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The New Orleans Saints enter the 2023 season as a new team now that they have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. With a number of offensive playmakers, including Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Michael Thomas, and a strengthened defensive front, New Orleans has the potential to make some noise in a weak NFC South.
With preseason and training camp in full swing, the focus now is on which players can crack the starting lineup and who will make the final 53-man roster. In New Orleans, a few veteran players are being pushed for their starting roles. Here are a pair of first-stringers on the Saints in danger of losing their starting spot this season.
Saints first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2023 NFL season
Wil Lutz
Ever since his Pro Bowl season in 2020, kicker Wil Lutz has struggled for the Saints. His field goal percentage dropped from 88.9% to 82.1% to an abysmal 74.2% last year — second-worst in the league. Lutz was great from distance in 2022, making 4/6 kicks from 50 yards or beyond, including a career-long 60-yarder, but made just half of his attempts between 40 and 49 yards. He also missed a pair of field goals from inside 40.
Lutz faces competition during training camp from Notre Dame kicker Blake Grupe, a rookie undrafted free agent. Grupe made 12 of 14 kicks during Notre Dame's pro day this spring, including strikes from 57 and 61 yards with NFL scouts watching. He only made 73.7% of his kicks during his only season with the Fighting Irish, but Grupe was a former Sun Belt All-Conference nominee and Lou Groza Award semifinalist (given to the best collegiate placekicker) during four years at Arkansas State. Grupe also nailed the game-winning field goal in his preseason debut with the Saints.
Wil Lutz is in the final season of his contract, and cutting him would save the Saints almost $1.7 million toward the cap, making the kicker's starting role in New Orleans tenuous.
SAINTS WIN!!!
Blake Grupe kicks a 31-yd FG to give the #Saints a 26-24 win vs the Chiefs pic.twitter.com/D4wmjQC8ix
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 13, 2023
Juwan Johnson
Even though the Saints brought back starting tight end Juwan Johnson on a two-year, $12 million deal, the team made certain that it would have plenty of depth at the position. The current backup is Taysom Hill, the do-everything runner/passer/receiver who may be a tight end in name only. New Orleans also signed former Las Vegas Raider Foster Moreau to a three-year, $12.2 million contract. Playing as the second tight end to Darren Waller, Moreau still managed to average 28 receiving yards per game last year for a respectable 420 yards on the year.
Further down on the depth chart is a pair of notable names in Jimmy Graham and Jesse James. Though neither recorded a catch in 2022, Graham was once one of the most feared tight ends in the league while James quietly averaged nearly 400 yards per season during his peak in Pittsburgh. That is four other tight ends worthy of first-team snaps.
Much of Juwan Johnson's value came in the red zone last year, as seven of his 42 catches were for touchdowns. He will need to do more between the 20s to keep his starting role. Last year, Foster Moreau averaged 7.2 yards after the catch per reception, while Johnson averaged just 4.3 YAC. Moreau also averaged 33% more yards after contact per catch than Johnson (2.0 yards vs 1.5 yards). Johnson had a solid year in 2022, but he will need to be more than solid to stick with the first-team offense this season.
