Tag: Taysom Hill

Brett Favre’s Taysom Hill idea for Jordan Love is a really bad one

Brett Favre wants the Packers to use first-round pick Jordan Love like Taysom Hill. Yeah, no.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre thinks the Green Bay Packers should try and use first-round pick Jordan Love like the New Orleans Saints do with Taysom Hill, but it’s a terrible idea and there’s a good chance the Packers won’t even entertain the thought of it.

“I think there’s ways to incorporate it much like Taysom Hill with the Saints,” Favre told TMZ Sports over the weekend. “Use him as a halfback, a halfback pass, but occasionally let him run it just to show that you’ll do that. Something like that.”

In New Orleans, the Saints use Hill – a former Packer – as the ultimate gadget weapon. He gets designed quarterback runs, opportunities to run routes (and catch passes) from a variety of positions, and a ton of snaps on special teams. Just last year, Hill ran the football 27 times, caught 19 passes and played almost 300 snaps on special teams. He threw only six passes.

Hill is also an elite athlete, with 4.4 speed and a thick, muscular frame. In the NFL, he is essentially an H-back who can throw the football. And that’s exactly how Sean Payton and the Saints use him, often to great effect. The threat of him throwing the ball on any given play accentuates his threat as a gadget player.

Love, on the other hand, is a great athlete for the quarterback position but doesn’t have elite speed or size. He has a tall, leaner frame. He’s built like a traditional pocket quarterback. Love can run (4.74), and he was effective at times on read-option plays at Utah State, but he’s not going to scare any defense with his legs. The idea of using him as a halfback, as Favre suggests, is silly and most likely dangerous.

I mean, Favre doesn’t really think the Packers are going to have Aaron Rodgers handoff to Love, does he?

It’s possible Love could add some marginal value on a few read-option plays per game. But again, he isn’t some game-breaking speedster who is going to keep defensive coordinators scrambling to defend a package of plays every week. Love is a quarterback. Hill is an athlete.

The Packers will have a strong developmental plan in place for Love, who is the future at quarterback but might not replace Rodgers as the starter for another two or three years. The guess here is that a package of plays like Favre suggests isn’t in the plan.

New Orleans Saints playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the New Orleans Saints making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the New Orleans Saints make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Thursday, May 28 at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Will the New Orleans Saints make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: -400 | No: +310

Many respected minds of the NFL community rank the Saints at the top of the NFC heading into the season, but there is a world where the  Saints do NOT make the postseason in 2020. You know what they say about Father Time and he’s coming for 41-year-old QB Drew Brees. On the other hand, it’s not something I feel great banking on because aside from missing five games last year, Brees looked like his future-Hall of Fame self.

Another thing to factor in is the NFC South will be a tougher division. QB Tom Brady joining the talented Tampa Bay Buccaneers could instantly make them a contender (pending his own bout with Father Time). The Atlanta Falcons still have the nucleus that made it to Super Bowl LI including MVP QB Matt Ryan and future-Hall of Fame WR Julio Jones. Sure the Carolina Panthers will probably be bad but the Saints know full well that the Panthers’ new QB Teddy Bridgewater is no chump.

Other things to consider are natural regression on a 2019 record of 8-1 in one-score games and a difficult schedule, which ranks as the 23rd easiest (according to SharpFootballAnalysis.com).

At the end of the day, I’d bet New Orleans to make the playoffs on a straight-up yes or no question. Unfortunately, BetMGM isn’t giving us those odds so I recommend PASSING on a bet for the Saints to make the playoffs.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the New Orleans Saints win in 2020? Bands

BAND ODDS
0-4 Wins +20000
5-8 Wins +475
9-12 Wins -358
13-16 Wins +550

This won’t jive with what I wrote above but let me try to make a case for the Saints racking up 13 or more wins. First, there was very little roster turnover on a team that won 13 games in both 2019 and 2018. The Saints had the fourth-best offensive DVOA and 11th-best defensive DVOA in 2019, according to Football Outsiders. Second, the Saints host their toughest opponents such as the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, San Francisco 49ers in Week 10, Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15 and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16.

I’m not going to go crazy but I’ll TAKE the Saints to get 13-16 wins (+550). A $20 bet will return a profit of $110.

