As the preseason wraps up and the 2012 NFL regular season is finally about to start, many Saints fans are cautiously optimist that everything will work out well. Coming off a record-breaking season passing the ball a season ago, many thought the passing game would be the least of the team’s worries. This preseason has brought up some issues though. Here is a look at the three receiving targets that Drew Brees needs to step it up a bit.

Jimmy Graham

Yes, it is just preseason, but the breakout star from a year ago seems unfocused and lacking motivation in the games so far this season. Most fans do not seem to worried since he is healthy and young, but Graham is the top guy on offense for Brees. Coaches want to see him continue to progress instead of being happy with where he is now. Right now, he is playing as though he is just slightly worse than a season ago.

Devery Henderson

With Graham handling the short yard passes, Henderson needs to continue to be a solid deep threat for Brees. His job becomes even more important now that Robert Meachem is in San Diego. Brees loves to go for it all a few times a game, so Henderson will get the shot to pick up some yardage and make some big plays.

A year ago, Henderson started strong but then quickly disappeared. With a bigger role in 2012, that can be a cause for concern. Joseph Morgan could push him some for that wide receiver deep threat spot, but it’s Henderson’s to lose going into the season.

Joe Morgan

One of the most impressive things Drew Brees has done as a NFL quarterback is turn regular wide receivers into valuable options. Morgan came into the 2011 season as a true afterthought. The undrafted rookie had a great preseason though, but a torn meniscus prevented him from really ever getting a chance in real games.

Morgan is now officially back, and this preseason he looks to be even better than before. He is a big-play threat that is full of potential and raw talent. It will be interesting to see how much the Saints actually use him in the 2012 season, but it would not be surprising to see him earn more and more time (and targets) as the season goes along. Remember, very few people knew who Robert Meachem was until Brees turned him into a Pro Bowler.

This article has been guest written by the football guys at FanDuel.com, the best site for weekly fantasy football leagues.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2012 at 6:25 pm and is filed under National News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.