Preseason Week 3: Rapid-fire Takes on the Third and Final Review

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Credit - The Canadian Press


By Dan Levy - Staff Writer - Saintsreport.com
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No need for an introduction--let's jump right in.

• The Saints' starting offense and defense looked phenomenal, and it was great to see QB Jameis Winston operating the offense with even more confidence and command than we saw last season. His most impressive play of the evening came on 1st & 15, when he climbed the pocket, took a serious blindside hit, and still managed to deliver a strike to WR Jarvis Landry for the first down. All doubts should now be erased that Winston is ready for the regular season.
• There is very little drop-off between Winston and QB2 Andy Dalton in terms of how they run the offense. Winston is clearly the starter, but either of these guys could take this team to the playoffs.
• And let's not forget about the much-maligned second-year QB Ian Book. Once again, Book took the majority of the snaps, and compared to the first two games (the Texans game, in particular), he looked like a different player. I've noted before that Book essentially got the baby bird treatment this preseason, with the coaches kicking him straight out of the nest. And not to belabor the metaphor, but his wings finally seemed to be catching some wind against the Chargers. He ran the offense with a ton of confidence, made good decisions, was more willing to climb the pocket, and really showed what he brings to the position in terms of athleticism. He is still a long way from ready--and I fully expect him to be sent to the practice squad--but it was great to see some concrete progress out of the youngster. His stark improvement from game to game has been very encouraging.
• The starting OL was out for blood, flat out blowing the Chargers' defense off the ball. I hope Trevor Penning's injury isn't serious because I am officially ready for him to be the starting LT; he seriously might be the best run blocker on the team. The only issue I could see keeping him out of the initial starting lineup (other than the injury) is communication. Because execution-wise, any technical gap remaining between him and James Hurst when it comes to pass protection is already negated by the fact that Penning is a freaking centaur. But in terms of communication and assignment, it is difficult to really grasp where the rookie is from the outside looking in.
• RBs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram look as good as they ever have.
• WR Jarvis Landry is going to be a critical player on third down.
• Rookie WR Chris Olave is much more than a big-play threat in this offense.
• Defensively (and overall) I know there has been some concern about depth at various positions, but rarely does a team lose an entire starting unit during the season. The point is, DE Payton Turner looks a lot different with Cam Jordan and David Onyemata on the field. LB Eric Wilson pretty solid with Demario Davis next to him. And so forth.
• Speaking of Eric Wilson, I always saw his offseason signing as an effort to replace Kwon Alexander. Wilson is very athletic and a little more of a downhill thumper than Kwon, but in terms of his role in the rotation, I have to say that Wilson has been a little disappointing when it comes to pass coverage.
  • There is a noticeable gap between Eric Wilson and Kwon Alexander in terms of coverage instincts and range. Pete Werner is solid vs. the pass and can handle the nickel LB role just fine (his ability to function as a 3-down LB is part of what made Kwon Alexander expendable). But Werner's lingering injury is, in my opinion, what has largely opened the door for UDFA rookie Nephi Sewell.
  • In my last article I noted that Sewell showed impressive instincts. But he is pretty undersized and still trying to keep up with the brutal phsyciality of NFL run defense. He is certainly not an every-down LB just yet, but one area where his game is pretty strong is pass coverage. I could see Sewell making the team on that alone, contributing as a nickel LB--at least until Pete Werner is ready to go.
• If Jon Bostic doesn't make this team, it won't be because of his play on defense. He's hands-down the best true MIKE I see on the team behind Demario Davis. Kaden Ellis is much better suited as an outside LB, either off the ball as a WILL or on the ball as a SAM vs. heavier run personnel. Eric Wilson can play MIKE and WILL, but Bostic's presence in the middle really stands out.
• I hope S Justin Evans has done enough on special teams to make the squad because his play on defense has been inspiring. That's a hell of a safety to have coming off the bench. I think Daniel Sorensen may have the edge on him as a special teams contributor, but it's hard to not keep Evans at this point. Along with WR, safety could be a position where the Saints go heavy on the final 53.
• Speaking of WRs, Kirk Merritt finally had a chance to make his case--and boy did he. I know a lot was made of him taking snaps at RB during practice, but that seems to have been more of an in-house evaluation to find some added value. And if he does make the roster beause of that versiatility, it may ultimately be at the expense of a 4th RB...
  • Like rookie RB Abram Smith. While I do consider myself a Smith fan, I just don't know if the UDFA has done enough to make the final 53. I have not seen him showing up much on special teams, which has been disappointing. And while he is great in terms of finding yards where there aren't any and has a knack for consistently falling forward, he doesn't break a lot of first-level tackles. This is typical of slasher-type RBs, who excel on zone schemes where they get to build a few yards of steam before having to pick and slide their way between tacklers. Given that he didn't light up the preseason, I think there's pretty good odds he'll clear waivers and make the practice squad. It's tough to see Smith making the roster just as a dirty-yards runner.
• I don't know what's going on with rookie WR Rashid Shaheed. The Saints had him padded up last night, but he never stepped on the field. Given the UDFA signing bonus he was given--even though he was injured at the time--I have to believe the Saints have a vision for him. From the few clips I've seen of him in practice, he moves really well--dare I say Olave-like? And even with Shaheed receiving zero preseason snaps, it's hard to see him clearing waivers and landing on the practice squad. My gut tells me he'll be headed for the NFI or PUP list to start the season.
• I mentioned this in my last article, but for me, the most interesting under the radar player is DB Brian Allen. He's 6'3, crazy athletic for his size, and is taking snaps at CB, S, and Ni. He has been consistently around the ball in every game, and while he tends to lean on his athleticism to make up for some technical issues, this guy oozes potential. That said, the defensive backfield is pretty crowded and I don't know if he clears waivers to make the practice squad. And if he doesn't, I 100% expect to see him shining somewhere else in the league.

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