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The NFL is woven together by connections. Connections between coaches who have worked together at the pro and college levels, connections between players who were teammates on different squads — you name it, and it’s probably factored into some shot-caller’s decision-making at some point.
And that might be the case for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bennie Fowler. The 29-year old free agent signed with the Saints earlier this week following a wave of roster cuts and several opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping round out the depth chart to an NFL-mandated 80 contracts.
But before that, Fowler picked up the phone when Emmanuel Sanders called to invite him to a workout with Drew Brees.
Sanders explained his background with Fowler in a media conference call: “Bennie’s been my boy ever since he came into the Broncos locker room. I took him under my wing and he became my workout buddy. So every Tuesday we would have days off, me and Bennie would meet up at the Broncos facility and throw passes for like an hour and work on our game and work on different mentalities.”
Brees flew into Denver back in June, where Sanders lives and trains during the offseason, and where Fowler still resides after joining the Broncos back in 2014. He spent the last two seasons playing a bit part in the New York Giants offense, but maintains a regular workout schedule with Sanders over the summer. That familiarity just might have helped him land a job.
“And then Drew comes in and Drew says that, like if I could bring another guy it would be good because he wanted to get some extra work in as well,” Sanders recounted. “So I told Bennie, who was a free agent, so it worked out that way. Which is pretty cool because now after every practice, me and him we would stay after, just like we did in Denver, working on our game and catching passes. So it has been cool.”
It’s possible that Brees saw something to like in the fleet-footed Fowler; he was credited with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash at his Michigan State pro day, way back when, but Sanders is quick to insist he’s faster now because he’s a little shorter and lighter than his longtime training partner. Whatever influence Brees may have on who joins the Saints for training camp, Fowler fills a hole now as one of the faster receivers on the team.
Fowler also has a footnote in history as the last NFL player to catch a pass thrown by Peyton Manning, having scored on a two-point conversion in Super Bowl 50. Maybe his experience playing with one NFL legend will help him win a roster spot when paired with another.
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