How many games will the New Orleans Saints win in 2020? Exact number

The only angle I’d take at betting this would be grabbing exactly six wins (+4000), exactly seven wins (+1500), exactly 13 wins (+725), and exactly 14 wins (+1800) and hoping one of those cashed. My official stance is to PASS on this one because there is little value in the exact win prices and too ambitious edges of the Saints’ win range.

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Jay Glazer says it again: Taysom Hill is ‘the guy’ for New Orleans after Drew Brees

FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer wrote in his mailbag with The Athletic that Saints coach Sean Payton sees Taysom Hill as his next QB.

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Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported for The Athletic that he fully expects Taysom Hill to take over at quarterback once Drew Brees has hung up his cleats. That’s what Glazer wrote in his latest mailbag, echoing the same take he made back in January, on Colin Cowherd’s radio show.

Glazer is tight with Saints coach Sean Payton. He’s broken stories before like Payton’s five-year contract extension with the team, and put the nail in the coffin for Antonio Brown signing with the Saints after his bizarre free agent workout and high-profile fallout. Whenever Payton is seen on a parade float at Mardi Gras, Glazer is usually right there with him as his guest.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Glazer has rare insight into Payton’s thinking. And when asked by a reader if the faith the Saints have shown in Hill so far is genuine, he was quick to confirm it.

“No smokescreen, he’s the guy. Sean Payton loves him but it’s not just him, the whole team loves him, not just Sean Payton. Watch a Saints game,” Glazer wrote. “When he’s in the game, watch the other players on the sideline, watch their reaction. They all get up and stand on the sidelines to watch him.”

Glazer continued, “I think Sean was always hoping to unleash him on the league without anyone seeing him before but now we’ve seen it with Lamar Jackson. He’s a bigger Lamar Jackson. No, it’s not a smokescreen. He likes him that much, he’ll be the guy. He’s with the perfect coach for that.”

Comparing Hill to the reigning league MVP is bold, especially considering how much more progress Hill has to show as a passer before he can run a full game script. And unlike Jackson, Hill doesn’t have time on his side — he’s seven years older than the Baltimore Ravens superstar, and will be forced to rely more on his arm than his legs as he continues to age.

But stranger things have happened than a 30-year-old quarterback taking over for a year. And that’s what the Saints have prepared for by inking Hill to a contract extension, penciling him in as the heir-apparent for 2021. He’ll probably have to compete against Jameis Winston for that job (should he re-sign with the Saints after riding the bench this season), but Hill’s heightened salary reflect what the Saints and those close to the organization have said about him. Whatever the case, it’ll make for must-see TV whether he flames out or rises to the occasion.

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Ty Montgomery chose Saints due to their success with versatile playmakers

Ty Montgomery struggled to catch on despite his skills. He’s seen the Saints thrive with Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill, and wants to be next.

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The New Orleans Saints made an interesting free agent pickup last week by signing Ty Montgomery, the wide receiver-turned-running back who rose to prominence with the Green Bay Packers. Montgomery struggled to find his footing in stops with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, due as much to uncreative playbooks as inexperienced quarterbacks under center like Sam Darnold and then-rookie Lamar Jackson.

He’s hoping to rebound well in New Orleans. Montgomery spoke with local media on a recent conference call, pointing to the success the Saints have found with other position-versatile talents as a major selling-point for him.

“Obviously they have guys like Alvin Kamara, they’ve shown what they can do with guys like him,” Montgomery said. “Taysom Hill, they’ve shown what they can do with guys like him, just other guys as well over the years. Coach Sean Payton and his offense, it’s just sort of been, I guess you could say notorious for putting guys in the best positions to be successful and being very creative on offense.”

Listed at 6-foot-even and 216 pounds, Montgomery has done most of his damage on the ground (with 224 rushing attempts) while running a variety of routes on passing downs (drawing 163 targets as a receiver). He’ll look to expand his portfolio in New Orleans and prove a better candidate to back up Kamara than, say, special teams ace Dwayne Washington or practice squad call-up Taquan Mizzell.

While fans shouldn’t expect Montgomery to push Latavius Murray off the field as the team’s number-two running back, there’s definitely value in having someone with experience on the plays and responsibilities Kamara has perfected in recent years. The Saints lost an element of their playbook when Kamara missed time last year, but Montgomery could be an effective band-aid should the Saints call his No. 88.

