Tag: player of the day

Countdown to Kickoff: Taysom Hill is the Saints Player of Day 7

With only seven days remaining to the Saints’ Week 1 kickoff, our player of the day is Taysom Hill

We are down to only seven days remaining until the New Orleans Saints open their 2024 regular season against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, which makes today’s player of the day Taysom Hill, the current wearer of the No. 7. Hill has been a staple of the Saints’ offense for the past few years, and with the new offensive scheme coming with Klint Kubiak, he may see more touches than ever before.

To start off, here is some background on Hill before we get into what we can expect from him in 2024.

  • Name (Age): Taysom Hill (34)
  • Position/s: Running back, Tight end, fullback, quarterback, special teams gunner
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.60
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $9,196,500
  • College: BYU
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2017 (Green Bay Packers)
  • NFL experience: 8th season

Hill has been an extremely critical component to the Saints, playing in 97 games for them across seven seasons, starting 41, and accruing 2,159 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns, 76 receptions for 756 yards and 11 touchdowns, and 191 passing completions for 2,348 yards and 8 touchdowns. On top of all of that, he has had 1,148 snaps on special teams in that span of time.

The part that makes this even more interesting is his usage has been somewhat minimized by Pete Carmichael in recent years, especially in the year since Sean Payton left who utilized him as much as possible. However, now we have Kubiak at OC, and he has been utilizing Hill at fullback throughout training camp on top of his prior obligations. With Kubiak’s experience with Kyle Juszczyk, one of if not the best fullback in the NFL with great utilization, Hill may be in for some fun new play-calls heading his way. With little to no competition for his snaps due to his unique positional value, he will likely be in for another year of quality production.

Countdown to Kickoff: Blake Grupe is the Saints Player of Day 19

Our countdown to kickoff continues with Blake Grupe. The second-year kicker is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 19:

We’ve got just 19 days left until the New Orleans Saints open up their 2024 regular season against the Carolina Panthers, which makes our player of the day kicker Blake Grupe, the current owner of the No. 19 jersey. Grupe has found himself in a kicking battle for the second year in a row, hoping to come out on top once again.

Let’s give a little bit of a background on the second-year pro and what we can expect from Grupe in 2024:

  • Name (Age): Blake Grupe (25)
  • Position: Kicker
  • Height, weight: 5-foot-7, 156 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: N/A
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $915,833
  • College: Notre Dame
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2023 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 2nd season

Grupe grew up in Missouri, where he attended Smith-Cotton High School in the city of Sedalia. He was a three-sport athlete in soccer, baseball and football where he earned all-state recognition. During his high school football career, Grupe set school records for field goals ultimately earning him an opportunity to play college ball at Arkansas State.

He started out his Arkansas State career earning the kicking job in Week 3 of his redshirt freshman season. In his first year starting, Grupe hit on 14 of his 21 field goal attempts, good for 67%. Grupe would then follow that up with a stellar campaign as a sophomore hitting on 19 of his 22 tries putting him at 86% on the season.

After a down year in 2020, Grupe rebounded in 2021, allowing himself the opportunity to transfer to Notre Dame, one of the most prestigious programs in the country. In his final collegiate season, Grupe knocked down 14 of his 19 field goals with a long of 47, tying the second highest mark of his career.

As the college football season concluded and the NFL draft rolled around, Grupe was regarded as one of the best kicker prospects in the country. After going undrafted in 2023 like most specialists, Grupe signed with the Saints, immediately entering into a kicking battle with former Pro Bowler Wil Lutz. The two competed all through camp until the end of the preseason, where Lutz was traded to the Denver Broncos crowning Grupe as the winner.

In his first season as the Saints’ pllace kicker, Grupe hit on 30 of 37 field goal tries (81%) with his long being 55. Although battling through some inconsistency, Grupe had some special moments in year one. In Week 5, Grupe earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after connecting on two 50-plus yard field goals and hitting on all four of his extra point tries.

Going into the 2024 season, Grupe is in another kicking competition this time with undrafted rookie Charlie Smyth. All throughout training camp the two have been pretty even as far as production which means it will likely go down to the wire when it comes to a decision. This was the case last season when Grupe got his shot, the only difference is now Grupe isn’t the young buck anymore. With one week left in the preseason, the room for error will only narrow meaning Grupe must do everything in his power to hold onto his job.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Jamaal Williams is the Saints Player of Day 21

Countdown to Kickoff: Jamaal Williams is the Saints Player of Day 21. The veteran running back has much to prove in 2024:

We’re exactly three weeks away from the start of the New Orleans Saints’ regular season — 21 days stand between us and kickoff with the Carolina Panthers. And that makes Jamaal Williams, who wears the No. 21 jersey, our Saints Player of the Day.

