Category: Taysom Hill

Drew Brees thinks he can continue to coexist with Taysom Hill, endorses more Hill-designed touches

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is a fan of do-it-all backup Taysom Hill, who he acknowledged as one of the team’s best playmakers

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What are the New Orleans Saints going to do at quarterback? Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, and Taysom Hill are each headed for free agency, and Bridgewater has more or less made his peace with the reality that he could be playing for a new team next year. While it would be difficult for the Saints to retain all three of them, the most-realistic scenario would be a combination of Brees and Hill, whose restricted free agent status makes him easiest to re-sign for 2020.

And that’s a future Brees is comfortable seeing through. During an appearance on Pro Football Talk Live with Chris Simms, Brees said, “If I’m back, and Taysom’s along side me, call the plays that puts us in the best position to win. If that means Taysom Hill is taking 30 snaps a game, 25 snaps a game, so be it. I’m all for that.”

Hill averaged 15 snaps per game last season, and only reached the 25-snap bar three times in the entire year — doing so in Weeks 13, 15, and 16. Brees arguing for increased usage out of the third-string quarterback (whose chess-piece role as a runner, receiver, and blocker is really more analogous to San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Jusczyk than any other player) certainly passes the smell test.

It’s tough to argue with that stance. Hill was an electric presence for the Saints offense in 2019, making big plays both as a runner and receiver thanks to his unique athleticism. He has a lot of work to do before he’ll be ready to play as a full-time quarterback, so his short-term projection looks a lot like last season — when he ran 31 times to gain 209 yards (6.7 yards per attempt) and caught 21 passes for 259 receiving yards, scoring 8 combined touchdowns from scrimmage. It makes plenty of sense that Brees wants to see Hill getting more touches. But it’ll be fascinating to see how the situation develops in the months ahead.

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Is Taysom Hill the future at quarterback for the Saints? Probably not

The New Orleans Saints have tough decisions to make at quarterback, but betting the farm on third-string passer Taysom Hill isn’t the answer

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Taysom Hill is a very fun player to watch in the NFL. He runs, he catches, he chips in heavily on special teams, and he’s even asked to throw occasionally. It makes plenty of sense that he’s already become such a fan-favorite among New Orleans Saints supporters.

None of that is enough to suggest Hill is the future of the quarterback situation in New Orleans. Here’s the reality: Hill turns 30 in August and has only gone 7-of-15 as a passer in 34 regular season games. His biggest gains have required difficult adjustments by his receivers because he lacks the touch to put the ball out in front of them, hitting them in stride. He’s a limited passer. The list of players who continue to improve and have lengthy careers with his resume is almost nonexistent.

Yes, Hill showed improvement in last year’s preseason. He reacted better to pressure and hung out in a collapsing pocket to let his receivers’ routes develop further downfield. But few of the opposing players he stood tall against are still in the NFL, having made up third- and fourth-string units around the league. So far, he’s shown nothing to justify hinging the future of the franchise on.

And the Saints know that. While Sean Payton may offer fun soundbites comparing Hill to an all-time great like Steve Young, he’s also been quick to acknowledge that Hill’s best contributions come on the ground as a runner, as a receiver in the red zone, or on special teams as a heady athlete who’s eager to embrace contact. If Payton and the Saints believed in Hill so strongly, they wouldn’t have made such a strong push to recruit Teddy Bridgewater during free agency last offseason. They should make similar efforts this spring.

So, no, fans should not be putting expectations on Hill to be the next guy to step up after Drew Brees moves on. That’s just not fair to him. Celebrate Hill for what he is — a tough, throwback football player who defies position titles. He’s an important part of the team and arguably one of their best pieces in the receiving corps. He’s a staple of the punt and kick units. He’s arguably their best short-yardage ball-carrier. But it’s far from certain that he’s the long-term answer at quarterback, and he shouldn’t be treated as such. Let him continue doing what he does best.

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Sean Payton discusses Taysom Hill’s increased usage, production

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton was as impressed as anyone by how versatile backup quarterback Taysom Hill responded in the playoffs.

