Tag: position

Alontae Taylor says he won’t be replacing Marcus Maye at safety

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor moved to the slot in 2023, but says he won’t be replacing Marcus Maye at safety in 2024:

The New Orleans Saints secondary will look different this season with the team intending on releasing starting free safety Marcus Maye when free agency begins in a few weeks. Could another position switch be on the way for cornerback Alontae Taylor, who moved to the slot for the first time in 2023?

Don’t bet on it. Taylor shot down the idea of learning another new position in 2024 in response to fans on social media, who were discussing the notion of playing him at free safety in the wake of Maye’s departure. Whether he primarily covers the slot or moves back outside, he wants to be listed at cornerback.

While the Saints do have an intriguing internal candidate to replace Maye in second-year pro Jordan Howden, they’re going to need more players in the group with Johnathan Abram, Lonnie Johnson, and Ugo Amadi all headed for free agency. And we can’t ignore that Abram finished the season ahead of Howden on the depth chart. He may not be as ready for a full-time starting role as we think.

But as for Taylor: hopefully this experiment in the slot was just a one-year plan. No player was targeted more often or gave up more catches and yards than he did when guarding the slot last season, and he allowed the second-most touchdown passes in the league in that role. He’s a dynamic player on the outside, where he’s played since high school, but he was miscast in the interior over the slot. One benefit to the Saints possibly trading Marshon Lattimore this summer is that it would open a path to keep Taylor in the starting lineup where he’s played his best football.

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The Saints just changed Taysom Hill’s position listing

The Saints just changed Taysom Hill’s position listing, turning what was a quirk of their roster into a formality:

Well isn’t that interesting. The New Orleans Saints changed Taysom Hill’s position listing on their official website roster Monday afternoon — after being listed as a tight end throughout the offseason, training camp, and in three preseason games, he’s now grouped with the quarterbacks. The Saints’ unofficial depth chart still lists him as a co-starter at tight end with Juwan Johnson but that doesn’t reflect what we saw over the summer. Hill himself has said he doesn’t think of himself as a tight end.

Update: The unofficial team depth chart was later edited to reflect Hill’s change in position.

The move makes what was a quirk of their roster into nothing more than a formality. Hill was practicing with the quarterbacks throughout the summer, at times leading two-minute drills himself while Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, and Jake Haener worked in other areas. But does it mean anything more?

Maybe, but probably not. The Saints could trade Winston if another team presents a tempting offer, but there’s been nothing to suggest that kind of deal is in the works. Haener didn’t help himself with a couple of interceptions in the final preseason game. There’s an argument to be made in favor of the Saints moving Winston and preparing some combination of Hill and Haener as the backup plan should Carr miss time, but there isn’t a trade offer floating around that makes that argument worth listening to.

The rookie isn’t ready to be the next man up, and Hill’s time spent at other positions means he can’t be limited to a backup quarterback role. He’s one of the team’s most effective runners and an effective passer and receiver in certain situations. He’s more valuable moving all over the formation than on the bench.

One of the first things Dennis Allen said when he became head coach was that Hill’s experiment as a full-time quarterback was over; he specifically said that he wanted Hill in the game, not next to him standing on the sidelines with a headset and clipboard. Hopefully Allen better uses his talents in the fall. Hill has converted a first down on 67% of his carries, catches, and passes on third or fourth down when the Saints needed 3 yards or fewer in his career. There aren’t many short-yardage players better than him in this league, no matter what position he’s listed at.

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Taysom Hill isn’t sure what his position is, but ‘I don’t think of myself as a tight end’

Taysom Hill isn’t sure what his position or label is, but acknowledged ‘I don’t think of myself as a tight end’ at Saints training camp:

What is Taysom Hill’s real position? He’s listed with the tight ends on the New Orleans Saints depth chart (and on many fantasy football platforms), but he’s thrown plenty of passes through the first week of training camp practices — despite not wearing a red no-contact jersey like the team’s quarterbacks. Last year, he logged more rushing attempts (96) than snaps at his listed position of tight end (51, per Pro Football Focus charting). He’s a fixture on the punt units and sometimes returns kicks on special teams.

