In the offseason, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave wanted to become a better blocker. When the Saints hired Klint Kubiak to spearhead an offensive change, Olave’s interest fit with a key part of the Saints’ new offensive philosophy.

Look at Kubiak’s most recent home game, the San Francisco 49ers. From Brandon Aiyuk to Jauan Jennings: receivers block.

The emphasis on run blocking is new for Olave, but he says, “It’s good. I’m not used to blocking. I’m used to catching the ball, running the ball and scoring touchdowns, but that didn’t really help us win.” For the wide receiver, it’s all about being a good teammate and “trying to do more than I can.”

Olave is looking to expand his skillset to impact the game in a variety of ways, including when the ball is in the runner’s hands, keeping him on the field in almost every situation.

That’s exactly why he spent time in the weight room, set up a home gym and started a new weight lifting program to improve his playing strength. Olave emphasized that he wanted to do that after last season. That’s good to hear because that desire will lead to him being ready as a blocker rather than simply going through his motions. They say being ready is half the battle, and he’s already won that.