The New Orleans Saints open preseason action against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday, and though starters aren’t very active in the preseason with some not playing in the first exhibition game at all, Saints head coach Dennis Allen says that won’t be the case this week. Saints fans will get their first look at Derek Carr when the team kicks off with Kansas City.
“Yeah, I would expect our guys to play at least in the first preseason game, (then) we’ll see where we’re at,” Allen said after Monday’s training camp practice, following up by specifically highlighting the quarterback situation. “I would expect that we’ll see a lot of (Jake) Haener. We’ll see Derek, we’ll see Jameis, you know, we’ll see Haener.”
Allen is making the right call here. Carr might be entering his 10th year in the NFL, but this is only his first year with New Orleans. He could benefit from some live reps just as much as the backup quarterbacks. This is a new-look offense. Olave is a constant from last year who is primed to breakout. It will be interesting to see what workload Michael Thomas receives, but he could benefit from reps in a game situation. This is also a chance to see how well Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller can fill in for Alvin Kamara as he serves a three-week suspension to open the regular season.
The same theory extends over to the defense as well, specifically on the defensive line. The interior of the line will look vastly different from last year after investing in several free agents (Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders) as well as a first-round draft pick (Bryan Bresee). Between rookie defensive linemen, veterans who are entering a new system, and players looking to step into a bigger role as the starting defensive end opposite Cameron Jordan, the Saints need to see these players in action against other teams. There’s always a risk of injury, but Allen believes the upside is worth it.
