It’s certainly been an offseason of change for the New Orleans Saints. Between the arrivals of C.J. Spiller and Max Unger, and the departures of Kenny Stills and stud tight end Jimmy Graham, the Saints are going to look much different offensively in 2015. Drew Brees isn’t going to be breaking passing yardage records this year; there’s going to be a much better balance of attack between the pass and the run. But even with all these changes, wide receiver Brandin Cooks is going to go off in 2015 in a huge way.

The important thing to keep in mind is that even though the Saints are going to lighten the load on Brees’ arm, they’re not putting it to sleep either. Brees still has some pop in his arm and has gotten better with his deep accuracy, so putting the ball downfield isn’t going to be a problem. Will it be as frequent as we’ve gotten used to seeing? Absolutely not. Sean Payton is going to run Mark Ingram into the ground and use Spiller as a check-down a lot. But all that short area game is inevitably going to soften coverage deeper down the field, and between Payton and Brees I can’t see them passing those up very often.

Also working along with that factor is the fact that Cooks is now arguably Brees’ best weapon. With Graham now chasing passes down in Seattle, the talent left behind him and Cooks isn’t really all that inspiring. Guys like Josh Hill and Nick Toon may be serviceable, but neither are going to be world-beaters. Marques Colston is still around, but he’s aging and he’s never been a reliably consistent target. He disappears and reappears seemingly without rhyme or reason. With a ton of targets up for grabs now, and Cooks’ speed and route-running ability being as good as it is, Brees will be looking Cooks’ way early and often.

Even if Cooks’ stats don’t blow up by volume, or by his own skill, Payton’s offense is still excellent at getting his receivers open.  Add that in with the ability of Ingram and Spiller to make plays closer to the line of scrimmage, and it may be even easier than expected for the Saints’ receivers to get open. The Saints’ offense may be a little more static now, a little more run-heavy and straightforward that normal, but it’s still going to accomplish the same goal of breaking up the defense’s coverage.

All of those things add up to Cooks having a breakout season this year. He’s found himself in a great offensive system in which his strongest traits shine the brightest, and he’s become the most dangerous weapon they have. As long as he can avoid the random injuries, Cooks is ready to take that next step forward into the prime time. He’ll ensure the Saints’ ability to put points up anytime and anywhere on the field.

Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.  Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.