New Orleans Saints tight end Jared Cook spoke with members of the local media over teleconference, introducing himself and discussing his decision to join the team. The 10-year NFL veteran has seen a lot, most recently playing for the Oakland Raiders, but offers from five teams weren’t enough to dissuade him from the chance to play with quarterback Drew Brees.
Cook praised Brees as a perfectionist, and the opportunity to “make an impact on a high-powered, prolific offense” with the future Hall of Fame inductee was too good to pass up. He hasn’t met Brees yet, only knowing him by reputation, but mentioned they had exchanged text messages: “That was my first contact with him. Other than that, I’ve always been a fan, watching him expose defenses throughout the league.”
He also remarked that finding the right fit among different NFL teams is difficult, but he’s confident New Orleans will be a great city to work and live in. Cook noted the Saints can help him become even better: “I still feel like I’ve got a lot of room to improve, and that’s part of the reason I came to the Saints.”
The delay between Cook’s scheduled visit with the Saints and the announcement of his signing a contract lasted nearly two weeks. He doesn’t have an explanation for that, having deferred to his agent during negotiations: “I’m not sure, I wasn’t focusing on that. . . . I knew that was going to work itself out, my job was just to be patient in the whole process.”
