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No clear leader has emerged in the quarterbacks competition at New Orleans Saints training camp. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill have matched each other’s highs and lows every step of the way so far, each passer getting his two days of work with the first-team offense, and that rotation should continue now that they’re suiting up against other squads in the upcoming preseason games.
If that’s the case, the Saints have set a precedent that puts Hill on top for their first exhibition game with the Baltimore Ravens. Hill has gotten first crack at each opportunity throughout this process. Last season, when Drew Brees missed five games with injuries, Hill was named the starter. When the Saints first gathered for training camp in July, Hill opened up practice with the first-string. It’s subtle, but Winston has been slightly behind him in those situations.
And that should continue on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. Despite Winston’s stronger resume, Hill’s seniority in the offense (this is fifth year in New Orleans; Winston is just beginning his second season in black and gold) is enough to give him that edge, at least initially. Depending on how he performs against the Ravens’ defensive starters, maybe he holds onto the top spot. Maybe he doesn’t. The way the Saints have conducted business so far suggests that Winston should take over near halftime and be expected to run the first-team offense in their next preseason game with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But we shouldn’t rule out a curve ball from Sean Payton. He kept Hill’s first career start under wraps until the Friday before kickoff. It’s very possible that the Saints have graded Winston’s training camp performance better than Hill’s so far and want to see what he can do in a (somewhat) live game next to the starters. It’s the sort of thing we won’t know for sure until it’s right there in front of us.
What is clear, though, is that this battle is far from over. Winston and Hill have the rest of the month to convince Payton and his staff that they have what it takes to lead this team. We shouldn’t read too deeply into who gets on the field first in this preseason game. But the Saints’ pattern of behavior so far may give us an idea of what the next step in their quarterback competition looks like. Personally, I’m just excited to see how these guys perform against another team that’s allowed to hit and hurry them.
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