Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs

iceshack149 · 05-20-2025, 08:31 PM

Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs

The New Orleans Saints will have plenty of position battles to pay attention to throughout OTAs.

The Saints will host their OTAs starting on Tuesday. While no contact is permitted, 5v5, 7v7, and 11v11 drills are allowed. During these drills, New Orleans will have various position battles they'll be taking a close eye on.
Among the Saints' position battles, cornerback is one of the most in question. After trading away All-Pro Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans' cornerback room is full of a lack of experience.

Kool-Aid McKinstry saw early action during his rookie season, but his lack of pro experience was noticeable. Alontae Taylor had a lot of success from the slot, but injuries pushed him to the outside where he would struggle. The Saints tried addressing their lack of a veteran presence early in the offseason when they targeted former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward but had to settle for Isaac Yiadom—who they signed to a three-year $9 million contract.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/po...as/ar-AA1F4ULL

SmashMouth · 05-21-2025, 01:04 AM

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saintsfan1976 · 05-21-2025, 07:16 AM

What I'm watching:

QB (obviously)
O line shuffle
3-4 or 4-3 or hybrid defensive front?
CB
RB + Pass Catchers

iceshack149 · 05-21-2025, 09:19 AM

The offense might be hard to watch at the start of (but hopefully not throughout) the season. I think we all hoped the Saints would've done more to strengthen the receiving core but Olave and Shaheed are solid, Bub Means showed flashes of talent before his injury, and maybe Peoples-Jones will be our Jerome Pathon for a few seasons.

edit: And what will become of the QB situation? Haener appears to be the odd man out while Dekkers seems like a more intriguing prospect.

AsylumGuido · 05-21-2025, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by iceshack149

The offense might be hard to watch at the start of (but hopefully not throughout) the season. I think we all hoped the Saints would've done more to strengthen the receiving core but Olave and Shaheed are solid, Bub Means showed flashes of talent before his injury, and maybe Peoples-Jones will be our Jerome Pathon for a few seasons.

edit: And what will become of the QB situation? Haener appears to be the odd man out while Dekkers seems like a more intriguing prospect.

Don't forget about Brandin Cooks.

SmashMouth · 05-21-2025, 10:37 AM

Competition between the Bama Aussie punter and the tattooed wonder from last year.

Someone needs to make an exploding football for our kicker to attempt a 50 harder with, since he was such a prankster on the golf course .

Crusader · 05-21-2025, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by iceshack149

The offense might be hard to watch at the start of (but hopefully not throughout) the season. I think we all hoped the Saints would've done more to strengthen the receiving core but Olave and Shaheed are solid, Bub Means showed flashes of talent before his injury, and maybe Peoples-Jones will be our Jerome Pathon for a few seasons.

edit: And what will become of the QB situation? Haener appears to be the odd man out while Dekkers seems like a more intriguing prospect.

Jerome Pathon, a name I haven't heard in a long time! If Peoples-Jones could play to that standard I would be more than happy with that signing.

K Major · 05-21-2025, 11:04 AM

[QUOTE=saintsfan1976;1009942]What I'm watching:

3-4 or 4-3 or hybrid defensive front?
CB

+1.

Saints ranked near the bottom in passing and rushing defense for 2024.

CB is still a big concern for me.

Coach Staley and his staff have work to do.

saintsfan1976 · 05-22-2025, 07:56 AM

[quote=K Major;1009960]

Originally Posted by saintsfan1976

What I'm watching:

3-4 or 4-3 or hybrid defensive front?
CB

+1.

Saints ranked near the bottom in passing and rushing defense for 2024.

CB is still a big concern for me.

Coach Staley and his staff have work to do.

Goes back to a common sentiment approaching the draft - so many holes, it'll take 2-3 seasons to fill.

Asante makes sense now, but cut downs will be intersting...

Could the Eagles part with Kelee Ringo and is he ready to be a full time boundary CB?

rezburna · 05-22-2025, 09:07 AM

[quote=saintsfan1976;1009971]

Originally Posted by K Major

Goes back to a common sentiment approaching the draft - so many holes, it'll take 2-3 seasons to fill.

Asante makes sense now, but cut downs will be intersting...

Could the Eagles part with Kelee Ringo and is he ready to be a full time boundary CB?

Ringo and Kool-Aid in a zone heavy defensive scheme would be ideal in my opinion. Ringo is 6'2". Kool-Aid is 6'1". Let them play zone and keep everything in front of them. Cover 4. Send five and six in creative ways. Make teams make quick reads and decisions. Speed at LB'er. Size at CB. Range and intelligence at Safety.

I don't think it'll take long to fix at all. One player here and there with the right philosophy can completely change a team around.

