The New Orleans Saints are in somewhat of an intriguing position this offseason, with their head coach and offensive coordinator positions in flux they have some work to do coaching wise. But on top of that, they also have quite a few free agents to discuss and figure out whether or not they want to retain them or let them walk.
One of those free agents is fullback Adam Prentice, who has played in 48 games with the Saints since 2021. While his rushing value is not particularly high, his blocking value is something worth noting for the Saints and their new coaching staff.
With that said, here is his career in a nutshell so far, and some key statistics of his:
Career Stats
Prentice has never much been used in the run game, only having 9 rush attempts for 26 yards (2.9 yards per rush) and 6 first downs. He also has 8 receptions on 13 targets for 37 yards (4.6 yards per reception) and 2 first downs. He also has two offensive fumbles in that span, though none came in 2024.
He does get quite a bit of playing time with the special teams room, having 16 tackles in his career, 10 of which being solo and 6 being assisted. When it comes to pass blocking, he has had 67 opportunities in pass blocking, and has only allowed 1 sack and 1 pressure, good for a 98.5% blocking efficiency rate. This translates to run blocking as well, as he often lines up staggered to one side and covers the gaps for the running back. Overall he provides good value in this category, and this is why he has been on the team for four seasons.
Snap Counts
Here are the offensive and special teams snap counts for each season of Prentice’s career, only including games he played in:
2021: Offense 24% (106), Special teams 49% (94)
2022: Offense 18% (120), Special teams 46% (126)
2023: Offense 15% (125), Special teams 39% (137)
2024: Offense 25% (272), Special teams 48% (218)
2024 season review
2024 was one of the better years of Prentice’s career to this point, getting substantial snap counts both on offense and special teams, playing in all 17 games and even starting seven of them (more than the other 3 seasons of his career combined for starts). While he did not have any receptions on four attempts, and did not have any rush attempts, it was a very strong blocking season for him, with only 1 sack and 1 pressure allowed on 29 pass blocking opportunities (96.6% block efficiency rate). Additionally he had no penalties during the season, which is a positive for someone on special teams and in the blocking game.
Stay or go?
To be completely honest the fullback position is one that is either utilized a ton or not at all, and that depends on the head coach. While the Saints head coach position is not resolved as of the writing of this article, having a quality blocker is a good thing one way or another. Prentice has experience with this offense, has produced at a good level in the blocking game, and likely has a few good years of doing so ahead of him. While he is not a huge needle moving signing, keeping him around on a one- or two-year deal to do his job effectively is a good idea for New Orleans.
