The New Orleans Saints fell to the Houston Texans 17-13 in the first preseason game of the year. We all know these results mean little, though, compared to the individual performances of the Saints players on the field. With more Saints roster cuts heading into Week 2 of the preseason vs. the Green Bay Packers, there are several players on the bubble who need to play well this week. Here are three players who must impress head coach Dennis Allen in the Saints preseason Week 2 game ahead of the upcoming roster cuts.
Saints players who must impress in preseason Week 2
QB Ian Book
Jameis Winton is the No. 1 QB on the Saints roster in 2022, and Andy Dalton is No.2/1A if Winston falters. The New Orleans roster is unique because the No. 3 QB, Taysom Hill, also plays tight end for the team.
Whether or not Dennis Allen keeps a third QB on the final 53-man Saints roster is a decision the new head coach will have to make. A lot of that decision will probably come down to how Ian Book plays in the preseason.
Book wasn’t great vs. the Texans. He played the majority of the game, going 15-of-22 with no touchdowns and one interception. Under his guidance, the Saints only managed two field goals, albeit with mostly backups or players who won’t be on the team.
The former Notre Dame signal-caller has one, maybe two more opportunities to impress Allen. To do so, he needs to play much better in the Saints preseason Week 2 matchup with the Packers.
WR Tre’Quan Smith
The Saints roster is crowded at wide receiver in 2022. Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry starting locks, with Marquez Callaway probably being in the mix, too.
Tre'Quan Smith is heading into his fifth NFL season and, despite promising flashes, has never developed into a starting-caliber wideout. He’s missed 14 games in four seasons and never produced more than 34 catches, 448 yards, or five TDs in a campaign.
Heading into the second Saints preseason game, Smith needs to make some noise to secure his spot. After just one catch for 15 yards vs. the Texans, the next game becomes even more important.
Smith is not a developmental prospect anymore. So even if he is the fifth- or sixth-best Saints receiver right now, a youngster like undrafted rookie Dai'Jean Dixon out of Nicholls State (who had three catches for 33 yards last game) could nab the final Saints roster spot.
TE Nick Vannett
Once again, the Saints roster abnormality of having Taysom Hill comes into play here. Whether Allen will keep two or three TEs behind Hill remains to be seen. Adam Trautman has improved in his first two years and will definitely make the team.
After that, it comes down to three players for one or two spots. Third-year vet Juwan Johnson and rookie Lucas Krull are both basically big wide receivers in tight end bodies. Neither blocks as well as Vannett, but they both have No. 1 TE attributes and could develop into dangerous weapons someday.
After six seasons in the NFL (and one on the Saints roster), Vannett is what he is at this point. The question that the team will try to answer in the Saints preseason Week 2 game against the Packers is, is that good enough to keep him and cut loose one or both of the TE prospects?
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