New Orleans Saints miss out on opportunity to bring back fan favorite player for one final run

The New Orleans Saints had an opportunity to reunite with a former playmaker and fan favorite earlier in the offseason. Their chance has seemingly dissipated.

Dolphins sign former Saints WR Willie Snead

Snead recently discussed a return to New Orleans. He says that he would love to retire as a Saint.

“If that black and gold starts calling, I would love to retire in those colors, if anything - because that’s where I started. It would only seem fitting and right to finish there, if you get what I’m saying.” -- Snead

That possibility seems much less likely now. That being said, Snead is still just 31 years old. He could have multiple seasons of NFL play left in the tank, but that is tough to project as of now. Adding Snead during this offseason could have made an impact on the Saints WR depth. We will see if he can carve out a role on Miami , instead.

Snead leaped onto the NFL scene in 2015 with the Saints with 69 receptions for 984 yards back in 2015. He was a consistent downfield target for the black and gold. He followed up that campaign with another strong one in 2016 when he totaled 72 receptions and 895 yards.

Snead hasn’t seen that sort of NFL success since he left New Orleans, but he has stayed in the loop around the league. Snead has played for the Baltimore Ravens , Las Vegas Raiders , the San Francisco 49ers since departing the Saints org. -- A to Z Sports

Snead joins a Miami Dolphins wide receiver corps that includes Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr. and Braxton Berrios.

As for New Orleans, expect a competition for the final couple spots at receiver on the roster. There are a mixture of young players and veterans vying for a role on the offense and special teams.

Related: Former Saints WR sends thank you message to New Orleans in social media rant