But in the meantime, Montgomery is preparing to handle whatever responsibility the Saints have in store for him — up to and including throwing blocks as a fullback so his teammates can get a clear running lane.

Montgomery continued, “I’ve always said I don’t believe I necessarily have to fit into a box. I can sit in a running back room and still do things as a wide receiver, I can sit in the receiver room and still do things as a running back. My ultimate goal’s just to be able to play and help the team in any way I can.”

And he didn’t go into this situation blind; Montgomery noted that he’s spoken with former teammates who spent time in New Orleans like Jimmy Graham, who talked up the Saints offense for its knack of putting players in position to max out their talents. But the proof he needed came from seeing what Hill, a former Packers training camp washout, could do in the right situation.

“Taysom Hill, we were actually in Green Bay together, so I already knew what kind of athlete he was. So to see him thrive, catch balls, run the football, throw the football,” Montgomery said, musing on the system Payton has built. “It’s just a place where anybody can thrive really.”

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USA TODAY backup QB rankings puts Saints on top of the NFL

The New Orleans Saints have a depth chart stocked with backups like Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, which USA Today ranks best in the NFL.

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Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, and it’s fair to say that Jameis Winston has stronger qualifications than any backup quarterback around the league. With Taysom Hill in the mix, the New Orleans Saints have an argument to make for the NFL’s strongest set of passers among their peers.

And at least one ranking agrees with that. USA Today’s Nate Davis ranked the Saints depth chart at quarterback higher than any other team in the NFL, just ahead of the Dallas Cowboys tandem of Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton:

1. New Orleans Saints: Jameis Winston’s arrival makes this the first team to have a pair of 5,000-yard passers on its roster. Winston, who led the NFL in passing yards (5,109) in 2019 has obvious flaws in his game, namely his proclivity for turnovers (league-worst 30 INTs in 2019). But given time to re-calibrate his estimable tools under Sean Payton’s watch, maybe it’s Winston – and not highly compensated gadget guy Taysom Hill, who threw six passes last year – who emerges as Drew Brees’ eventual successor.

In an ideal world, we’ll never get a look at Winston running the Saints offense — at least this year. That would mean Brees has missed time with a maybe-significant injury, which wouldn’t be great. The chances of the Saints rattling off five straight wins again after pulling off that trick last year with Teddy Bridgewater under center are not high.

Still, Davis is right to point out that this could be more of a long-term investment than it first appears. Winston’s year on the depth chart should put him on similar footing to Hill in 2021, should Brees step away from the game, allowing the Saints to have a true starting competition between a pair of experienced options. And as seen up and down this list of backup situations around the NFL, that’s an outlook that most teams might envy.

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Lincoln Riley discusses Jalen Hurts’ use as a quarterback

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley joined Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network to talk about Jalen Hurts’ use.

To Hill or not to Hill.

After Jalen Hurts was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, there has been speculation that Philadelphia could use him in the same way that the Saints use Taysom Hill.

The Saints use Hill in a utility position, playing him at running back, wide receiver, tight end, kickoff and punt return, kickoff and punt coverage, as well was snaps at quarterback. With Hurts ability to run the football, the similarities aren’t far off. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley joined Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network to talk about his former QB.

“Yeah I think a little bit of those opinions are, one, people that haven’t really studied Jalen’s production, really watched the tape, and when you see that you’re going to see a guy that had one of the most efficient passing seasons in the history of college football this year.” Riley said.

Hurts threw for 3,851 yards in his lone season with Oklahoma, completing 69% of his attempts and scoring 32 passing touchdowns.

”You know, nothing against Taysom, again you’d love to have him on any football team you could ever have, but I do believe that Philadelphia and a lot of the other teams that were interested in Jalen were looking at him purely as a quarterback, excited about all the things he could do, you know bringing that winning attitude and bringing just a very versatile skillset.” Riley said. “I’m glad he got with a guy like Doug Pederson who will do a great job of developing him and using him in a lot of creative ways.

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Josh McCown on Carson Wentz: His confidence is the reason Jalen Hurts won’t be a threat

Josh McCown explains why Jalen Hurts is no threat to Carson Wentz

Josh McCown played on eight teams throughout his NFL career and the journeyman signal-caller knows the game and can tell a great quarterback when he sees one.

