[sendtonews_embed video_id=”ossKXnEKap-883455-7498″]
It was widely expected to see the New Orleans Saints move on from Jared Cook after his frustrating two years in black and gold, but the decision to cut Josh Hill as a salary cap casualty was surprising. It left the Saints with just three tight ends under contract for 2021: practice squad holdovers Garrett Griffin and Ethan Wolf, and second-year pro Adam Trautman. Trautman, a third round draft pick in 2020, is now on top of the depth chart. Taysom Hill shouldn’t be overlooked, but he lined up as an inline tight end just 46 times last season per Pro Football Focus.
Trautman led the group in total snaps played last season, with 547 (393 on offense, 154 on special teams). Hill finished second, having missed time with an injury, with 478 (359 on offense, 119 on special teams), while all 466 of Cook’s snaps were on offense. So the rookie had plenty of opportunities to learn on the job.
While he didn’t see much NFL-quality competition at Dayton, his college receiving stats are eye-popping: 178 receptions for 2,295 receiving yards with 31 touchdown catches. He made the most of his 6-foot-5, 255-pound frame and short-area speed (timing a 1.65-second 10-yard split and 6.78-second time in the three-cone drill) to bully lesser athletes. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill noted that he excelled on crossing and out routes, as well as hitches, with encouraging results on seam routes further downfield.
What’s impressive is how much he was able to do as a blocker in his rookie year. Trautman was a big help in the run game especially later in the season, which was unexpected given he was marketed as more of a receiver than a blocker on college scouting reports. His early aptitude on the ground suggests he can continue to be an asset there while taking on more responsibilities in the passing game.
So will the Trautman experiment work out? There’s plenty of reasons to think he’ll step up and succeed, but let’s temper those expectations a bit. He finished ninth on the team in targets (16), totaling 15 receptions for 171 receiving yards and just one touchdown catch. Asking him to triple those numbers would be a tall task, but that’s what it would take for him to approach 500 receiving yards. And don’t underestimate the loss of his position coach Dan Campbell, who’s now head coach of the Detroit Lions.
If the Saints are going to remain competitive in the post-Drew Brees (and post-Josh Hill and -Jared Cook) era, it’ll take young players on salary cap-friendly contracts like Trautman meeting, if not beating, expectations. He’s on the fast track to doing just that; let’s see if he can pull it off.
[listicle id=43418]