The New Orleans Saints have completed half of their four-game slate of preseason games, losing the opener to the Minnesota Vikings but coming back to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. Next up is the New York Jets. A 1-1 record is nothing to be ashamed of.
However, the wins and losses don’t really matter in preseason. Saints head coach Sean Payton and his staff are looking to evaluate their team and hammer out the 53-man roster they’ll open the season with. The Saints are returning a ton of talent on both sides of the ball from last season, there may be just a handful of roster spots truly up for grabs. That’s led to tough competition all over the field throughout preseason and training camp, and it’s only going to intensify this week against the Jets.
Here’s our picks for five players who are on the roster bubble; a few significant plays, good or bad, could earn them a spot on the opening-day lineup or put them out on the street.
RS Marcus Sherels
The returns specialist job was expected to be a big-time competition, given the lack of success every incumbent Saints tryout had (Tommylee Lewis was the preferred pick last year, ahead of Ted Ginn Jr. and Alvin Kamara) and turnover on the special teams coaching staff. Sherels entered training camp as the heavy favorite to win the job thanks to his extensive resume with the Minnesota Vikings, but he’s been missing in action for more than two weeks. The Saints don’t have to issue official injury reports this time of the year, but that’s the only reasonable explanation for his absence. If he’s unable to return soon and make a fight of it, there’s no reason rookie standout Deonte Harris shouldn’t be the opening-day return man on punts and kickoffs.
WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Humphrey is a curious case. His best moments have all come in the preseason games, beneath the bright lights and in front of a roaring crowd. His training camp practice performances, on the other hand, have ranged from quiet to inconsistent. He’s shown an ability to adjust to off-target throws, navigate holes in zone coverage, and at times take off after the catch in a sprint, which the Saints value highly. But his shaky hands and lack of separation against opponents in man-coverage should rightfully give the Saints pause. He still has time to string together productive practice time, but right now he’s on the outside looking in on a wide-open competition.
DE/LB Porter Gustin
Though he’s still listed as an outside linebacker, Gustin has converted to playing defensive end full-time with the Saints. It’s where he’s most comfortable and most effective, winning occasionally in one-on-one drills and putting together some nice reps last week against the Chargers. But quarterback pressures have eluded the rookie despite his wins in the trenches, and he needs to start racking up hits and sacks to make the cut. He looks like a shoo-in to start the year on the practice squad, though he could help round out the starting rotation much like previous Saints pass rush specialists Kasim Edebali, Obum Gwacham, and Al-Quadin Muhammad.
CB Ken Crawley
It’s been a rocky road for Crawley, who sandwiched an impressive 2017 season in-between disappointing outings as a rookie in 2016 and a soon-to-be-benched starter in 2018. Now, in 2019, he’s near the bottom of the depth chart and fighting for a roster spot. He doesn’t play special teams, and struggled mightily against starting-quality receivers last year, but he’s managed to put together a few nice plays on the ball in training camp practice. The Saints don’t have a clear-cut backup on the outside behind Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple, though both Patrick Robinson and P.J. Williams can do so in a pinch. At this point, Crawley has to start making plays or risk losing his job to someone like Justin Hardee.