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It’s tough to list bright spots from the New Orleans Saints’ disappointing loss to the Minnesota Vikings without mentioning dynamic sometimes-quarterback Taysom Hill. Hill was one of the best players of the game, and Saints coach Sean Payton acknowledged that while crediting Hill’s ability to make an impact at almost any position.

“My understanding is you can’t find a spot for him on your fantasy roster, so it’s probably difficult for the reality of it, too,” Payton joked during his end-of-year press conference on Tuesday. Hill’s designation as a quarterback on many fantasy football websites has clashed with his habit of “vulturing” touchdowns from the Saints skills-position players, having caught six scores in the regular season (plus another one in the playoffs).

The way Payton tells it, this wasn’t really the plan. But Hill kept impressing in practice and during games on special teams, so Payton began workshopping plays to involve Hill more heavily in the offense: “It wasn’t that we looked at him differently, but the more and more we kept watching him the more and more we thought ‘he’s one of our better players and he needs to be on the field.'”

Hill turned in his biggest performance yet for the Saints in Sunday’s wild-card round loss, and it was still on Payton’s mind days later. He continued, “That (usage) evolved even more to a point where, obviously there’s a read-option element to when he’s playing quarterback, to the deep pass he threw to Deonte (Harris) was something that we felt might have a chance. He’s got real good arm strength. He was exceptional Sunday, he was outstanding. He’s an exciting football player, he does a lot of things well, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”

That certainly doesn’t sound like a coach who’s about to let a player leave in restricted free agency. The Saints can retain Hill with one of several different one-year tender options, but it’s possible another team tries to sign him should the Saints pass on the first- or second-round compensatory pick tenders. Cutting corners to use the cheap, right of first refusal tender might not be the way to go here.

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Sean Payton pleased with Taysom Hill’s progress, even if ‘he runs like Barney Rubble’

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton credited Taysom Hill for integrating the Saints passing attack, even if he doesn’t look pretty doing it

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Don’t look now, but New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has turned into a real weapon in Sean Payton’s passing game. Hill finished the 2019 season tied with wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith in receiving yards (234) and one more touchdown catch (6, against Smith’s 5). He and Smith were tied for the sixth-most receiving yards on the team, while Hill’s receiving touchdowns placed third-best (wide receiver Michael Thomas and tight end Jared Cook tied for first, with 9 scoring grabs).

As Payton explains it, Hill’s growth into a legitimate receiving threat wasn’t really part of the plan. It was just a natural evolution from his success on special teams and bit-part on offense.

Payton said, “Yeah, I think it’s just continued to expand. I think that we’ve seen him in special teams. We’ve seen him block on offense. We’ve seen him run down the field vertically and each week it’s just expanded relative to his role. I think he’s handled it well. He has a lot of hats.”

When asked how the other receivers react to Hill’s continued development, all Payton could do was chuckle.

“We give them a hard time because sometimes he runs like Barney Rubble, but he runs fast,” Payton joked, referencing the caveman from old “The Flintstones” cartoons. Hill may be athletic, but he’s rarely aesthetic. His rumbling, tumbling style of running doesn’t look as pretty as the smooth track-and-field speed Smith or Ted Ginn Jr. may enjoy, but there’s no questioning his effectiveness. Payton continued, “I think he has real good sense and awareness of coverage. He’s smart, he understands how to set up routes and I think he had a big play yesterday but, but I think he has real good football intelligence.”

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Watch: Michael Thomas throws a block, Taysom Hill runs 45 yards for a TD

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill caught his sixth touchdown pass of the year, with wide receiver Michael Thomas on the assist.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill caught his sixth touchdown pass in 2019, just like we all predicted. And Hill did most of the work, catching a dump-off throw from Drew Brees before cutting upfield and streaking towards the end zone.

But his teammates deserve some real credit for the assist, particularly wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas is usually the one making big gains through the air, but he was in position to throw a key block and spring Hill into the open field. It goes to show how selfless Thomas is, doing his part to help the team and get his teammate into the end zone for a score.

