Well, this is sub-optimal: the New Orleans Saints practice session on Friday, Oct. 2 went on without multiple starters present for the period open to the media. That includes starting cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins, who were both listed on the Thursday injury report with hamstring and shoulder injuries, respectively.
That’s a problem. As inconsistently as they’ve each played to start the season, you want to be starting Lattimore and Jenkins against the Detroit Lions rather than some combination of P.J. Williams, Patrick Robinson, and Justin Hardee. Practice squad call-ups like rookie Keith Washington Jr., free agent pickup Grant Haley, or burned-out former starter Ken Crawley could also be on the table.
It’s a situation even lame-duck Lions coach Matt Patricia can’t mess up. If the Saints have to dip into that well of talent, Lions receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. are going to have a field day, to say nothing of tight end T.J. Hockenson (who averages 15 snaps per game lined up in the slot or out wide). The chances of the Saints defense getting Darren Waller’d again are rising by the second.
Hopefully it doesn’t come to that. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this week that Lattimore’s injury is more of a tweak, and he may not be ruled out of action on Sunday. But it’s tough to see the Saints thrusting him into action off of so little practice time.
In other news: starters like tight end Jared Cook, defensive end Marcus Davenport, and guard Andrus Peat also were not spotted at practice while managing various injuries.
