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Keyshawn a good fit for Saints
By Larry Holder
The typically outspoken Keyshawn Johnson hasn't said much since being released from the Carolina Panthers earlier this week.
Speculation on whether Johnson would head straight to the TV booth, instead of continuing his NFL career with yet another team, continues.
Either way, the idea of the flamboyant, downright egomaniacal wide receiver signing with a contender seems to make the most sense.
Johnson is pondering his options. Whatever they are, and in some cases, maybe we don't wanna know.
There is, however, one attractive option and a potential suitor staring Keyshawn right in the face.
I know one NFL team that should throw him the damn ball, which is paraphrasing the title of his self-indulgent autobiography back in the day.
A certain team that looks to be on the verge of another run at the Super Bowl. A certain team that has been scouring the free agents available to fill the role Keyshawn Johnson plays best.
A certain team that could use an experienced wide receiver to enhance the development of a young star like Marques Colston and a promising but less-than-reliable Devery Henderson.
A certain team right down the street.
I never thought I'd say this, but here goes:
The New Orleans Saints would benefit from signing Keyshawn Johnson.
Greatly.
Hear me out.
Before everyone breaks into a banshee dance and throws their discarded copy of his infamous book through my kitchen window, take a minute to think about it.
It'll actually make some sense.
Yes, Joe Horn and Keyshawn are roughly the same age. And yes, both wide receivers can give the notorious Eldorado Owens (the name dubbed the T of 0 by Fort Worth Star Telegram columnist Randy Galloway) a self-indulgent "me, me, me" run for his piles of money.
It still actually makes some sense.
The Saints already have more capable wide receivers than Britney Spears has rehab stints. That's true. But Saints coach Sean Payton called it a business move to release the camera-seeking, quote-machine Joe Horn.
The Saints made that move nearly two months ago.
There's a difference here, however. Payton worked with Johnson in 2004 and '05 as Bill Parcells' offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. He knows the kind of ego he would be inheriting.
Horn's numbers, and perhaps more important, his durability, decreased dramatically over the last two seasons. His $4.4 million hit against the salary cap wasn't conducive to the Saints' plans, long term or otherwise.
Neither was the half-baked concept that he was still an NFL team's No. 1 receiver.
Keyshawn hasn't been a No. 1 receiver since people actually did the Macarena, or something like that, and he knows it. But he can serve a purpose as a possession guy, and his track record there is pretty solid.
Last year, Johnson grabbed 70 passes for 815 yards and four touchdowns with the Panthers. Those numbers far exceed newly signed veteran wideout David Patten, whom the Saints are counting on for veteran leadership.
Johnson has also shown he can stay healthy, playing in each and every game for each of the last three seasons. His asking price wouldn't break the bank, either.
Last week, the Saints used their first draft pick on Tennessee wide receiver Robert Meachem. There's more wideouts than jobs in New Orleans.
Outside Drew Brees, the Saints' only sure things are Colston, Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister. A little versatility couldn't hurt.
Henderson is in the final year of his contract, and him catching the football is sometimes adventurous at best. Terrance Copper knows his role and accepts it. Jamal Jones may already be the odd man out.
Johnson has toned down his act considerably since his loquacious days in Tampa Bay. He knows Father Time is relentless. Adding the rangy, physical wide receiver to the Saints' impressive cache of weapons could make some defensive coordinators' heads explode.
Or the scoreboard, whichever came first.
Love him or hate him, Keyshawn would work in New Orleans.
By Larry Holder
The typically outspoken Keyshawn Johnson hasn't said much since being released from the Carolina Panthers earlier this week.
Speculation on whether Johnson would head straight to the TV booth, instead of continuing his NFL career with yet another team, continues.
Either way, the idea of the flamboyant, downright egomaniacal wide receiver signing with a contender seems to make the most sense.
Johnson is pondering his options. Whatever they are, and in some cases, maybe we don't wanna know.
There is, however, one attractive option and a potential suitor staring Keyshawn right in the face.
I know one NFL team that should throw him the damn ball, which is paraphrasing the title of his self-indulgent autobiography back in the day.
A certain team that looks to be on the verge of another run at the Super Bowl. A certain team that has been scouring the free agents available to fill the role Keyshawn Johnson plays best.
A certain team that could use an experienced wide receiver to enhance the development of a young star like Marques Colston and a promising but less-than-reliable Devery Henderson.
A certain team right down the street.
I never thought I'd say this, but here goes:
The New Orleans Saints would benefit from signing Keyshawn Johnson.
Greatly.
Hear me out.
Before everyone breaks into a banshee dance and throws their discarded copy of his infamous book through my kitchen window, take a minute to think about it.
It'll actually make some sense.
Yes, Joe Horn and Keyshawn are roughly the same age. And yes, both wide receivers can give the notorious Eldorado Owens (the name dubbed the T of 0 by Fort Worth Star Telegram columnist Randy Galloway) a self-indulgent "me, me, me" run for his piles of money.
It still actually makes some sense.
The Saints already have more capable wide receivers than Britney Spears has rehab stints. That's true. But Saints coach Sean Payton called it a business move to release the camera-seeking, quote-machine Joe Horn.
The Saints made that move nearly two months ago.
There's a difference here, however. Payton worked with Johnson in 2004 and '05 as Bill Parcells' offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. He knows the kind of ego he would be inheriting.
Horn's numbers, and perhaps more important, his durability, decreased dramatically over the last two seasons. His $4.4 million hit against the salary cap wasn't conducive to the Saints' plans, long term or otherwise.
Neither was the half-baked concept that he was still an NFL team's No. 1 receiver.
Keyshawn hasn't been a No. 1 receiver since people actually did the Macarena, or something like that, and he knows it. But he can serve a purpose as a possession guy, and his track record there is pretty solid.
Last year, Johnson grabbed 70 passes for 815 yards and four touchdowns with the Panthers. Those numbers far exceed newly signed veteran wideout David Patten, whom the Saints are counting on for veteran leadership.
Johnson has also shown he can stay healthy, playing in each and every game for each of the last three seasons. His asking price wouldn't break the bank, either.
Last week, the Saints used their first draft pick on Tennessee wide receiver Robert Meachem. There's more wideouts than jobs in New Orleans.
Outside Drew Brees, the Saints' only sure things are Colston, Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister. A little versatility couldn't hurt.
Henderson is in the final year of his contract, and him catching the football is sometimes adventurous at best. Terrance Copper knows his role and accepts it. Jamal Jones may already be the odd man out.
Johnson has toned down his act considerably since his loquacious days in Tampa Bay. He knows Father Time is relentless. Adding the rangy, physical wide receiver to the Saints' impressive cache of weapons could make some defensive coordinators' heads explode.
Or the scoreboard, whichever came first.
Love him or hate him, Keyshawn would work in New Orleans.
