After the first week of New Orleans Saints’ training camp, the team’s competitive spirit has been undeniable. While there aren’t but maybe a handful of roster spots available to earn, there are some budding position battles that have been of interest all throughout the offseason. Now, there’s continued clarity for where those roles are settling.
Interior Defensive Line
After the injury for defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, which is expected to end his season, there is now some jostling to be done at his position. WIth veteran defensive tackles like Davon Godchaux and Nathan Shepherd locked in and young players like Christen Miller and Vernon Broughton being recent investments there may just be one spot available for a player to claim.
So far, the front-runner appears to be veteran defensive tackle John Ridgeway III who has seen a wealth of snaps at the 3-4 defensive end often occupied by Bresee and Shepherd. But with another veteran, Myles Cole, and some undrafted rookies still waiting to get their shot, this position could see some major change over the course of camp.
Linebacker
This is a battle that not many saw coming. The linebacker group looked to be settled going into camp with the top-three established and young depth contributors Isaiah Stalbird and Jaylan Ford ready to fill out the active roster while Jackson Sirmon appeared to be a shoo-in for the practice squad.
Now, with a position change for former defensive end Chris Rumph III, the conversation shifts a bit. Rumph was an outstanding special teams impact player for the Saints last year. That could lead him to holding on to another practice squad spot, as gameday elevations could set him up to still be a contributor for a trio of games before having to make an active roster decision around him. But, he could also be seen as a competitor with Ford, whose core role is a special teams one.
The newly minted battle between Rumph, Ford and Sirmon could come down to which could be seen as the better depth defender with the thinking being that they can each provide excellent value on special teams.
Backup Center
Last year’s undrafted rookie darling, Torricelli Simpkins III has been completely in control of this spot since OTAs. However, in the early goings of camp, there have been a few mishandled snap exchanges with backup quarterback Spencer Rattler. There doesn’t appear to be an urgent concern in this area just yet, but it will be something on which to keep an eye.
If the issues persist, and the deeper findings by the coaching staff show that there’s a need to pursue another option, Simpkins could have a bigger battle on his hands. The confidence around the young lineman, though, indicates that for now, he’s in more than good standing.
Placekicker
Last year’s saving grace for the team at kicker, Charlie Smyth, still has a hold on the kicker position for right now. Both he and UFL star Tanner Brown have missed a kick through the early days of training camp practice. The difference? Smyth’s was from 44 yards (he was 3/5 in the 40-49 yard range last year) while Brown’s was from extra point distance.
Smyth has otherwise been impressive and has the longest kick of practice thus far, sinking one from 54 yards out, a distance Brown will get a swing at as the Saints return to the practice field on Wednesday.
Wide Receiver
Sometimes battles progress, other times doors close on what was thought to be an open opportunity. With the abrupt retirement of wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, the idea of the Saints keeping a sixth wideout has changed from being an expectation to merely a possibility. Now, the receivers behind the team’s top five (Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, Bryce Lance and Barion Brown) may very well be the only ones to hold an active roster spot while others battle for the practice squad.
With the team’s notable shift to utilizing more multi-tight end sets, the need to overload the wide receiver room will have to happen because a pass-catcher forces the team to hesitate from moving on from them. That means the battle for a sixth wide receiver spot has now shifted from a battle between competitors to one between the pass-catchers and the team’s approach to roster construction.