The veteran running back has move to prove in 2024. Here’s his story:

  • Name (Age): Jamaal Williams (29)
  • Position: Running back
  • Height, weight: 6-foot, 224 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 4.55
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $4,630,000
  • College: BYU
  • Drafted: Round 4 in 2017 (Green Bay Packers)
  • NFL experience: 8 seasons

Williams played high school football in Fontana, outside Los Angeles, and went to college at BYU where he was teammates with Taysom Hill. The Packers drafted him at No. 134 overall in 2017 but he didn’t truly break out until joining the Detroit Lions. After setting career-highs in rushing yards (1,066) and touchdown runs (17) with Detroit in 2022, Williams signed a free agent contract with the Saints in 2023 with a lot of momentum behind him.

It’s tough to describe his 2023 season as anything but a disappointment. Williams saw career-lows in rushing yards (306) and touchdown runs (1) and averaged the worst yards per carry (2.9) he’s seen in the NFL. The hope is for him to rebound in Klint Kubiak’s more-creative running game, but Williams needs to rediscover the extra gear he put to good use in Detroit. This was the first season in which he didn’t have a single run of more than 20 yards.

What else is in store for Williams? The Saints have had him practice in the return game often at training camp, but don’t expect him to field many kicks himself. The new NFL kickoff rules designed by Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi call for two returners to hang back deep, and it’s likely they envision Williams as a lead-blocker for Rashid Shaheed. We’ll see if that’s truly the plan once the season begins. Williams needs to do whatever he can to help the team, or else a younger, less-expensive and more-dynamic teammate could take his place.

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Countdown To Kickoff: Johnathan Abram is the Saints Player of Day 24

Countdown To Kickoff: Johnathan Abram is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 24. He’s competing with Jordan Howden to start next to Tyrann Mathieu

Just 24 days are left until the New Orleans Saints officially kick off their 2024 season. The player of the day lies in the defensive back room with safety Johnathan Abram, who the Saints first signed in the 2023 offseason.

Here’s everything to know about Abram, who wears the No. 24 for the Saints:

  • Name (Age): Johnathan Abram (24)
  • Position: Running back
  • Height, weight: 5-foot-11, 205 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.02
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $1,065,000
  • College: Mississippi State
  • Drafted: First round in 2019 (Oakland Raiders)
  • NFL experience: 6th season

Abram is a player the Saints added to fill some depth in the safety room behind Tyrann Mathieu and co. Abram began his career as a highly coveted player out of Texas A&M. After a slow start to his career, Abram came on to the scene in 2020 playing in 13 games for the now-Las Vegas Raiders. During that span Abram totaled 86 tackles and a career-high 6 pass deflections and two interceptions. Abram followed that up hitting another career-high with 116 tackles in 2021 before getting released by the Raiders in 2022. Abram would make two more stops to Green Bay and Seattle before heading to New Orleans in 2023.

With the Saints, Abram has spent most of his time playing a pivotal role on special teams while also providing needed depth in the backend. In his limited role, Abram was able to come up with 26 tackles in 9 games in 2023. His best performance came in Week 17 when he was given the start over rookie Jordan Howden against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that matchup, Abram caught an interception and forced a fumble to keep the Saints playoff hopes alive going into the last week of the season.

In 2024, Abram is currently in a position battle with safety Jordan Howden for a starting role this season. Head coach Dennis Allen spoke recently about the position, acknowledging that they’re “not set” at that spot. With these comments and the teams visit with Justin Simmons, it doesn’t look like Abram has the inside track to a starting role on this defense. With that being said, Abram provides a fiery, energetic personality that the team can rally around, while also making an impact on teams as well.

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Countdown To Kickoff: James Robinson is the Saints Player of Day 26

James Robinson could be a potential diamond in the rough for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. He’s the Saints Player of Day 26:

Just 26 days are left until the New Orleans Saints officially kick off their 2024 season. And one player to take note of within the running back corps is James Robinson, who the Saints added to the practice squad for the last three games of the 2023 season.

Here’s everything to know about Robinson, who wears the No. 26 for the Saints:

  • Name (Age): James Robinson (26)
  • Position: Running back
  • Height, weight: 5-foot-9, 219 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.85
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $1,055,000
  • College: Illinois State
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2020 (Jacksonville Jaguars)
  • NFL experience: 6th season

Robinson certainly isn’t one of the Saints’ premier running backs, but he is a player who could prove a true diamond in the rough for the 2024 season. Robinson originally began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State in 2020.

He far exceeded the expectations, shocking many when he earned a roster spot and was a starter in the Jags backfield on opening day. Robinson only expounded upon the opportunity presented to him, taking full advantage en route to recording 1,070 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground on 240 carries, leading the team in rushing.

