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WR David Patten, New Orleans Saints

HT: 5-9, WT: 182, Born: 8-19-1974, College: Western Carolina, Drafted: ---

2008 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of June 28th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: A Randle El (210), M Pittman (211), David Patten (212), B Stokley (213), C Henry (214)
Position: S McDonald (206-WR69), A Randle El (210-WR70), David Patten (212 - WR71), B Stokley (213-WR72), S Smith (215-WR73)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

 Click here to go to the David Patten faceoff, our staff's look at the pros and cons.

Best Case

David Patten rebounded from two forgettable seasons in Washington to post respectable numbers for the Saints, gaining 792 yards on 54 receptions with three TDs to his credit. He enters 2008 as the presumptive candidate as the team's No. 2 WR across from Marques Colston. After a year immersed in the Saints' offense, Patten should be prepared to improve on his 2007 numbers. With a QB like Drew Brees, who consistently throws for 4400 yards, Patten could easily crack the 1000-yard mark during 2008, with mid-single digit numbers in the TD department.

Worst Case

Patten has only posted a single decent season out of the last three years and had trouble staying in the lineup while in Washington. With good young players like Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson and Lance Moore battling for more playing time, Patten could slide out of the starting lineup if he falters during training camp. He's entering his 12th NFL season and will be 34 when the season starts. He's at the age when a lot of NFL receivers suddenly hit the wall and suffer steep declines in production. Fantasy owners will want to carefully watch Patten's play during preseason before investing a pick in him this year.

Outlook

Patten should post another 700-800 yards receiving without any trouble in the Saints' explosive offense, making him a guy to roster at WR5 or WR6 as quality depth or as an insurance policy for Colston owners. Patten isn't likely to cost too much in order to retain his services this year.

Relevant Articles

2008 Schedule

2007 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Patten caught a 13 yard pass in the fourth quarter when the game was well out of hand for the Saints.

Week 2 - Patten was the second most targeted Saints receiver, finishing with seven in the game, hauling in two receptions for 66 yards.

Week 3 - Patten was hardly involved in this game, but at least he caught the only pass sent his way.

Week 5 - Patten dropped both passes thrown his way.

Week 6 - Patten had the best game of his journeyman like career, catching eight balls for 113 yards. Brees seemed to have a great deal of trust in him, targeting him on back to back plays and in third down situations.

Week 7 - Patten saw consistent action throughout the game, and is asked to find the hole in the zone in three and four wide receiver sets.

Week 8 - Patten hauled in nearly everything that came his way, and clearly has the trust of Brees. He did not have a catch in the second half, but was vital to the Saints success early in the game. Patten was not targeted in the red zone at all, but most of his catches were for a good chunk of yardage (43, 20, 16, 20, 10).

Week 9 - Patten flourished in his starting role, showing good hands and running after the catch to post good numbers. Patten made the most of his opportunities as the two targets he did not catch were thrown out of his reach, intentionally on one occasion.

Week 10 - Patten was largely a non-factor against the Rams. His first catch was for a loss in the backfield.

Week 11 - Patten showed good hands as well as an ability to run in traffic. However the ball he did not catch came on a crucial fourth down play late in the game when his defender hit him as the ball arrived.

Week 12 - Patten caught two passes for 17 yards and he picked up one first down. Brees tried to hit him deep a couple of times but both passes were incomplete.

Week 14 - Patten was targeted early and often. He caught the first touchdown of the game on a well defended pass down the sidelines. He also was targeted in the end zone on another drive, but Brees was pressure and slightly overthrew the ball. Patten caught an impressive nine balls when only ten were thrown his way.

Week 15 - Patten caught four balls for 71 yards, including a 32 yard touchdown to give the Saints a 21-14 lead into the half. In the fourth quarter, Patten caught a ball for 26 yards, but fumbled when tackled. The turnover did not lead to a Cardinal score and the Saints' defense held.

Week 16 - Patten was the primary target as the Saints turned to the air in order to get back in the game. He saw seven targets in the second half, but was only able to come up with four of them, one of which was overturned due to a holding penalty.

Week 17 - Patten surprising did not become significantly more involved in this game after the departure of Marques Colston, as quarterback Drew Brees looked primarily underneath on high percentage passes to his running backs and tight ends.