With his specific role in the Saints offense seeming to change from one year to the next, Hill has busied himself with just doing what’s asked of him while trying to not think too hard about his formal designation.

“I don’t know, I don’t think of myself as a tight end, you know? I don’t think I had a single rep last year as an inline tight end,” Hill reflected after a July 26 practice session. “So when I think of a tight end that’s what hits my head. I don’t know how I would label myself. Obviously my background has been quarterback, so when I think about what I’ve done throughout my career I think of that. As far as what I’m doing this year, I don’t know.”

Hill said that he’s had conversations with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. about his role to practice areas of his skill set that have been underutilized in recent years, particularly as a receiver. After catching 19 passes for 234 yards and 6 touchdown receptions in 2019, Hill has totaled 24 catches for 231 yards and 3 scores in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined.

The flexible role Hill has earned for himself in the Saints offense isn’t something he takes for granted. If he can help the team by catching more passes, he added, then he’s all for it: “I hope to get more of those opportunities, obviously I need to do the right thing and take advantage of them. Yeah, I hope I keep getting those.”

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Former Notre Dame broadcaster takes assistant coach position at Purdue

Drew Brees is heading back to Purdue…

Purdue has a new assistant coach and he just so happens to have spent a little bit of time behind the microphone during Notre Dame home games recently.  OK, he did some other things related to football that perhaps he’s more known for too, but Drew Brees is headed back to Purdue to be an assistant coach.

According to the release from Purdue athletics, Brees is only joining the Boilermakers staff on an interim basis for their upcoming Citrus Bowl appearance game against LSU.  It also mentions that Brees and Purdue had been working to have him help coach the bowl game before the recent hiring of head coach Ryan Walters was announced.

“I am extremely excited to work with our team over the next few weeks as we prepare for the Citrus Bowl,” said Brees. “I see it not only as an opportunity to coach and mentor this group of young men, but represent all the former Purdue players that care so much about our program. This is also preparation for the future of Purdue Football with new head coach Ryan Walters. I had a great conversation with Coach Walters last night, and love the energy, passion and detail he will bring to our program. The future is bright, and there is no better time to be a Boilermaker!”

-Drew Brees on December 15, 2022

Brees spent the 2021 college football season announcing Notre Dame home games on NBC Sports.  He of course had a tremendous career at Purdue before developing into one of the most prolific passes in NFL history.

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TE, QB, or RB? Call him what you want, Taysom Hill says ‘I just work here’

TE, QB, or RB? Call him what you want, Taysom Hill says ‘I just work here’ after 4-TD day for the Saints:

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Taysom Hill is a team player. He’ll score three touchdowns as a runner and another as a passer and then block a defender out of the way so Alvin Kamara can run for a first down in the game’s final minutes. Call him a tight end, a quarterback, a running back, whatever you like — he’s just here to help the New Orleans Saints win football games.

“I just work here,” Hill joked with local media when asked whether he should be designated as a running back after gaining a career-high 112 yards on the ground. He added a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Adam Trautman on the afternoon.

His unique role has caused an uproar in the fantasy football community. Some formats list Hill at tight end (the position the Saints said he’d play over the summer, and where he usually works in practice during the week) while others keep him at quarterback, where he started his NFL career. His big day against the Seattle Seahawks saw him score as much as 79 or 80 points in various leagues.

But for now, he’ll just put his hard hat on and grab his lunch box (you know, all of the clichés, but we’ll indulge them for one of the NFL’s most entertaining talents) and go to work without a red non-contact jersey that Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, and the Saints quarterbacks wear. Don’t get too worked up about what position he’s wearing, unless you’re a fantasy football fanatic. In that case, take it up with your league’s manager.

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Kirk Merritt showing versatility in Saints practices by taking snaps at running back

Kirk Merritt is showing off his versatility in Saints practices by taking snaps at running back. The receiver is helping his case for a roster spot, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Versatility has always been a hot topic for the New Orleans Saints, though we usually discuss it when talking about their defense. Players like P.J. Williams, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Malcolm Jenkins are all recent examples of players that could line up just about anywhere they were asked to on defense. But it’s not limited to that side of the ball. Tight end Taysom Hill is the perfect example considering his snaps at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and in the backfield over his time with the Saints.