He once again led the team in that category the following season, though his numbers weren’t quite as strong with a total of 767 rushing yards.

Robinson’s success dwindled from that point, largely a result of the injury bug, after he was traded by Jacksonville to the New York Jets roughly halfway through the 2022 season.

Between the Jets and the Packers in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Robinson saw action in just five games, amassing 87 rushing yards on 30 carries.

He’ll look to get back to his former level of play and stay healthy in New Orleans, looking to serve as a depth piece who could become more as he primarily battles Jamaal Williams, Jordan Mims, and Kendre Miller behind Alvin Kamara.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Rejzohn Wright is the Saints Player of Day 28

Countdown to Kickoff: Rejzohn Wright is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 28. He’s fighting for snaps at the team’s best position group.

We’re continuing our countdown to kickoff with the current owner of the No. 28 jersey. Rejzohn Wright is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 28, and he could have an opportunity to play against the team that brought him to the NFL when the Saints square off with the Carolina Panthers in a month.

But Smith is fighting for snaps at the team’s best position group. Here’s his story:

  • Name (Age): Rejzohn Wright (23)
  • Position: Defensive back
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 193 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: N/A
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $795,000
  • College: Oregon State
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2023 (Carolina Panthers)
  • NFL experience: 1 season

Wright is from the San Francisco Bay Area, having grown up in East Palo Alto and gone to high school in Union City. His college football career started at Laney College in Oakland before he transferred to Oregon State. The Panthers signed him as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL draft but waived him during roster cuts that August. He spent a week on the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad last October and signed with the Saints in January.

And he’s done well for himself this summer. Wright has fought hard to establish himself at a crowded position group that only got deeper when the Saints drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry. He’s in the hunt for a spot on the practice squad since the Saints typically roster just four corners and they already have their four best options. It’s vital that Wright continue to use his size to his advantage and compete with receivers at the catch point. Pro Football Focus charting found that he was targeted four times in Saturday night’s preseason  game but yielded just one catch for 22 yards. He needs to keep it up and prove to his coaches that he’s deserving of more time to develop his craft.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Rico Payton is Saints Player of Day 36

Cornerback Rico Payton is the Saints Player of Day 36. The former Pitt State standout is doing all he can to make the team:

Just 36 days stand between now and 2024 season kickoff time for the New Orleans Saints.

That makes the Saints player of the day Rico Payton, who wears the No. 36 jersey. Here’s everything to know about the former Pittsburg State cornerback:

  • Name (Age): Rico Payton (24)
  • Position: Cornerback
  • Height, weight: 6-foot, 182 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 8.36
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $800,000
  • College: Pittsburg State (Kansas)
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: Rookie

Payton, an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburg State opens the rookie season of his NFL career in 2024 with the New Orleans Saints after a successful run with the Pittsburg State Gorillas at the college level.

Payton, 24, originally committed to Southern Illinois out of Lindbergh High School, but transferred after a single season with the team.

He comes off a final season with the Gorillas in which he totaled 35 tackles (23 solo), 4 interceptions and 16 pass break-ups en route to earning 2023 NCAA Division II Second Team All-American honors from the AFCA.

Payton was also nominated for the Division II 2023 Cliff Harris Award, which is presented annually to exceptional defensive players in small college football programs.

The former Gorilla was a two-time All-MIAA Selection, finishing out his career with 64 total tackles (46 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 26 passes defended, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.

It will be interesting to watch how he can develop as a depth piece for the Saints’ secondary, and if he can carve out a bigger spot for himself ultimately as an underdog.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Millard Bradford is the Saints Player of Day 38

Countdown to Kickoff: Millard Bradford is the Saints Player of Day 38. What must the safety from TCU do to make the team?

We’re continuing our countdown tot he New Orleans Saints’ season opener by highlighting Millard Bradford, the rookie safety from TCU and the current owner of the No. 38 jersey. With 38 days left until kickoff with the  Carolina Panthers, that makes Bradford our Saints Player of the Day:

  • Name (Age): Millard Bradford (24)
  • Position: Safety
  • Height, weight: 5-foot-10, 191 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.69
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $798,333
  • College: TCU
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: Rookie

Bradford signed a standard three-year undrafted free agent contract with the Saint that included $60,000 in guarantees, which is nothing to overlook even if it isn’t on the higher end of the scale for rookies. That suggests they believed he could at least compete for a spot on their practice squad. And the early returns justified that — Millard had several interceptions at rookie minicamp and OTAs this spring, picking off Spencer Rattler twice in one afternoon of work.

