Johnathan Abram and Jordan Howden are in a tight battle for starting at safety next to Tyrann Mathieu. But in Dennis Allen’s eyes, neither one of them have jumped up and taken that position as a starter yet at New Orleans Saints training camp.
Want a sign of how tight this race is? Howden was the leader on the unofficial depth chart, but Abram walked out with the starting unit versus the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game.
“I haven’t seen anything from any one of those safeties yet where someone has just jumped out at me and said ‘This is my job,'” Allen said Wednesday.
It’s not a full indictment of the position. Allen likes what he’s seen from the safeties, but the way he puts it, no one has “taken the bull by the horns and said ‘This is my job.'”
So what is Allen looking for out of the position? He wants a player that make plays, has production, and displays physicality. When asked about Howden’s lessened playing time at the end of his rookie year, Allen pointed to those three things as areas he needed to improve on.
Allen views this as a position that’s in a place to rack up interceptions, pass breakups and tackles because of how they use their defense. At its peak, this position should be a playmaker. That’s why they worked to recruit Justin Simmons last week, and why they’re waiting to see what move he makes on his free agency tour.
This is likely why the team has continued its pursuit for Justin Simmons this offseason. Simmons could put Mathieu in this role, and he’d check every box.
