2017 New Orleans Saints

[rajuncajun]

New Orleans Saints:

The Saints showed promise during the 2017 Draft with 3 players picked in the top 5 rounds and have a reasonable amount of white players on the 53 man roster with 18. It looks like there will be 5 starters on Offense (Drew Brees, Coby Fleener, Ryan Ramczyk, Zach Strief and Josh Lebibius) and 6 when John Kuhn starts at FB. On Defense the Saints actually have 3 Linebackers on the roster with 2 Starters (AJ Klein and Rookie Alex Anzalone). Although not starters, there are 2 Defensive Lineman to watch, Trey Hendrickson and Mitchel Loewen). Interestingly the Saints have 4 mixed players (Austin Carr, Daniel Lasco, Tyeler Davidson and Andrus Peat). The 53 breaks down as:

QB- Drew Brees, Chase Daniel and Taysom Hill (Practice Squad)
FB- Kuhn
TE- Fleener and Josh Hill
OL- Lebibeus, Bryce Harris, Strief, Ramczyk and Max Unger (currently hurt)

DL- Loewen and Hendrickson
LB- Anzalone, Klein and Nate Stupar

Specialists: LS Jon Dorenbos, K Wil Lutz and P Thomas Morestead

Practice Squad- Jack Allen OL, Dan Arnold WR, Bryan Braman LB, John Phillips TE, Martin Wallace OL

 

[Freethinker]

Nice job Rajun!

I'm shocked to see a WR who flew under even our radar here at CF. Dan Arnold is from tiny Wisconsin-Platteville but the dude is tall and fast. 6'-6" guy who ran track. Would love to see what he could do if given an opportunity.

 

[Quiet Speed]

Nice work Rajun. According to one roster, Dan Arnold is on an IR list and Max McCaffrey is on the practice squad. Arnold was signed in June, participated in an OTA and was waived with an injury designation. I was bummed when that happened, glad to see the Saints have not parted ways with the talented receiver. I wanted WR Jake Lampman to at least make the PS, not to be. His highlight video is enjoyable, that's for sure.

 

[Riggins44]

Just read that Jon Dorenbos needs heart surgery and his career is probably over.

 

[Leonardfan]

LB Adam Bighill promoted from the PS

 

[celticdb15]

LB Adam Bighill promoted from the PS

Good for him! Rare guy that I,even as a self proclaimed CF afficianado, had to look up. Small school guy that played in CFL last several years. He’s only 5’10 230lbs! looking forward to seeing him stick around in New Orleans. I don’t know what has gotten into the Saints and their newly found love for a snow patrol once again but I like it!

 

[sprintstar]

I have watched Bighill since he came to the BC Lions..great backer and extremely fast with great instincts, hits like a freight train!

 

[TwentyTwo]

Pretty stoked...yesterday FOX announcers (Buck & Aikman) could not stop raving about QB Taysom Hill.....at 235lbs(roster list 221) ran impressive 4.42...Coach Payton is so enamored with his athleticism decided to give him a Try on Special Teams (nearly blocked a punt & making tackles) *CHECK OUT VIDEO*. Saying he could be "groomed as the Saints Future QB when Brees does retire".
Currently 3rd team behind 2nd Team Chase Daniel.

Third-string QB Taysom Hill makes splash in NFL debut ... on special teams
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orle...cle_8d444970-d894-11e7-bf98-2320a7036918.html
But coach Sean Payton decided to give Hill a shot at it. It was the first time in Payton's career he had converted a third-string quarterback to special teams.

"This is a guy that's 6-2, 235 and runs a 4.42," Payton said. "That's pretty good. That's probably the fastest quarterback time in the last 20 years coming out of the combine. This guy is explosive. It just made sense."

Hill played this Pre-Season for the Packers. He had a nice game winning TD run! However was Released....don't see how he could be much worse than Hunley; he's a better runner.
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2017...kates-in-23-yard-td-run-for-green-bay-packers

Here he is "Pre-knee" injuries at BYU(259 yards rushing vs.Texas)... that almost derailed his career....when he did return was a shell of his former self running; but now looks like he got most of it back; he had come a long way improving as a Passer from early on! When he entered college..looked like a faster version of Tim Tebow.

 

[Leonardfan]

I'd love to see Hill play RB.

 

[Shadowlight]

Through the years it has been very difficult for me to get excited about white special teams players apart from the punt returners and kickoff returners and even then I would prefer them to be say a starting WR or CB. See Alex Erickson and Michael Campanaro. In these desperate times I am glad a player like Taysom Hill has found a niche--at least so far --in the NFL. But why is most of this special teams stuff reserved for white players --think Steve Tasker--whereas say black QB's like Robert Griffin would never be "lowered" to the level of some special teams mascot. The whole thing seems too damn cute to me. Taysom Hill should be either a back up QB or RB. Perhaps down the road he will morph into something more significant. But keep in mind at least Tasker returned kicks, starting in 1985, for several years and then returned punts after that as well as being a special teams demon. In 95 and 96 he caught 20 and 21 passes and in the playoffs in 95 he sported a nifty 7-146-1 stat line. Will Taysom Hill get a chance to show off his talents. Why not have him become a returner as well? Or will he be relegated to a special teams flavor of the month? That said I wish him the best and hope he makes some big plays on special teams see Jeff Janis.