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The injury bug has struck the New Orleans Saints in a hurry, with starting tight end Jared Cook its latest victim. Cook exited Week 3’s loss to the Green Bay Packers with a groin muscle issue, and it’s kept him out of the team’s first two practice sessions before they hit the road for Week 4.
That’s a problem. Cook ranks second in targets (15) through three games behind Alvin Kamara (31), having converted a first down on 6 of his 9 catches. He’s also been the team’s only reliable vertical weapon, averaging 9.9 yards per target when thrown to. If he can’t play against the Detroit Lions, the Saints would have to lean on rookie tight end Adam Trautman.
But his position coach wants it known that the team trusts Trautman should it come to that. Dan Campbell appeared on WWL Radio earlier this week and expressed strong faith in Trautman’s skills, saying: “When that injury happened with Cook, I didn’t hesitate to put him into that role. I think that says a lot about that kid.”
Trautman ended up playing 32 snaps on offense against Green Bay, compared to 21 snaps for Cook and 20 for co-starter Josh Hill. While Hill has mainly made contributions as a blocker, Trautman’s collegiate success as a pass-catcher (he caught 171 passes for 2,295 yards and 31 touchdowns at Dayton) positions him to fill in well for Cook.
Campbell continued, “I think we all like the kid and where he’s going.”
It’s a small sample size to be sure, but the early returns are encouraging for Trautman. He’s caught all three passes sent his way for 34 yards, converting a pair of first downs, and he has an easier matchup than most this week against a Lions defense that hasn’t guarded tight ends well. As a team, they have given up a combined 9 receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns to a group including former Saints tight ends Jimmy Graham (with the Chicago Bears) and Dan Arnold (for the Arizona Cardinals).
On paper, it’s a matchup the Saints can win. But just how many opportunities they’ll give a rookie from a small school in his first start remains to be seen. Campbell’s confidence in Trautman suggests strong expectations.
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