He just needs to keep making plays. The more Bradford can do not just defensively but on special teams, the stronger his case becomes. He needs to prove to the Saints that they don’t need to splurge on a free agent safety like Justin Simmons. But with guys well ahead of him on the depth chart like Tyrann Mathieu, J.T. Gray, Johnathan Abram and Jordan Howden, there’s something of a ceiling to how high Bradford could climb. He started his summer strong. He just needs to keep it up now that padded practices have started and with preseason games coming up fast.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Alvin Kamara is the Saints Player of Day 41

Countdown to Kickoff: Alvin Kamara is the Saints Player of Day 41. Can he return to his past heights with Klint Kubiak calling plays?

The 2024 NFL season is now under six weeks away, and there are only 41 days remaining until the New Orleans Saints’ Week 1 kickoff against the Carolina Panthers at the Caesars Superdome. As we continue to count down the days left until the Saints first matchup of the season, we look at the corresponding jersey number to the remaining number of days. Today the corresponding number is tied to Saints legend Alvin Kamara.

Aside from Kamara, there have been eight other players to wear the number 41, and most notable to most fans would be Super Bowl-winning defensive back Roman Harper.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the career up to this point for Kamara, and delve into what we may be able to expect from him this upcoming season:

  • Name (Age): Alvin Kamara (29)
  • Position: Running Back
  • Height, weight: 5-foot-10, 215 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 8.08
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $18,553,824
  • College: Tennessee
  • Drafted: Round 3 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 7 years

Things are intriguing at the running back position for the Saints this year, especially considering the contract negotiations ongoing between the team and Kamara. He does have two years left on his contract, however his cap hit would be set at $29,077,000, which is likely not to stand one way or another. If he does get extended, the obvious method to stretch that amount across the new remaining years would be likely put into play. However, a deal would have to be reached first for that to occur, which is still ongoing.

The last two seasons have been somewhat not up to par for Kamara either, having only four scrimmage touchdowns in 2022 and six in 2023, compared to nine in 2021 and 21 in 2020. Additionally, he also had lower metrics compared to previous seasons, with 2023 marking a career low in rushing yards and scrimmage yards, as well as the second least rush yards per attempt, rush yards per game, and receiving yards. He also struggled to break off larger plays, with his longest rush only being 17 yards and longest reception only being 25 yards, both career lows.

Despite that, injuries have definitely been the most notable cause of these lulls, and if he can remain healthy in 2024 he may be able to improve closer to his 2021 form again. The addition of Klint Kubiak at offensive coordinator will also likely be a boon to his success, as an offense designed to work to the strengths of its players is what this team has needed for quite some time. While the outlook for Kamara may be somewhat up and down, the future could see a positive trend for the veteran Saints legend.

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Countdown to Kickoff: D’Marco Jackson is the Saints Player of Day 52

Countdown to Kickoff: D’Marco Jackson is the Saints Player of Day 52. The former App State linebacker is facing tough competition at training camp

There are 52 days left until the New Orleans Saints kick off their regular season, which makes D’Marco Jackson our Saints Player of the Day. The current holder of the No. 52 jersey made the 53-man roster last season after missing his rookie year with an injury, but he’s facing more competition if he’s going to pull off that feat again in 2024:

  • Name (Age): D’Marco Jackson (22)
  • Position: Linebacker
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 233 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 8.30
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $1,064,229
  • College: Appalachian State
  • Drafted: 5th round in 2022 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 3 years

Jackson had a good year in his role. He was one of 19 players who recovered a fumble and recovered it for a touchdown; his fellow linebacker Nephi Sewell blocked a punt against the Carolina Panthers, and Jackson was in position to make a play. Zack Baun led the Saints with 385 special teams snaps and Jackson was right there with him at 384, and his 8 tackles in the kicking game were second-most on the team behind J.T. Gray (11).

So we know he can play in the game’s third phase. But Jackson needs to show he can be an asset on defense, too. He didn’t get many opportunities behind Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Baun and Sewell. While Sewell is recuperating from a late-season knee injury, the Saints did sign Willie Gay Jr. in free agency, which is going to keep Jackson lower on the depth chart.

He’s got competition. The Saints claimed former Tennessee Titans third-round pick Monty Rice off of waivers last year and signed Khaleke Hudson from the Washington Commanders. Then they drafted Jaylan Ford in the fifth round (the same as Jackson) and picked up Isaiah Stalbird as a rookie free agent. They also brought back Anfernee Orji after he spent his rookie year on their practice squad.

New Orleans typically rosters five linebackers with two or three in reserve on the practice squad, so Jackson has his work cut out for him in earning a spot on the 53-man roster again this summer. A fast start at training camp next week will do a lot to help his chances but consistency is key.

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