Coby Fleener to Saints: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Veteran tight end Coby Fleener was one of Andrew Luck's most trusted targets, but the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback will have to look elsewhere in 2016, as Fleener has joined the New Orleans Saints.

Fleener and the Saints reportedly agreed to a five-year, $36 million contract, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal includes $18 million guaranteed and a $8 million signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Saints later confirmed the news and posted a picture to Twitter of Fleener signing his deal on Thursday:

After the announcement, Fleener thanked Colts fans on Twitter:

Fleener's numbers dropped off a bit after a strong 2014 campaign (51 catches, 774 yards, eight touchdowns). He appeared in all of the Colts' regular-season games, making 54 catches for 491 yards and three touchdowns last year.

The fact that Luck played just seven games in 2015 undoubtedly hurt Fleener from a statistical perspective. Matt Hasselbeck averaged a little over 57 fewer yards per game than Luck, which meant there were fewer yards to go around for Indy's receivers, especially the secondary options.

Pro Football Focus graded Fleener as the 19th-best tight end in the league. He isn't in the elite class at his position, but he's good enough to start on a playoff-contending team such as the Colts.

Writing for ESPN.com, Sam Monson was a bit more skeptical of Fleener's value and argued that he was one of the riskiest free-agent signings this year:

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Fleener has come a long way thanks to being Andrew Luck's favorite target through college and the NFL. The issue is that he just isn't that good in his own right. Despite being athletic and looking like he should be a dynamic receiving weapon, Fleener just doesn't produce those plays consistently. Forty-seven tight ends caught a greater percentage of the passes sent their way than Fleener's 66.7 percent last season, 52 bettered his yards per catch (9.1), 60 gained more yards per reception after the catch (3.2 yards) and 27 broke more tackles (two).

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The likelihood the Colts would re-sign Fleener never looked all that strong. In addition to the issues Monson mentioned, two other factors pointed to his departure.

Dwayne Allen was also a free agent this offseason, and despite the potential problems with re-signing him—less than stellar numbers (16 catches, 109 yards, one touchdown last year) and 21 missed games over the last three years—he makes more sense for Indianapolis.

Not only does he bring value as a blocker and a receiver, but Allen's price tag (four years, $29.4 million) is also lower than Fleener's reported deal. That will be critical for the Colts, given that Luck is entering the final year of his current contract. General manager Ryan Grigson will need to save every penny possible in order to accommodate what's going to be a massive extension.

The Colts' decision to let Fleener walk could be justified in a few years should he fail to establish a consistent presence in New Orleans' offense. He has seemingly failed to fulfill the potential he showed in 2013 and 2014, and considering he'll be 28 in September, that may never happen at all.

Then again, all it takes is the right quarterback and the right scheme for Fleener to excel. Peyton Manning helped Julius Thomas look like one of the best tight ends in the league, but then his production fell off in his first year with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fleener's success or failure on its own won't determine New Orleans' season, but head coach Sean Payton will be counting on him to add a different dimension to the offense at the tight end position, something that's been missing since the Saints traded Jimmy Graham a year ago. If Fleener can do that, then this might be one of the more underrated signings of the offseason.