B/R surrounds Drew Brees with Super Bowl-winning teammates on Saints' Mount Rushmore

USA Today

a day ago

Hall of Famers like Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf make compelling arguments
Who would you say are the four best players in New Orleans Saints franchise history -- in other words, the Saints' version of Mount Rushmore? Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox made his picks not just for the Saints, but for all 32 teams in the NFL. That's a tough task for anyone.
But Knox's picks for the Saints might be a little controversial. Here's why he argues Drew Brees should be joined by Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, and Cameron Jordan on top of the mountain:
Beginning to build the New Orleans Saints' Mt. Rushmore was a quick process. New Orleans won its first and only Super Bowl after the 2009 season, and a few players stood out during that memorable run.
Drew Brees was the obvious pick for the Saints. The future Hall of Famer helped turn around the franchise, along with head coach Sean Payton, and had an incredibly productive career to go with that Super Bowl win. Brees spent 15 years in New Orleans and made the Pro Bowl 12 times.
Guard Jahri Evans was a Saints mainstay for 11 years and was part of that 2009 Super Bowl squad. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and a four-time first-team All-Pro during his Saints career.
Marques Colston was both a tremendous receiver and the sort of underdog that Saints fans could embrace. The seventh-round pick out of Hofstra in 2006 went on to record six 1,000-yard seasons, 9,759 career receiving yards and one championship ring. Colston's importance to New Orleans' 2000s resurgence earned him the nod over notable players like Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.
Pass-rusher Cameron Jordan wasn't part of that 2009 team, but he's established himself as a Saints great since joining the franchise in 2011. Jordan is set to enter his 15th season with New Orleans and has already tallied 121.5 career sacks, eight Pro Bowls and 225 starts.
Now all four of those players are all-time greats for the black and gold. We'll be the first to make the case that Colston is the most underrated wide receiver in NFL history. Evans should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by now. When Jordan has called it a career he'll have a compelling argument in favor of induction, too. But, and here's the but: they aren't the best to ever do it in New Orleans. A couple of Hall of Famers would have something to say about that.
Let's start with Rickey Jackson. The leader of the famous "Dome Patrol" defenses set the sacks record that Jordan broke in a time when the NFL wasn't nearly as pass-happy. On top of that, Jackson forced 38 fumbles compared to Jordan's 15, with 7 interceptions against Jordan's 3. He did play a different role as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense compared to Jordan's job as a defensive end in a 4-3, but Jackson was just a more dynamic player in New Orleans. He set the standard and should be the pick here. Jackson was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
What about the offensive line? Evans has a great case with six Pro Bowls in 11 years, plus a Super Bowl win. While he didn't win a championship in New Orleans, we'd go with Willie Roaf here. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Saints and earned seven Pro Bowl nods before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won four more Pro Bowls in four years. He was a truly special talent at left tackle, one of the game's most demanding positions. Roaf was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
As for Colston? We'd love to include him. His story is unique in NFL history. Colston turned pro from Hofstra, which doesn't have a football program anymore, and was very nearly undrafted until the Saints picked him at No. 252 out of 255. He's one of three wide receivers in NFL history to catch 700 or more passes and never make a Pro Bowl, and the only one to do it with the same team. He set every receiving record in team history with the most yards (9,759), catches (711), and touchdowns (72), and he does have a Super Bowl ring. But how does that compare to the longevity of Stan Brock, the highlights (and struggles) of Archie Manning, or Morten Andersen's Hall of Fame induction? You decide, but for our two cents, we're putting Colston in the spotlight since the Pro Bowl voters neglected to.