steelers - yes. Would take over Saints

Falcons - no. Julio is great, decent RB tandem. Not as dynamic as what we feature.

Giants - wut. This is the most egregious on the list

Chiefs - yes. Bree’s would slay with Hill-Watkins-kelce-Hunt , assuming Watkins can stay healthy