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Where does Taysom Hill slot in on the New Orleans Saints depth chart? Last season, he was the third-string quarterback behind Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater, playing more often at receiver and tight end (or on special teams) than at his listed position. Even when Brees was held out with an injury to his throwing hand, Hill largely stood by and watched Bridgewater quarterback his way to five wins as a starter.
Now, though, Bridgewater is leading the cross-division Carolina Panthers. And Hill is under contract on a one-year deal, earning $4.64 million on a restricted free agent tender. That puts Hill in the next-man-up spot next to Brees. And if Sean Payton is telling the truth (which he has admitted to not doing in the past), Hill will stay there even if the Saints add another passer.
“Taysom’s earned this opportunity to be our No. 2 (quarterback). But he’s also earned the opportunity to play and help us win football games as a one,” Payton said during an interview with WWL Radio when asked about Hill’s projected status for 2020 and beyond.
But Payton clarified that no matter what position Hill’s designated on the official roster, the Saints will find ways to get him the football: “And what I mean by that, whether you call him a receiver, a tight end, a specialist, also a quarterback. Yeah, he’s going to play. He’s too good a football player. He’s one of our better football players.”
So asking the future of your franchise to go out and block with his throwing shoulder might make things difficult, at least in the short-term. Payton acknowledged that the team would consider bringing in another quarterback because of the possibility that Hill could miss time, owing to the more-physical nature of his assignments than what most passers face.
Payton continued, “Because on any given play, Taysom can come over to the sideline and his, his right thumb or finger can be pointing east and west. And if that happens, you know, then you don’t have a backup quarterback. But, I would say coming into the season, you know, he’s going to be our second string quarterback and obviously play a number of snaps, not only at quarterback but at other positions.”
How the Saints might acquire that third quarterback is, for now, unclear. They could draft a high-upside rookie early like Utah State’s Jordan Love or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, or settle for a middling prospect such as Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. The Saints may also take a hard look at the free agent market, with big names like Cam Newton and Jameis Winston searching for new teams. Clipboard-holders including Trevor Siemian, Mike Glennon, and Geno Smith are also still out there. Wherever New Orleans finds its next signal-caller, it won’t lack for options.
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