Saints Q&A: Could Willie Snead Become The #3 Wide Receiver?

If you have followed the stories about New Orleans Saints wide receiver Willie Snead here at Big Easy Believer then you know the thoughts conveyed by our editor Barry Hirstius on him making the final roster for the team.

In a recent article Barry mentioned how Snead could possibly become the Saints #5 wide receiver and as the preseason and training camp continues on, the possibility of him making the roster seems to increase.

But in today’s Saints Q & A segment, I’ll go out on a limb and ask: Could Willie Snead become the #3 Wide Receiver?

Personally , I believe that in light of recent events, it’s not far-fetched at all to say that Snead has a legitimate shot at becoming the #3 wide receiver considered behind Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks, and here’s why that’s so.

Brandon Coleman was widely considered the favorite heading into camp as the lock for that spot, followed closely by Seantavius Jones.

Jones has drifted off the charts somewhat and hasn’t made too much noise in practice on a consistent basis or in the preseason totaling two receptions for 27 yards.

Jun 10, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandon Coleman (16) during minicamp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

On the same token, I’m not so convinced that Coleman is a lock either for the third spot considering he’s suffering from the same scenario that Jones is in somewhat.

Coleman has been a camp monster from even when OTA’s started but it hasn’t translated too well to the actual game.

More from Big Easy Believer

• New Orleans Saints: Three biggest questions heading into the offseason
• New Orleans Saints: Three positives to take from playoff loss
• New Orleans Pelicans: Betting guide vs. Sacramento Kings
• New Orleans Saints: Bold predictions for Wild Card Round vs. Vikings
• New Orleans Pelicans: Betting guide in Los Angeles Lakers rematch

He has been involved in 54 snaps during the preseason with 30 of those being passing plays and he has yet to register a reception.

In last Saturday’s preseason game against the New England Patriots, Coleman had an opportunity to reel in a touchdown pass over cornerback Devin McCourty.

Coleman had the ball in his grasp but failed to secure it and allowed McCourty to simply pop the ball out and the Saints had to settle for a field goal.

While it was a good play by McCourty, Coleman at 6-6, 225 pounds should have been able to out muscle McCourty who is 5-10 and 195 pounds.

Of course Coleman’s “camp beast” performance reminds me of another receiver the Saints have in Nick Toon who is now sidelined for the next few weeks with a high ankle sprain and could be released during final cuts.

“The Two Morgans”, Joe and Josh, could be in the mix as well for the third spot but have been inconsistent in preseason as well.

Aug 22, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker James Morris (49) knocks the ball away from New Orleans Saints wide receiver Josh Morgan (17) during the second half of a preseason game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Patriots defeated the Saints 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Josh seems to currently have the edge over Joe but the costly fumble due to poor security(high and tight Josh, high and tight) during the Patriots game could put a big smudge on his progress.

More from Editorials

• Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday Poised For Career-Defining Season
• GRADES: Pelicans Make their Mark on 2016 Draft
• Different Year, Same Questions for QB Harris and LSU
• How Danny Ferry Can Reverse Course on the Pelicans’ Future
• Saints Need to Avoid Being “Sucker Punched” in 2016

Not saying that Josh, or Joe for that matter, are in immediate danger of not making the cut, but the coaching staff will have to trust their top receivers with making those contested catches on a consistent basis as well as ball security.

During camp Snead has slowly gained ground up until the past few weeks where he has simply been lights out with many saying he is the second coming of Lance Moore.

Snead has actually responded to this by saying, in a respectful way, he even wants to be better than Moore who was huge piece of the Saints offense for many years and considered to be a clutch receiver who wasn’t afraid to go over the middle to catch a pass.

Photo courtesy of Richard Crank, New Orleans Saints

During practice local beat writers have associated his name constantly involving big plays on offense and even when Snead had to play defender and strip and interception away yesterday from cornerback Terrence Frederick.

Also noticeable is that Snead has worked his way up to taking plenty of snaps on first team offense which is a good sign in itself.

While there are still two preseason games to play with one coming up this Sunday against the Houston Texans, Snead is in a prime position to catapult himself even further up the depth chart.

It may seem premature but if Snead can stay consistent, or even turn the dial up a few notches, then it’s not too far fetched to think that he could be sitting behind Colston or Cooks when the regular season starts…..

Next: Saints Injury Impact: Which of These Saints Veterans Could Get CUT?