Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was the backup for Drew Brees in 2019 for the New Orleans Saints. When the unthinkable happened and Brees missed time with a thumb injury, Bridgewater got a second chance to prove his worth as a starter. And Bridgewater ended up signing with the Carolina Panthers this past week on a 3-year deal worth $63 million dollars. So now Brees’ former backup is no longer in New Orleans. This means the Saints should target Khalil Tate in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Khalil Tate Should Be Targeted by Saints
Taysom Hill Will Now Be the Backup
With Bridgewater now in Carolina, the Saints have two quarterbacks on their roster. Drew Brees decided to come back and pursue another Super Bowl run. That’s the big story. Additionally, the backup in 2020 will be Taysom Hill, aka as “The Swiss Army Knife.” Hill nearly propelled the Saints to a playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings. Hill is undefinable. He’s electric. He’s dangerous, and the NFL has never seen anything like him. Hill plays special teams, wide receiver, and may even sell hot dogs when fans aren’t watching. He’s everywhere.
Saints fans have been clamoring for Hill to be the backup for a long time. In all likelihood, Hill will become the favorite to be Bree’s backup in 2020. That being said, there’s always a newer modern version of a unique product waiting to be unleashed. That quarterback is Khalil Tate.
Tate was a freakish athlete that happened to play quarterback at the University of Arizona. And as of late, his stock has started to rise. His stats are similar to Lamar Jackson‘s in college. Tate’s speed is undeniable. He is going to get his opportunity to prove what he can do in the NFL. Moreover, the Saints are the best team for him to be on. Taysom Hill is considered to be a “Swiss Army Knife.” However, before he got to the Saints, Taysom Hil was just another running quarterback trying to make a team.
Payton Changed the Future
The fact of the matter is, Saints head coach Sean Payton changed everything when he unleashed Hill as a jack of all trades. Having Tate on the roster would make sense. If something were to happen to Drew Brees, the game plan for Hill being the starter would change the play calls. Also, having Hill as the true backup makes him more valuable to the team.
Surely, this is a discussion the Saints have done already. The Saints could be looking to select a quarterback early in this year’s draft. The quarterback class is loaded in 2020. But after the beginning of the second round, the talent available at quarterback could drop significantly. Brees is rapidly approaching the end of his career and the Saints want to have a succession plan in place.
Regardless, the day is drawing closer and closer every year. If the Saints want to be competitive past 2021, the quarterback position has to be stable going forward. And that includes the backup too. Khalil Tate is the perfect fit and he won’t cost much. Generally speaking, he’s low risk and high ceiling. Tate needs to work on his accuracy and learning not to run first. But he’s a player who is hungry and will take direction. Tate could be a deep sleeper.
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