Rating: (0 votes - average)

With 30-plus players not seeing action Thursday night, the Saints’ preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins proved all about the backups fighting for a roster spot.

And there were plenty of chances for players, such as guard Ryan Groy or linebacker Darnell Sankey, to make an impression.

Groy and center Will Clapp were the only two players to play every snap on offense (57), while Sankey totaled 30 defensive snaps and a team-high 19 snaps on special teams.

Sankey, who enjoyed a strong training camp, made the most of his defensive repetitions by pacing the unit with a team-high eight tackles. Whether the linebacker’s performance against the Dolphins was enough to make the roster remains to be seen.



“I think I had a lot to work on, but I just came out here every day and prove to myself that I belong on this team and I belong in this organization,” Sankey said. “I just wanted to come out and stay healthy, keep my body right, come play every day and compete for a job.”

The next two days is a stressful period for a lot of players as the Saints’ evaluation process turns to the business side of football.

The Saints have to trim the roster from 90 players to 53 by Saturday’s league-wide deadline at 3 p.m. CT, leaving plenty of room for the unknown.

Wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who had one catch for 43 yards against the Dolphins, hopes he did enough to stick.

“I think I did OK,” Humphrey said. “I mean, I’m not the one making the decision, so I’m just going to play my role –– hope I get a role –– on this team.”

Meanwhile, Sankey, who spent time on the Saints practice squad in 2018, said he plans to get his mind off the process by going to a movie.

“Just try to really relax mentally,” Sankey said. “Training camp is a grind, so it’s draining on your body, it’s draining on your mind. I think this little time we have off while they make their decision is meant to just relax.”

Here’s a snapshot on the Saints’ snap counts from Thursday night:

• Wide receiver/returner Deonte Harris totaled 19 snaps on offense, none on special teams. The explosive returner likely did more than enough in the previous three preseason games to prove he belongs on the team. Harris finished the preseason with 10 punt returns for 147 yards and a touchdown and eight kickoff returns for 201 yards. Wide receiver Cyril Grayson Jr. pulled duty as returner.


• The third tight end spot comes down to the wire and A.J. Derby drew the start over Dan Arnold. Derby, though, only played 19 offensive snaps, while Arnold totaled 23. Rookie Alize Mack paced the group with 30 snaps.

• Tackle Marshall Newhouse’s absence for undisclosed reasons over the past two preseason games might have opened the door for others to make a case to be the swing tackle. Michael Ola (21) drew the start at left tackle, while Patrick Omameh (21) started at right tackle. The Saints also got a good look at Derrick Kelly (36) and Ethan Greenidge (36) as the game wore on.

• Cornerback Ken Crawley saw plenty of action with 39 snaps on defense and seven on special teams. He totaled two tackles and broke up a pass in the end zone, but Crawley and rookie safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson appeared to have mixed signals on a Dolphins touchdown in the end zone. After wide receiver Reece Horn hauled in a 2-yard score, Crawley immediately turned to Gardner-Johnson and put his hands up in bewilderment.

• Speaking of Gardner-Johnson and the mix-up aside, the rookie totaled 39 snaps on defense and three on special teams. He had a productive first series on the Dolphins’ opening drive with three tackles, including one for a 2-yard loss.

more on NOLA

SmashMouth

Cruize

-Ozigbo is the truth.
-Humphrey just looks better to me than Butler.
-Grayson is very natural at WR. The opposite as a returner.
-Clapp is a very sold backup.
-Keeping Mack at TE for potential wouldn't be a stretch over the lack of play or potential from the rest. If the third TE gets any meaningful snaps, it's bad anyway.
-Crawley looks like he has shaken off his bad season.
-Gardner-Johnson is a very skilled football player.
-I think the Saints will bring in 3-4 new faces after cuts.
-The backup kicker for the Panthers is Lutz like. Monster.

SmashMouth

What we learned from Saints preseason finale: Has Harris done enough to earn spot? Backup wars, more