By Ross Jackson
With a lot of focus for the New Orleans Saints defensive backs group centering around the new role for slot/Star starter Alontae Taylor, the versatility of other defensive backs is often going unnoticed.
Defenders Terrell Burgess and Ugo Amadi for two players that are making waves away from the headlines. And the coaching staff is taking notice.
“Ugo [Amadi] and Terrell Burgess have done a good job of being able to learn and play different spots.,” he said “… They have the skill set to give us some snaps to help us have the variety that we want.”
Neither Amadi nor Burgess are necessarily expected to leap into starting roles in the Big Easy, but having versatile defensive back depth is always a benefit for any NFL club.
Having players that can plug in at safety and nickel corner, as both Amadi and Burgess can, is a huge help for any NFL club.
Both players have shown their ability to line up on both sides since being with the team. Amadi, who signed with the Saints in 2023 has taken 483 snaps on the slot and 50 in the box as a safety. All the while being a consistent contributor on special teams, per Pro Football Focus.
Meanwhile, Burgess has spent a number of snaps at free safety, box safety and slot corner throughout his career.
Both players are creating a path toward making the roster. And each are names worth watching as things move forward.
In the NFL, making a roster sometimes has just as much to do with where a player can make an impact as it does have to do with the impact they can have at an individual position. Both Amadi and Burgess has found a way to carve those eclectic roles for themselves and therefore each have a viable path to the roster.
