New Orleans Saints fans will get to see many of their team’s new additions in Sunday’s preseason opener with the Kansas City Chiefs, but one player not expected to hit the field at the Caesars Superdome is Jaylon Smith. The former Pro Bowl linebacker arrived in town so recently that the team doesn’t want to rush him into action before he’s had time to fully pick up the playbook and settle in with new teammates.
Still, he’ll be available to play should something severe happen. Saints head coach Dennis Allen laid out the vision for his role in Week 1’s exhibition game after Friday’s training camp practice session: “I wouldn’t expect for him to play. You know, he’s only been here 24 hours. We’ll have him ready in an emergency situation if we need him, but I don’t expect him to play Sunday.”
But it’ll take a lot to create the kind of emergency that would force Smith into action. Even if Demario Davis misses this game (a calf injury has sidelined him for a week), the Saints still have young linebackers like D’Marco Jackson, Nephi Sewell, Anfernee Orji, and Nick Andeson who need those reps to develop their game. Journeymen veterans like Ty Summers and Ryan Connelly are also in the mix. And of course there’s a full first quarter worth of snaps for Pete Werner and Zack Baun to work with. Smith’s time will come, but fans may need to be patient before he sees a heavy workload.