McCown and Carson Wentz were teammates for one season and it may have been the guttiest season of No. 11’s career as the Eagles made the postseason with no explosive receivers on the roster.

With the Eagles having several needs in the NFL draft, GM Howie Roseman shocked everyone when he selected former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round at No. 53 overall. For Roseman and the Eagles, the pick was simple.

Hurts is a good football player who’ll make the Eagles quarterback room that much better and more competitive. Some analysts and pundits have labeled the pick as Howie Roseman and company not having any faith in Wentz.

Others believe the selection could cause Wentz to consistently look over his shoulder. McCown is calling false on that narrative, telling Bleacher Report’s Adam Lefkoe that Wentz’s confidence is the main reason Hurts presence won’t bother the Eagles franchise quarterback one bit.

Wentz is coming off a season in which he threw for 4,000+ yards and 27 touchdowns with only single-digit interceptions.

Wentz was elite in the red zone and carried Philadelphia to an NFC East title. If Wentz can develop chemistry with his new weapons, Jalen Hurts will be the least of his worries this upcoming season.

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Saints players have caught more passes from Jameis Winston than Taysom Hill

The Saints signed ex-Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, who threw more interceptions to the team than Taysom Hill has completed passes.

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The New Orleans Saints quarterbacks room now runs four deep, and three of those players can say they’ve already connected on passes with their teammates. While that’s expected of starting quarterback Drew Brees and number-two passer Taysom Hill, it’s a bit surprising to learn that free agent pickup Jameis Winston would rank second out of that group in total volume.

Just, in the form of interceptions rather than typical pass completions. Winston was picked off ten times by Saints defenders during his five-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That outnumbers the seven career pass completions thrown by Hill to his Saints teammates, including the playoffs.

If nothing else, that speaks to the amount of pro experience Winston has seen early in his career. The Saints might continue to say that Hill is both the immediate backup and the long-term heir to Brees, but there’s no questioning which quarterback has spent more time on the field running an NFL offense. Hopefully Winston learned a lot from those turnovers.

For the curious, here’s which Saints defenders snagged passes thrown by the former first-overall draft pick. Be sure to file this away for trivia night:

  • Marcus Williams (three times)
  • Jairus Byrd (twice)
  • Marshon Lattimore
  • P.J. Williams
  • Vonn Bell
  • Demario Davis
  • Craig Robertson

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Saints sign Jameis Winston to a 1-year contract

The New Orleans Saints signed ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston to a one-year free agent contract.

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The New Orleans Saints and free agent quarterback Jameis Winston agreed to terms on a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. Winston, the former first-overall draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is now the fourth passer in the Saints quarterbacks room along with Drew Brees, Taysom Hill, and seventh-round draft prospect Tommy Stevens.

It’ll be interesting to see what kind of salary Winston agreed to in light of what the Saints have paid their other backup quarterbacks. Hill’s new contract extension pays out $10.5 million annually, and Teddy Bridgewater earned just $7.25 million last season as the NFL’s highest-paid second-string passer.

We’ll get an idea of how this impacts the Saints salary cap situation once more details are reported. New Orleans often uses automatically-voided years in its free agent contracts to help maneuver around the salary cap, so it’s possible their deal with Winston might be more complex than it first appears.

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Ranking the Saints draft picks odds of success, based off jersey number

The New Orleans Saints rookie draft picks chose their jersey numbers. Cesar Ruiz setthimself up for success while Zack Baun almost fumbled.

Good news, everyone! This year’s crop of New Orleans Saints draft picks didn’t waste any time in choosing their new jersey numbers, so we’ve already gotten a good look at what they’ll be wearing once Saints training camp rolls around.

Forget all of the other factors that help decide whether a rookie will flourish — things like skill, athleticism, experience, versatility, and opportunity. The only thing that’s truly important is which number a player slaps on his chest. Everyone knows this. Seriously.

However, fewer football fans are aware of the unwritten rules of picking a good jersey number (and avoiding a bad one). In light of that, we’re going to rank the Saints rookie draft picks based off the digits they’ve tied themselves to (for now; more on that later).

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