METAIRIE, La. -- Drew Brees decided to take the training wheels off of rookie wide receiver Michael Thomas during Thursday’s practice. And he was very impressed by the results.
On a third-down play, Brees said he took a look at the defense and decided to signal a route to the New Orleans Saints’ second-round draft pick that “we have literally never repped before together.”
“In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever even talked about it,” Brees said. “But it was one of those where I’m just in the moment, and hey, he’s my guy over there at that position. So I kind of give him a look, give him a signal or whatever, and he goes and makes the play. And ran the route just like I imagined.
“So that makes you feel good too. ‘Hey, we’re on the same page even though we haven’t even talked about that yet. You kind of know this offense, you have a feel for the game.’ So I like when I see that stuff out of young guys, where you kind of feel like there’s some instincts there.”
Needless to say, earning the trust of a QB like Brees could do wonders for a rookie’s career development.
The Saints drafted the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Thomas in part because they released another big, physical target in veteran Marques Colston this offseason. But that won’t guarantee Thomas anything on its own. The Saints tend to go by what they see on the practice field when it comes to receivers, which is why first-round draft picks such as Robert Meachem have had to wait their turn, while late-round picks or undrafted guys such as Colston, Lance Moore and Willie Snead have developed quickly.
Brees said he has spent time working with Thomas individually after practices, and he is impressed by how quickly he has come along during the first two weeks of OTAs.
“Listen, this game is all about trust, especially at the quarterback position,” Brees said. “Everything I do is with trust and anticipation.”
Brees also has high hopes for new tight end Coby Fleener, whom the Saints signed away from the Indianapolis Colts for $7.2 million per year in free agency.
Brees, who has a pretty good history with tight ends in both New Orleans and San Diego, said he quickly went to watch some of Fleener’s tape when the Saints made the move. He liked what he saw.
“What I remember from film is that it’s like, ‘This guy is always open. How is he always open?’ No matter what the route is,” Brees said. “Because there’s nothing real flashy about him. It’s just kind of smooth, steady. But here it is on that route, ‘Oh, he’s got two yards of separation. How did he do that? He kind of set the guy up, made it look like something else.’ So everything’s fluid, very smooth.
“And there’s times where he doesn’t look like he’s moving very fast, and yet he’s covering ground. He’s pulling away from people, he’s getting separation. So you like guys that can give you places to throw the ball.”
Brees said Fleener’s reps have “kind of ramped up” as the first two weeks of OTA sessions have gone on. But so far he said he has noticed that “there’s a feel for the game. And there’s a fluidness to the way he plays.”
“I feel like from a quarterback’s perspective it’s easy to read his angles, easy to feel what he’s about to do and therefore anticipate where the ball needs to be thrown,” Brees said of the 6-6, 251-pounder. “He’s got big range. Obviously he’s a big, tall guy who can really cover some ground.”