But another name has come into focus here, in Destrehan native Kirk Merritt. He, like Ty Montgomery in past years, has begun practicing at both wide receiver and running back. The concept isn’t new to Merritt though. He played a similar role during his high school days, splitting snaps between the two positions. He’s played well for New Orleans throughout the summer and just had a highlight reel-worthy kick return in their preseason game with the Green Bay Packers, taking it 59 yards upfield. Showing out on special teams helps, but it’s a good idea to test his flexibility on offense, too.

Merritt highlighted that the toughest hurdle of for the transition will be learning protections — that entails more than blocking defensive backs out on the edge for the converted wide receiver. It’s about reading blockers ahead of him, working off of bigger linebackers, and of course learning where he fits into it all from the backfield. Head coach Dennis Allen said that the “more things you can do, the more valuable you become.” Merritt is putting that to the test, and his next opportunity comes Friday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Taysom Hill hits the practice field with no limitations after injury-plagued 2021 season

Taysom Hill hit the practice field with no limitations after an injury-plagued 2021 season. He’s making plays just six months removed from a Lisfranc injury:

Taysom Hill went out for practice at New Orleans Saints training camp like he’s done so many times before, but with a big difference from what he’s experienced before — his usual red no-contact jersey was exchanged for the same white threads every other offensive player was wearing. It’s the final stamp on what we’ve been told all along: Hill’s run as a full-time quarterback is over. He may get a few snaps from out of the shotgun, but Hill’s days at the team facility will start in the tight ends room, not with the other passers.

Instead, he went through drills with the tight ends, and didn’t look out of place. Hill reeled in a pass from Jameis Winston for a big gain down the seam. On another play, our own Ross Jackson observed, Hill burnt the linebacker covering him and forced C.J. Gardner-Johnson to rotate over the top to compensate. The pass from Andy Dalton was underthrown and tipped by a defender, sure, but credit that to the opportunistic defense turning things around after Hill created a problem for them.

It’s a helpful illustration of the role the Saints envision for Hill now that his biggest supporter is out of the building. Sean Payton worked with Pete Carmichael (and once upon a time, Joe Brady) to design a creative set of plays maximizing Hill’s athleticism. Big-play opportunities down the seam. QB power runs through the heart of opposing defenses. Blocked punts on special teams. And, yeah, the occasional scattershot pass. It’s up to Carmichael to figure out the best usage for Hill moving forwards, and the very early returns suggest he’s got a good idea of where to put No. 7.

But the real story here is the quick recovery that Hill made from a long list of injuries he accumulated last season. He suffered a Lisfranc injury in the 2021 season finale while playing through a case of plantar fascia in the other foot. At the same time, he was managing a torn ligament in his throwing hand’s middle finger. And that’s all after he missed most of October reeling from the effects of a serious concussion. To bounce back from all of those ailments so soon — much less to do so and then make a couple of positive plays in the first day of training camp practices — is impressive.

Hopefully Hill didn’t rush himself back to action. Whether the Saints see him doing damage as a receiver, runner, blocker, or something else entirely (Dennis Allen has joked about moving him to linebacker), he brings value to the team that others don’t. They’ll be counting on him in some big spots in 2022.

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Did Deonte Harris burn Landon Collins so bad he’s moving to linebacker?

Did Deonte Harris burn Landon Collins so bad he’s moving to linebacker?

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Well, no. Deonte Harris abusing Landon Collins in coverage for a 72-yard touchdown reception isn’t the only reason the Washington Football Team is considering moving a prize free agent acquisition to a different position. But seeing the diminutive New Orleans Saints speedster streaking past a safety earning $14 million per year, on top of other issues Collins has had in the role, has to leave Ron Rivera pondering his options.

A potential switch from safety to linebacker has been floated for Collins almost ever since he landed in Washington, with Rivera positing it himself earlier this year. Collins just doesn’t have the range to keep up with elite athletes like Harris deep downfield, so his coaches have explored other options up to and including a reduced snap count, given Collins’ hesitancy to learn a new position in the prime of his career.

