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We continue our season reviews at Saints Wire with New Orleans Saints third-string quarterback and pending restricted free agent, Taysom Hill. In 2019, Hill saw an expanded role on the offense from his 2018 production, and continued to be a stalwart on the special teams unit.

Hill quickly gained with the fan base in 2018 when he was utilized in a utility-type role, rather than his conventional position. In 2019, that role became even more prominent earning him the nickname of “Swiss Army Knife”.

Level of play in 2019

Hill cannot be judged solely on his quarterbacking skills in 2019. If that’s the case, his 105 passing yards seem quite lackluster. Instead, what is most impressive are his receiving touchdowns on the season. His seven receiving touchdowns (including the playoffs) put him ahead of players such as Julio Jones, Julian Edelman, and Zach Ertz. It also proved that he became a legitimate weapon for Drew Brees to use on the offense.

On top of his scoring production, Hill was heavily relied upon in short-down situations, and was successful at converting first downs in those situations. Hill’s value is hard to determine due to the fact that he plays in nearly every facet of the game, aside from defense. However, New Orleans was able to utilize Hill in an incredibly unique role that did make the Saints offense more productive.

What to expect in 2020

Hill is a restricted free agent this offseason, which means there are plenty of options for him and the team. There are three different tender options which could be placed on Hill, and the fourth option is to just allow him to walk.

We did an exercise on Hill’s possibilities recently, and a second-round tender would make the most sense for New Orleans. With a second-round tender, teams are less likely to give up their second round pick for Hill, which would allow the Saints to keep him on the team for below-market value. However, there are a number of teams who may take a flier on Hill, which could allow New Orleans to recoup the second-round pick that traded last year.

If Hill does stay with the Saints, his role will likely remain the same. With Brees all but assuredly returning for another season, Hill will continue to fill gaps and play a utility role in the offense. Not a bad prospect considering his breakout 2019 campaign.

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