Hill has developed into a really dangerous threat as a receiver in his third year in New Orleans. He’s caught 19 receptions for 197 receiving yards and half a dozen scores, while also doing damage on the ground. His rate of 5.9 yards per carry (having gained 154 rushing yards on 26 attempts) leads the team, eclipsing both Alvin Kamara (171 attempts for 797 yards, 4.6 yards per carry) and Latavius Murray (142 attempts for 635 yards, 4.5 yards per carry). It might upset fantasy football analysts, but Hill plays a key role in the Saints offense, and he’s only getting better.

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Wil Lutz to do-it-all Taysom Hill: ‘Don’t let the coaches see you kick’

Taysom Hill has done almost everything for the New Orleans Saints, but if Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz gets his way he’ll never kick field goals

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What can’t Taysom Hill do? The New Orleans Saints reserve quarterback has turned into a competent passer, but he’s done his best work as a short-yardage runner, ace on special teams, and as a receiver. That was highlighted during Sunday’s game with the Tennessee Titans, when he literally did it all on offense, including a huge 23-yard gain through the air.

But one of his teammates is concerned about Hill’s growing skills set. While he didn’t necessarily ask Hill to back off, Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz politely asked Hill to, “Please don’t let the coaches see you kick field goals” after their latest win. While Lutz is extremely good at what he does, the last thing he wants is some competition.

The fact that Saints players are comfortable joking with each other like this is hilarious, and it speaks to the positive locker room chemistry the team has invested in building in recent years. The sky may be the limit for what Hill can do in the NFL, but if Lutz gets this way, we already know the extent of his skills.

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What can’t Taysom Hill do? Saints’ Swiss Army knife struggles to juggle

New Orleans Saints QB Taysom Hill can juggle his responsibilities during a football game, but he’s not as talented in juggling tennis balls.

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Sometimes it seems like Taysom Hill can do it all — at least on the football field. He can throw, he can catch, he can even run the ball himself and make plays on special teams. So it’s fair to wonder what he can’t do at a high level.

To find out, Hill sat down with Cooper Manning for an interview on the FOX Sports NFL pregame show. Manning has been splitting time with his brothers Peyton and Eli, and their father Archie, on the “Manning Hour, Minus 58 Minutes” segment throughout the 2019 season, and he took the opportunity to quiz Hill on his many talents.

Hill’s picked up a popular nickname as New Orleans’ own Swiss Army knife, owing to his efficiency in a variety of roles, but he didn’t have great knowledge of the many attachments on his namesake tool — beyond the knife itself and the scissors, anyway.

He also isn’t a great juggler, which is hilarious given how well he’s juggled so many different roles for the Saints. Hill also declined the opportunity to pull a rabbit out of a hat, and his best attempt at a magic trick was to sent a pack of playing-cards flying into the air. We’ll give him an A for effort.

So to recap: Hill is good at football, but not so great in other jobs. Check out his full interview where we’ve embedded it below:

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Watch: Taysom Hill scores 30-yard TD, sends Saints into halftime up 17-9

Have a day, Taysom Hill. The New Orleans Saints’ reserve quarterback and do-it-all gadget playmaker scored both of his team’s first-half touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons while also blocking a punt on the Falcons’ opening drive. He was credited …

Have a day, Taysom Hill. The New Orleans Saints’ reserve quarterback and do-it-all gadget playmaker scored both of his team’s first-half touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons while also blocking a punt on the Falcons’ opening drive. He was credited with a touchdown catch off of a Drew Brees shovel pass, but followed up that act with a scoring run that carved through the heart of Atlanta’s defense — from 30 yards out.

The highlight reel-worthy play put Hill’s athleticism on full view, and cast the struggling Falcons defense in a harsh light. Hill kept the ball on a zone-read, caught the defense off-balance, and outraced everyone to streak into the end zone, untouched. Check it out where the video is embedded below:

This is the fifth touchdown Hill has racked up in 2019, and his eighth career score since entering the NFL (including the playoffs). He’s proven to be a threat to make plays on special teams as well as while handling the ball himself, making plays on the ground and through the air. Whether his future lays at quarterback is anyone’s guess; for now, the list of more-exciting players in the game today has to be awfully brief.

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