There are a lot of lot of things to take away from the Saints second preseason game against the Packers. We learned more about this team in Green Bay than we did in Houston.
There is a better idea of what guys have a shot of making the roster, practice squad and who probably won’t make this team. The number one takeaway however is that Tony Jones Jr. is in the lead of the running back competition.
Unless Devine Ozigbo or Abram Smith have a huge game against the Chargers, I think Tony Jones secured himself a spot on this years 53-man roster.
And Ozigbo did have a good game. Some of his runs were solid which showcased his vision and his ability to cutback through the gaps. Overall though Jones had the edge in the running back three race.
Two things to note about the coaching staff is that Ronald Curry called the offensive plays. Dennis Allen said he wanted his coaching staff to be prepared for any circumstance that approaches them this season.
The second thing to note about the coaching staff is that Dennis Allen did a good job with timeouts and challenges. The timeout allowed Wil Lutz to kick a 59 yard field goal with the wind. The challenge was successful and forced a punt.
Speaking of punts, the Saints special teams is in good condition. Blake Boomin Gillikin is kinda good at this thing called punting. Big Nutz Lutz’ 59 yard kick looked like it could’ve been good from 63 yards. My only concern with special teams is the opposite gunner of J.T. Gray.
Kevin White has stood out as a gunner, but has had trouble finishing the play and making the tackle. It’s an elite start, but rookie finish which seems to be the case with Kevin White.
The buzz around the depth in the receiver room during camp has left me underwhelmed. I don’t know if it’s because Ian Book is throwing the ball but Kirk Merritt and Dai’Jean Dixon are not living up to the hype that surrounded them during camp.
It reminds me of the Emmanuel Butler hype a few years ago. Great camp body but couldn’t translate his practice productivity onto the field.
Who Stood Out
The guy who stood out the most in my opinion was Tony Jones Jr. who I believed secured a spot on the roster with his play Friday night. The running back made some flashy plays when the ball was in his hands, but what really stood out to me was his special teams play, and blocking in pass pro. Those little things is how Jones gained the edge in the running back competition.
After a sloppy inconsistent game in Houston, rookie left tackle Trevor Penning, had a huge bounce back game. A lot more consistency in both the pass and run game. When going over the game again, Penning looked more comfortable. He was more violent with his hands at the point of attack and had better footwork.
Now he didn’t have the most perfect game. As expected he had rookie errors. The good thing about Penning’s rookie mistakes is that his struggles are coachable. Adjustments can be made and with the power of film. Penning can improve upon those errors, the biggest one being footwork.
My number one sleeper right now is offensive lineman Lewis Kidd. He’s had a solid showcase in the preseason at right tackle, especially in pass protection. I haven’t had the chance to go over coaches film yet, but Kidd had a solid game. His ability to play both guard and tackle is something the Saints value in depth pieces on the offensive line.
For a second straight week linebacker Eric Wilson made his case to make the roster. With linebacker depth being thin, Wilson making two big plays in back to back weeks with a forced fumble and a pass deflection resulting in an interception is huge for Wilson whose making a case to make the team.
In his first game with the Saints linebacker Jon Bostic had himself a showcase. The linebacker looked good in pass coverage and very aggressive playing inside the box and tackling which is what the Saints need as a depth player.
Aside from a roughing the passer penalty, Malcolm Roach has a really solid showcase. He had two tackles and one tackle for a loss, the other one being a tackle at the line of scrimmage. I think this game secured him a spot on the roster as long as nobody has a huge game against the Chargers.
One of the Saints starters has looked impressive. In his third season and first full offseason, Cesar Ruiz has looked really good. The technique from Ruiz has improved. The initial punch, his hand placement, the footwork all look improved.
These are all things that will show up on film and we’ll have you covered with some film breakdowns later this week.
Written by Kadin Janisch
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