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The New Orleans Saints made a big free agent signing by adding tight end Jared Cook, who figures to play a big part in the team’s offense in 2019. Cook’s optimistic outlook should only be reinforced by comments from Saints quarterback Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton after the first week of organized team activities.

“Really good. Really impressed,” said Brees, reflecting on his early impression of Cook. “Comes across as a real savvy veteran, a real pro. I’d heard a lot of good things about him before he got here, but he’s certainly impressed us these first couple of days. He’s got a great feel for the game and I think he’s going to fit very well in our offense.”

For his part, Payton was quick to downplay any hype and emphasized that the Saints were simply asking Cook to do many of the same responsibilities he held with the Oakland Raiders, where he averaged 61 catches for 792 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions the last two years.

“He is picking it up,” Payton began. “I thought he had a good (first week of OTAs). He’s smart. Obviously there’s a lot that goes on with that position. But, he’s someone that has played long enough and there are some nuances (that are different here), but he’s done well. Look, what he did in Oakland was similar to a lot of the things we do formationally.

“But he’s smart and he has range,” Payton continued, making it clear that he is just as excited to see what Cook can do with Brees as any fantasy football analyst. “You see his route savviness and his ability to get in and out of cuts. The best thing he does is run after the catch. It’s hard to measure that out here when we’re not tackling, but he’s real good that way.”

The Saints are Cook’s fifth team since joining the NFL back in 2009. His past experience with the Raiders, Green Bay Packers, then-St. Louis Rams, and Tennessee Titans has exposed him to a variety of offenses and, in Payton’s eyes, helped strengthen his resume: “He has been utilized in different ways. He is explosive. He runs extremely well. I think he’s in good shape. It’s the first time that he and Drew (Brees) are working together and you know they’ll get a ton of reps and a ton of work in between now and when we get started in the end of July.”