The New Orleans Saints are 22 days away from regular season action. That's just a little more than three weeks. The preseason is here to hold us over, but Saints fans only have to wait Rashid Shaheed days to watch their favorite team take on the Arizona Cardinals.
The countdown to kickoff continues with a look at Rashid Shaheed, who wears No. 22 after coming into the league with a significantly less fitting number. Leave 89 for bigger physical receivers. Watching Shaheed streak through the field, regardless of the number, has been a welcomed sight over the last 3 seasons.
Tyler Shough slung the ball deep downfield in his preseason debut to Mason Tipton for a touchdown. If he did that in a preseason game after throwing a pick-six, trust that Shough will have no apprehension about throwing it downfield to Shaheed. Granted, the rookie has to win the job first, but Spencer Rattler shouldn't be hesitant either.
Rashid Shaheed may be the biggest master of his craft on the Saints roster
Despite the low expectations for the team, there is still some talent on this team. Demario Davis, Erik McCoy and Chris Olave are just a few of those players. As talented as those players are, Shaheed may stretch the field better than any of them do anything else. It's worth a conversation at least.
Shaheed is not just an elite deep threat, he's one of the best deep threats in the NFL. He is always a threat in the Saints offense and can sometimes overshadow certain blemishes. It doesn't matter where the Saints are at on the field, Shaheed can hit the end zone. He's the only Saint you can truly say that about.
One thing about Shaheed's game that'll be interesting to watch is his usage on special teams. He's only played under Dennis Allen and Darren Rizzi up until this point in his career. Kellen Moore may have different plans for Shaheed.
As great as he is as a returner, his highest value is on offense. It wouldn't be shocking to see Moore search for another return specialist to maximize Shaheed's offensive output. He has been unstoppable as a deep threat, and on an offense with many unknowns, Shaheed is one of the most reliable pieces on the unit.