05-20-2025, 08:31 PM	#1
iceshack149 1000 Posts + Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 4,429 Blog Entries: 1	Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs The New Orleans Saints will have plenty of position battles to pay attention to throughout OTAs. The Saints will host their OTAs starting on Tuesday. While no contact is permitted, 5v5, 7v7, and 11v11 drills are allowed. During these drills, New Orleans will have various position battles they'll be taking a close eye on. Among the Saints' position battles, cornerback is one of the most in question. After trading away All-Pro Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans' cornerback room is full of a lack of experience. Kool-Aid McKinstry saw early action during his rookie season, but his lack of pro experience was noticeable. Alontae Taylor had a lot of success from the slot, but injuries pushed him to the outside where he would struggle. The Saints tried addressing their lack of a veteran presence early in the offseason when they targeted former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward but had to settle for Isaac Yiadom—who they signed to a three-year $9 million contract. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/po...as/ar-AA1F4ULL SmashMouth likes this.

05-21-2025, 07:16 AM	#3
saintsfan1976 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 11,044 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs What I'm watching: QB (obviously) O line shuffle 3-4 or 4-3 or hybrid defensive front? CB RB + Pass Catchers iceshack149, turbo_dog, SmashMouth and 1 others like this.

05-21-2025, 09:19 AM	#4
iceshack149 1000 Posts + Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 4,429 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs The offense might be hard to watch at the start of (but hopefully not throughout) the season. I think we all hoped the Saints would've done more to strengthen the receiving core but Olave and Shaheed are solid, Bub Means showed flashes of talent before his injury, and maybe Peoples-Jones will be our Jerome Pathon for a few seasons. edit: And what will become of the QB situation? Haener appears to be the odd man out while Dekkers seems like a more intriguing prospect.

05-21-2025, 10:26 AM	#5
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,699	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs Originally Posted by iceshack149 The offense might be hard to watch at the start of (but hopefully not throughout) the season. I think we all hoped the Saints would've done more to strengthen the receiving core but Olave and Shaheed are solid, Bub Means showed flashes of talent before his injury, and maybe Peoples-Jones will be our Jerome Pathon for a few seasons. edit: And what will become of the QB situation? Haener appears to be the odd man out while Dekkers seems like a more intriguing prospect. Don't forget about Brandin Cooks.

05-21-2025, 10:37 AM	#6
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,961 Blog Entries: 29	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs Competition between the Bama Aussie punter and the tattooed wonder from last year. Someone needs to make an exploding football for our kicker to attempt a 50 harder with, since he was such a prankster on the golf course .

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05-21-2025, 10:48 AM	#7
Crusader Resident Swede Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Märsta, Sweden Posts: 8,049	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs Originally Posted by iceshack149 The offense might be hard to watch at the start of (but hopefully not throughout) the season. I think we all hoped the Saints would've done more to strengthen the receiving core but Olave and Shaheed are solid, Bub Means showed flashes of talent before his injury, and maybe Peoples-Jones will be our Jerome Pathon for a few seasons. edit: And what will become of the QB situation? Haener appears to be the odd man out while Dekkers seems like a more intriguing prospect. Jerome Pathon, a name I haven't heard in a long time! If Peoples-Jones could play to that standard I would be more than happy with that signing. Rugby Saint II likes this.

05-21-2025, 11:04 AM	#8
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,840 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs [QUOTE=saintsfan1976;1009942]What I'm watching: 3-4 or 4-3 or hybrid defensive front? CB +1. Saints ranked near the bottom in passing and rushing defense for 2024. CB is still a big concern for me. Coach Staley and his staff have work to do. Rugby Saint II likes this.

05-22-2025, 07:56 AM	#9
saintsfan1976 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 11,044 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs [quote=K Major;1009960] Originally Posted by saintsfan1976 What I'm watching: 3-4 or 4-3 or hybrid defensive front? CB +1. Saints ranked near the bottom in passing and rushing defense for 2024. CB is still a big concern for me. Coach Staley and his staff have work to do. Goes back to a common sentiment approaching the draft - so many holes, it'll take 2-3 seasons to fill. Asante makes sense now, but cut downs will be intersting... Could the Eagles part with Kelee Ringo and is he ready to be a full time boundary CB?

05-22-2025, 09:07 AM	#10
rezburna 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Kenner, LA Posts: 8,114	Re: Position Battles to Watch Ahead of the New Orleans Saints OTAs [quote=saintsfan1976;1009971] Originally Posted by K Major Goes back to a common sentiment approaching the draft - so many holes, it'll take 2-3 seasons to fill. Asante makes sense now, but cut downs will be intersting... Could the Eagles part with Kelee Ringo and is he ready to be a full time boundary CB? Ringo and Kool-Aid in a zone heavy defensive scheme would be ideal in my opinion. Ringo is 6'2". Kool-Aid is 6'1". Let them play zone and keep everything in front of them. Cover 4. Send five and six in creative ways. Make teams make quick reads and decisions. Speed at LB'er. Size at CB. Range and intelligence at Safety. I don't think it'll take long to fix at all. One player here and there with the right philosophy can completely change a team around. turbo_dog, saintsfan1976 and AsylumGuido like this.