It’s a tough move to pull off, but the conversion from safety to linebacker is something others have done before. Keanu Neal did it this summer after following fired Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys. Jamal Adams, Tyrann Mathieu, and Fred Warner are some other “positionless” players who have handled the mixed assignments well.

Maybe Collins can do it too, if he’s up for it. The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala reported Wednesday that Rivera emphasized how strongly he believed Collins could thrive as a downhill linebacker, which is something. Collins hasn’t formally changed positions yet, but at least if he does he won’t have to pick a new jersey number. Maybe the Saints were right to pass on him when he last became available.

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Wisconsin class of 2021 signee S Braelon Allen discusses possibly moving to ILB this fall

Wisconsin football’s class of 2021 finished at No. 15 in the country and in all likelihood will go down as the best class in program

Wisconsin football’s class of 2021 finished at No. 15 in the country and in all likelihood will go down as the best class in program history.

Now, heading into spring and summer ball, Badger fans get to see the class finally take the field as early enrollees and the rest of the group file onto campus.

One of the best prospects of the group is four-star ILB/S Braelon Allen, finishing the recruiting process ranked No. 216 in the country and No. 3 in the state of Wisconsin.

Initial projections saw the talented recruit playing safety alongside Hunter Wohler for the Badgers, though a recent postgame interview could signal a change in that logic.

Here is Allen talking to NBC 26 reporter Rachel Hopmayer after his game on Thursday:

“It’s all about getting this film out from the season,” Allen said. “To get a better gauge on where I fit best in [Wisconsin’s] defense. It’s been safety for the longest time, but right now I think they’re starting to think that I’ll move to inside linebacker.”

When asked about what he feels about the possible move, Allen said “I just want to play. Wherever I can get on the field the fastest and make the biggest impact for my team.”

The Fond Du Lac High School standout is yet to arrive in Madison. When he does, where the program has him play is worth watching.

But no matter whether it’s at safety or inside linebacker, his instant impact potential is undeniable.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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WATCH: Jon Gruden raves about Saints QB/TE/football player Taysom Hill

Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden is a big fan of his Monday Night Football opponent, New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Taysom Hill.

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Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden just loves football, man. When previewing his team’s Week 2 matchup, Gruden waxed poetic on New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Taysom Hill as the epitome of a position-less “football player” who puts as much enthusiasm into the game as Gruden feels himself.

“I don’t remember a quarterback who can throw and run read options, and then line up at tight end,” Gruden said, grinning. “This guy’s a weapon, he’s a special teams demon, he can be the personal protector on the punt team. He’s a great football player.”

Hill lined up at ten different spots in 2019 (up from nine positions in 2018) and caught the first pass thrown in the 2020 season for a 14-yard gain. And Gruden is right to point out Hill’s proficiency in the kicking game, even if his snaps count fell to just 12 plays after he averaged 23 special teams snaps per game in 2019 (not counting the games Drew Brees missed to injury, totaling 31 snaps in those five contests).

Beyond his own stats on returning kickoffs (with a career average of 24.0 yards per return, and a personal-best of 47 yards), Hill has blocked a pair of punts against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in 2018) and Atlanta Falcons (in 2019) while collecting 13 combined tackles in the kicking game. He’s a force, and the Saints clearly want to keep him in positions to thrive. And that’s keeping Gruden’s attention.

“You know a lot of guys call it, ‘He’s a football player?'” Gruden continued, pantomiming quotation marks. “This guy’s a ‘football player.’ He can play anywhere on the ‘football’ field. And you gotta be aware of No. 7, because he can ruin the game. And they have a great package to keep us off his scent. You know you just can’t prepare for him, [you have to prepare] for anything. He’s just a ‘football player.'”

We’ll see what sort of heroics Hill has in store for Gruden’s Raiders very soon. In Week 1, he ran three times to pick up 13 yards on the ground and connected with Alvin Kamara on a 38-yard completion, in addition to his opening-drive 14-yard reception. He’s already padding out his impressive highlight reel, and from the sound of it, Gruden is as eager to see the finished product as anyone else.

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