The New Orleans Saints are completing a three-year, $12 million deal ($8 million guaranteed) with one of Derek Carr’s old friends and former Raider tight end Foster Moreau. The story, however, is bigger than just football. In March of this year during a physical, team doctors diagnosed Moreau with Hodgkin lymphoma. At that time, the Saints did not complete a contract with the tight end who caught 91 passes for 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns from Carr. However, after Moreau’s body responded positively to treatment, doctors cleared him to return to football next week.
Foster Moreau in comeback from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma reunites with Derek Carr
Before addressing the pitch and catch part of this story, football fans always unite around cheering for a lad as he overcomes cancer. Cancer unequivocally sucks. Cancer will have touched most readers’ lives, and Moreau’s diagnosis at age 26 is a testament to the horrors of it. However, his recovery is something everyone will cheer for and give hope to fans who might be battling cancer themselves. This season, everyone is a Foster Moreau fan; even the Atlanta Falcons fans.
Foster Moreau re-uniting with Derek Carr is also another tangent of this story that segues into the pitch and catch side of this. After the Oakland Raiders selected him in round four of the 2019 NFL Draft, he has had a decent career. He seemed to improve in 2021 and 2022, catching 30 and 33 passes respectively. With a more consistent offence in New Orleans that works around Carr, Moreau could become a consistent spotlight for the Saints in 2023.
How Saints offence makes Moreau a spotlight
The Saints offensive tight end is currently Juwan Johnson, who had a decent 508-yard receiving in 2022. He is a converted 6’4”, 231 lbs wide receiver. The Saints rotation of quarterbacks targeted him 65 times while catching 42 receptions. Johnson is likely to remain a tight end for 2023. However, a double tight end set could give the Saints an advantage in their conference. The strength and size of Johnson and Moreau together provides a unique strength to the Saints offence.
The NFC South defence is not exactly the top of the league. In fact, the rest of the NFC south is likely as exploitable as it was last season. If the Saints align in additional strong-I, or double-tight formations that flow from play action to quick passes, they have an immediate advantage over a younger, slower division. Carr can also incorporate backfield passes to Alvin Kamara more if Moreau and Johnson occupy linebackers’ lines of sight.
Additional tight ends might open wide receivers Michael Thomas, A.T. Perry, and Rashid Shaheed for quick routes down the sidelines. The less wide receivers must run into the middle of the field, the better chance they get into formations their skills align too. Foster Moreau’s skills do not only translate to statistics, but providing a decoy and highly capable body linebackers and safeties must account for.
Foster Moreau coming to the Saints is not only a thrilling story for the Saints on the field, but a thrilling story for overcoming adversity and giving cancer patients hope. He provides someone the Saints offence can rally around for morale, hope, and power football.
Main Image: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
