We’re headed for the third and final New Orleans Saints preseason game, and a lot of jobs are on the line. Every snap counts for many players on the fringe of the roster (or the roster bubble if you’d rather call it that). They need to make plays not just on offense or defense, but also in the kicking game on special teams to punch their ticket.
PFF’s player grades aren’t very useful in evaluating performances, but the analysts at Pro Football Focus do a great job of tracking where each player lined up and what their general responsibility was on any given play (as far as a blocker, runner, receiver, passer, and so on). So we check their tracking from the first two Saints preseason games to see who has been on the field most often for New Orleans in each of the three phases.
Here’s what we learned:
Offense
1. Lewis Kidd: 108 snaps (all at left tackle)
2. Tommy Kraemer: 93 snaps (62 at right guard, 32 at left guard)
3. Bryan Edwards: 72 snaps (66 out wide, 5 in the slot)
4. Jameis Winston: 69 snaps (all at quarterback)
Tied-5. Mark Evans II: 68 snaps (37 at left guard, 31 at right guard)
Tied-5. Alex Pihlstrom: 68 snaps (all at center)
Tied-5. Chuck Filiaga: 68 snaps (all at right tackle)
Honorable mentions:
Nick Saldiveri: 66 snaps (all at left guard)
Storm Norton: 66 snaps (all at right tackle)
Max Garcia: 66 snaps (all at center)
Analysis:
Kidd and Kraemer are great picks to return on the practice squad; if Landon Young’s knee injury forces him to start the season on injured reserve, Kidd could make the squad again as a backup tackle.
Edwards has already been released. Winston is putting together a nice audition tape for other teams in case he’s the subject of trade talks. Garcia has played ahead of Pihlstrom as the backup center but either of them could be practice squad candidates. That’s also the case for Norton and Filiaga, with Norton being the immediate backup for Ryan Ramczyk through the summer.
Saldiveri played right tackle almost exclusively in college. It’s interesting that the Saints have had him focusing so strongly on the left guard spot. That doesn’t bode well for Andrus Peat’s longevity on the team, at least in that role.
Defense
1. Troy Pride Jr.: 82 snaps (75 out wide, 4 in the slot, 3 in the box)
2. Anthony Johnson: 77 snaps (73 out wide, 2 in the box, 1 in the slot, and 1 at the line of scrimmage)
3. Jordan Howden: 75 snaps (57 at free safety, 8 in the box, 7 in the slot, and 3 out wide)
4. Isaiah Foskey: 72 snaps (67 outside the tackle, 3 over tackle, and 2 in the B gap)
5. Kyle Phillips: 68 snaps (44 outside the tackle, 22 over tackle, 1 in the B gap, and 1 in the A gap)
Honorable mentions:
Ryan Connelly: 59 snaps (46 in the box, 6 at the line of scrimmage, 6 in the slot, and 1 at free safety)
Smoke Monday: 56 snaps (33 at free safety, 14 in the box, 4 in the slot, 4 at the line of scrimmage, and 1 out wide)
Analysis:
Obviously the Saints move their defenders around more often than their offensive players. But their top four roster spots are set at cornerback, so odds are they’ll keep at least two (and probably three) corners on the practice squad. That’s what Pride and Johnson are competing for. Pride has been more impactful in run defense but he’s also drawn several penalties and given up a touchdown pass.
Howden’s arrival is a tough break for Monday. He’s taken over P.J. Williams’ old role as the dime defensive back and he’s the smart pick to fill in for Marcus Maye whenever his suspension is handed down. Now, Monday is competing with Johnathan Abram (who just missed the cutoff with 53 defensive snaps) for that spot on the practice squad.
Foskey is another rookie who has seen a lot of preseason snaps, and he needs them. He’s played slower and more hesitantly than he showed in college. He’s known as a smart player so he’s probably overthinking things as some rookies do. He did come on strong with four or five pressures in the second exhibition game. Let’s see if he keeps building on that. Odds are (unfortunately) good that he’ll spend much of his rookie year as a healthy scratch, though, much like Payton Turner.
Phillips has seen some interesting usage late in games, at times sliding inside to rush against guards’ inside shoulders. He’s seen more opportunities than Niko Lalos but there’s probably room for just one of them on the practice squad, and Lalos has done a better job finishing plays. Phillips is a veteran player in this league it’s worth remembering that teams can keep up to six players with two or more years’ experience on the practice squad. He’s still eligible.
Connelly’s knee injury is really unfortunate. He led the linebacker corps in snaps played defensively and was looking like a tackle machine. He could have made the team between that and his effort in the kicking game (which we’ll get to momentarily).
Special teams
1. LB Anfernee Orji: 37 snaps
2. LB Nephi Sewell: 34 snaps
Tied-3. LB Ryan Connelly: 32 snaps
Tied-3. S Johnathan Abram: 32 snaps
5. LB Ty Summers: 30 snaps
Honorable mentions:
S Smoke Monday: 29 snaps
S Jordan Howden: 26 snaps
LS Zach Wood: 25 snaps
LB D’Marco Jackson: 25 snaps
Last year, 11 different players logged 25 or more snaps on special teams through three preseason games, and all but three of them (cornerback Quenton Meeks and running backs Abram Smith and Devine Ozigbo) either made the 53-man roster or were brought back to the practice squad immediately after roster cuts. Special teams participation — and effectiveness — matters to the Saints, so these guys need to show out in the preseason finale.
