Get excited about Saints rookie receivers Butler, Grayson but keep it real

In the NFL, there are OTA’s, mini-camps and then comes training camp. There are boring preseason games as well.

As history has taught us, those who stand out in all four of those disciplines often fail to even stand up as contributors or stand on the sideline for regular season games.

Then again, some do.

The early rage of New Orleans Saints training camp has been wide receiver Emmanuel Butler.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Butler has the kind of size that Saints head coach Sean Payton has always loved, coveted and targeted.

Marques Colston was a seventh-round pick out of Hofstra, a virtual afterthought who nearly went undrafted due to a perceived lack of speed and perhaps not facing top competition in college.

Colston was the same height (6-4) and virtually the same weight (225 pounds) as Butler. Like Coltson, Butler came from a smaller program in Northern Arizona, not facing top competition at the college level. Like Colston, Butler lacked the top-end speed NFL teams seek.

Sean Payton has admitted noticing Butler’s performances and stated Sunday that he is excited about what Butler is doing early on. Drew Brees has complimented Butler as well and that is a voice that should and must be heard.

Butler uses his size well to wall defenders off and he can extend to make catches, making himself even larger.

Butler admitted to modeling his game after Colston, not a bad concept.

Colston is the all-time leading receiver in franchise history and was elected to the Saints Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in unanimous fashion. Colston will be formally inducted Oct. 25, in the middle of the 2019 New Orleans Saints season. Butler hopes to be around by then to see it happen while donning the black and gold that Colston represented so well.

Back in June, Payton harkened back to his first training camp with New Orleans in 2006 and how going into camp, the star wide receiving prospect was sixth-round draft choice Mike Haas, who went on to play in all of two games for the Saints without a reception. Colston emerged as training camp progressed and, when it mattered, in games that would eventually be played. He went on to catch 711 passes for 9,759 yards and 72 touchdowns, the leader in franchise history in all three categories.

Going into training camp, the hot name to keep an eye on as an undrafted free agent receiver was Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who is also 6-4, 225. While Humphrey may yet shine, the bright light is fixed on Butler.

Can you catch lighting in a bottle twice? Payton has had great success with undrafted free agents and late round picks like Colston, Lance Moore, Pierre Thomas, Zach Strief and Taysom Hill, among others. There is no reason to believe that it cannot happen again.

For that matter, you cannot dismiss the chances of former Archbishop Rummel star Cyril Grayson, who has made big plays in consecutive days. Grayson (5-9, 183) also starred in track at Rummel and at LSU but never played college football. He has elite speed. When you watch Tyreek Hill (5-10, 185) run away from people, you can close your eyes and conjure up that image of Grayson, though he is nowhere near the talent or experience level of Hill, at this point.

Hill started as a return specialist but evolved into one of the best, and certainly the fastest receiver in the NFL. Hill was a fifth-round draft choice.

When getting excited about Butler and Grayson, remember that is just training camp and it is early in that process. Training camp stars like wide receivers Onome Ojo, Seantavius Jones, Nick Toon, Brandon Coleman and even Adrian Arrington come to mind when considering what may become of the two young receivers currently impressing everyone.

Still, it is not inappropriate to get excited about the duo. Payton has already praised Grayson and his speed and admitted to being giddy about Butler. It will be fun following the progress of both.

[contentcards url=”https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/saints-wide-receivers-look-to-impress-earn-spots-at-training-camp/” target=”_blank”]