It's been an eventful week since our last New Orleans Saints roster projection. With the deadline to cut rosters down from 90 players to just 53 looming one week away, we've learned a lot about the Saints through two preseason games, three joint practices, and a lengthy training camp. But the latest data point is troubling. Kellen Moore's team was embarrassed in a 34-0 shutout loss to the Los Angeles Rams. A lot of players who needed to put their best foot forward instead took a step or two back. Now they're running out of time.
Here's who we have making the cut next week:
Quarterbacks (2)
- On the roster: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler
- On the outs: Zach Wilson, Hunter Dekkers
We weren't ready to anoint Wilson as the new QB2 after he played well against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first preseason game, and that decision looked justified after he fell
flat in that role during the second exhibition game. The bad news is that Rattler didn't look much better. It may not matter who the backup is if Shough misses time this season, but Rattler's larger body of work should help him after Wilson failed to take advantage of his opportunity. Could a veteran with experience in Moore's system like Easton Stick or Cooper Rush sign with the practice squad after roster cuts?
Running backs (4)
- On the roster: Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Audric Estime
- On the outs: Devin Neal, Ty Chandler, CJ Donaldson
This one mostly comes down to health. Neal exited the Rams preseason game with another hamstring injury and Miller ran well on limited snaps before the Saints gave him the rest of the afternoon off. Estime is hurt, too (and so is Kamara), but he's been better throughout the summer and could have an edge over Neal for that fourth spot. But don't be shocked if the Saints keep five running backs on the roster given how many injuries the group has stacked up. Chandler's fumble in the red zone may have put him on the outside looking in.
Tight ends (3)
- On the roster: Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, Oscar Delp
- On the outs: Moliki Matavao, Cody Hardy, Treyton Welch, Zaire Mitchell-Paden
No changes here, but Matavao did as much as he could to help himself before leaving the Rams game with a knee injury. Hopefully it isn't as bad as it looked. He may still have a chance at convincing the Saints to roster four tight ends instead of just three.
Wide receivers (6)
- On the roster: Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, Bryce Lance, Barion Brown, Bub Means
- On the outs: Mason Tipton, Ronnie Bell, Kevin Austin Jr., Trey Palmer, Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Brock Rechsteiner
We're still waiting to learn whether Tyson will start the regular season on injured reserve, which will sideline him for at least the first four games and open a roster spot at wide receiver. The next man up might be Moreno-Cropper, who leads the team in first downs (3), receptions (5) and receiving yards (83) through two preseason games. But he trails both Bell and Palmer in routes run during those exhibition games, and he's drawn half as many targets as Bell in team drills at practice. It's possible the Saints start the season with Tyson inactive on the 53-man roster with Bell, Palmer, and Moreno-Cropper on the practice squad with Tipton on the PUP list.
Offensive line (8)
- On the roster: Kelvin Banks Jr. (tackle), David Edwards (guard), Erik McCoy (center), Cesar Ruiz (guard), Taliese Fuaga (tackle), Asim Richards (tackle), Jeremiah Wright (guard), Will Sherman (guard/center), Easton Kilty (guard)
- On the outs: Barry Wesley (tackle), Torricelli Simpkins III (center), Xavier Truss (guard), Alan Herron (tackle), Alex Wollschlaeger (tackle)
The starting five is set, and Richards has put some distance between himself and the rookies behind him on the depth chart as the backup left tackle. Pro Football Focus charting found he allowed one pressure on 50 snaps in pass protection through two preseason games. Herron gave up nine of them on 48 snaps. Sherman got the nod to start at center in the second exhibition game ahead of Simpkins, who had to exit early with a concussion. But depth still feels light after Radunz went down with a season-ending injury.
Special teams (3)
- On the roster: Zach Wood (snapper), Ryan Wright (punter), Tanner Brown (kicker)
- On the outs: Charlie Smyth (kicker)
We're giving Brown the edge here, but barely, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if the Saints go in an entirely different direction at kicker. Brown's miss from 39 yards to close out the Rams game was his fourth errant kick from under 40 yards this summer (including practice). Those need to be automatic. No NFL kicker missed more than three times from within 40 yards last season.
Defensive line (6)
- On the roster: Vernon Broughton, Nathan Shepherd, Christen Miller, Davon Godchaux, John Ridgeway III, Khristian Boyd
- On the outs: Myles Cole, Jay'Viar Suggs, Brien Taylor Jr., Khalil Saunders
Godchaux returns from an injury at the same time Miller and Ridgeway are nicked up. What are the odds? Boyd was one of the few players showing some fight against the Rams, and he led the team with three quarterback pressures, so maybe he'll finally get a chance to see some snaps in the regular season. All of the injuries here almost necessitate rostering six interior defensive linemen.
Edge rushers (4)
- On the roster: Chase Young, Carl Granderson, Cameron Jordan, Anfernee Jennings
- On the outs: Michael Heldman, Tyree Wilson, Fadil Diggs, Garrett Nelson, Malakai Williams
Heldman fell back to earth in the second preseason game; he didn't register a single quarterback pressure and was pushed around too easily in run defense. It says a lot that Jennings was resting with other roster locks while he and Wilson were active. Right now both Wilson and Heldman look like practice squad candidates.
Linebackers (5)
- On the roster: Kaden Elliss, Pete Werner, Danny Stutsman, Jaylan Ford, Isaiah Stalbird
- On the outs: Deion Jones, Jackson Sirmon, Chris Rumph II
No changes here, even though Sirmon had a ton of tackles in Los Angeles. Ford and Stalbird are going to play a lot of snaps on special teams while offering utility on defense. Elliss will start and likely play every snap. The only question is how often Stutsman cuts into Werner's reps.
Safeties (6)
- On the roster: Justin Reid, Jonas Sanker, Julian Blackmon, Terrell Burgess, Jordan Howden, Lorenzo Styles Jr.
- On the outs: Elliott Davison
It's possible Burgess or Howden get bumped down to the practice squad, but this group feels like it's set from top to bottom. Davison has had a good summer but it feels like there's still a gap between him and more-established pros.
Cornerbacks (4)
- On the roster: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, Martin Emerson Jr., Jayden Price
- On the outs: Isaac Yiadom, Rezjohn Wright, TJ Hall Jr., Dalys Beanum, Mike Reid
As good as Emerson's debut was, he got picked on relentlessly in the second preseason game (giving up four completions on six targets and drawing a penalty). He's a solid choice as a backup but Riley's injury could put him in a more prominent position than the Saints may be comfortable with. They might need one more corner.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Updated Saints 53-man roster projection after two preseason games
