Some reinforcements could be on the way for the New Orleans Saints. Starting tight end Adam Trautman was placed on the injured reserve list after the team’s Week 11 game with the Philadelphia Eagles after hurting his knee, but the team designated him to return on Wednesday ahead of Week 15’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Trautman’s absence coincided with the return of Nick Vannett, signed as a free agent this offseason, who went on to average 2.0 receptions for 30.8 receiving yards per game through four starts. Trautman averaged 2.5 catches and 24.1 receiving yards per game in the first 10 games. Vannett has mainly been deployed on screen plays, on which he’s found some success in picking up chunks of yards.
While Trautman struggled throughout the season, a big part of his issues stemmed from shouldering too many responsibilities in his second year as a pro. After playing 39% of offensive snaps as a rookie in 2020, that number jumped to 78% prior to his injury against the Eagles. He didn’t respond well when asked to handle more assignments as a blocker and receiver after playing behind Jared Cook and Josh Hill a year ago.
Maybe working alongside Vannett can help him. Splitting reps as co-starters — which the Saints did well with Cook and Hill in the past — could get Trautman into more advantageous situations where his weaknesses aren’t as badly exposed.
But first Trautman needs to show that he’s recovered from his knee injury and will be able to play without it hindering him. He’s got three weeks in which to practice and earn that green light from the training staff, so stay tuned for updates on his status.
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