Report: Marquez Callaway Agrees to Deal With New Orleans Saints

Marquez Callaway didn't get to hear his name called in the NFL Draft, but he didn't have to wait long to join the NFL. Adam Caplan of NFL Insider is reporting that the Volunteer wideout has been signed by the New Orleans Saints. This move would put the dynamic Callaway into a system that has seen similar players have enormous success as late round receivers or undrafted free agents.

#Saints agreed to UDFA deal with WR Marquez Callaway (Tennessee), per his agency.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) April 25, 2020

Callaway lost a year of eligibility essentially because Butch Jones wanted to play him in one game as a true freshman when the Vols hosted Tennessee Tech. Callaway made some spectacular catches and returned a punt for a touchdown against the Golden Eagles. Still, at that time, a single game played cost a player an entire year of eligibility. Callaway burst onto the scene in 2017 when the Vols opened that season against Georgia Tech in the Mercedes Benz Dome. When Jauan Jennings was injured on his first catch of that game and lost for the season, things looked grim for the Vols. Then Marquez Callaway came on and had an incredible game for Tennessee. Callaway had over 100 yards and two scores with incredible catches spread throughout the game. Through quarterback struggles and offensive line issues, Callaway developed as Tennessee's best receiver in 2017. He showed a specialty for the deep ball and for making incredible sideline and endzone catches.

In 2018, Callaway began to play under Jeremy Pruitt, and saw the return of Jennings as his running mate. The pair showed they could win 50-50 balls and consistently beat one-on-one coverage. Callaway continued to shine when working for a deep ball and in the return game. In 2019, Callaway had some of the longest and most memorable plays of the Tennessee season, reeling in a bomb against Georgia from Brian Maurer, a bomb from JT Shrout against South Carolina, returning a punt for a TD against the Gamecocks, and pulling in a high point score from Jarrett Guarantano against Missouri. Callaway consistently showed off and utilized his excellent size and speed as a wide receiver, allowing his game to grow on the edge, but he also remained a dangerous special teams weapon for the Vols over his entire career.

The Saints have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, led by Sean Payton, Drew Brees, and Callaway's former Tennessee teammate Alvin Kamara. Much like Kamara, the Saints seem like an ideal fit for a player like Callaway. He has excellent speed, even by NFL standards, for his size. Callaway's excellent ball skills and ability to come down with contested catches should make him a weapon to be added to the Saints' arsenal. Callaway also has the added advantage of being an excellent return man. As the Saints have shown with so many offensive players, they are able to maximize talent. With what Callaway brings offensively, coupled with his threat as a returner, he seems likely to make the Saints roster and perhaps be their next UFA success story.