Ohio State RB/WR Samuel entering NFL Draft (1 Viewer)

We need this skillset.

In my opinion this is a Saintsreport urban myth. Just because it's oft repeated doesn't make it true.

The fact is we have a satellite/joker back, but because we focus on anecdotal samples (i.e. what we see at key points on game day) we imagine the team has a yawning need for a 'better' back and more often than not ignore any data that argues to the contrary.

Cadet's crime is that he isn't a league beating superstar, much in the same way Brandon Coleman is guilty of being 'only' a #4 WR - both fulfil their roles without huge individual statistical success. That is perfectly suitable for what they're asked to do.

There is also the fact that our use of the satellite back makes our personnel set more clearly pass oriented, setting things up for the defense to get a jump on the playcall and therefore setting their own call to defend it best. We can't have this back on the field all the time, without limiting what we can do.

I'd put forward 3rd down conversion rate as probably the single most visible metric for the impact/value of a team's satellite back to success. And in 2016 the Saints are the #1 NFL team in this measure. It's not even a close race, we are a full 1.9% better than the second placed Packers. To put that into perspective, it's the largest difference between two teams in the rankings until you get to the cellar dwelling Rams (a full 2.7% adrift of 31st place). And there is no greater than a 1.0% difference between any other two adjoining clubs throughout the league rankings. We are that dominant on 3rd down, with the players we already have.

Now to be fair, we can compare with the oft-quoted gold standard of Saints satellite backs while he was in Black and Gold from 2011 to 2013, Darren Sproles, and how the team's 3rd Down conversion rate stacks up while he was with us:

Without Sproles
2016 Rk:1 Cnv:48.6%
2015 Rk:1 Cnv:47.7%
2014 Rk:1 Cnv:48.3%
With Sproles
2013 Rk:3 Cnv:43.9% (#1 SD at 49.0%)
2012 Rk:4 Cnv:44.0% (#1 NE at 48.7%)
2011 Rk:1 Cnv:56.7%

Source: 2016 NFL Team Downs Stats - National Football League - ESPN

Obviously, 2011 supports the logic that a top tier satellite back makes all the difference, but the 2012 and 2013 figures with Sproles still on board don't back that up, and may even suggest that, as with most things in today's NFL, it's hard to keep beating defenses the same way as they will scout, learn and adapt to beat you. And today, with the much maligned Cadet, we are doing better than at any time since 2011's heyday. In fact, we've led the league in 3rd down conversion every year since we let Sproles go.

For those demanding we get someone better, of course improving at any position is the overall goal, but doing so at the expense of other greater team needs is not. All this desire to draft high for a shiny new model of the same sort of player as we already have needs to step outside and cool off for a while.

Just my opinion.
 
Everyone threw a fit when we drafted Michael Thomas last year and how did that work out?

We definitely need to add youth and speed to our running back group.

Not me, I loved the pick.
 

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