By: Jake Rajala

The signing of Taysom Hill in 2017 by Sean Payton was one of the most underrated moves by the Saints head coach of the past several seasons. Hill has clearly overperformed as a player that originally had minimal expectations to make the 53 man roster. 

Hill first started to shine on special teams and he would make his presence felt by getting tackles on the kickoff coverage. It was strange witnessing the backup QB run down the field and make the tackle. Nonetheless, Hill did whatever it took to succeed in between the white lines. 

Hill’s role would obviously increase from a special teams try-hard to a swiss army knife (QB, RB, WR, TE), and then he would earn playing time at QB ”” even with Drew Brees healthy. Hill would then often garner his playing time as a rushing threat at the QB spot. After the Saints playoff loss against the Minnesota Vikings in 2020, Hill started to gain national recognition for being the best player in his team’s losing effort. 

It wasn’t clear if the Saints would keep Hill, sign him to a long-term contract, or trade him to a team like New England (who was reportedly interested) after the 2020 postseason. Hill would of course be a pivotal backup QB last season, where he would go 3-1 as the starting QB. In the 2021 season, the football audience saw Hill go 2-1 in his second route as a starting QB. Although, it’s worth mentioning Hill hasn’t been close to average in any of his starting games this season. 

Yes, Hill has suffered a finger injury and it’s affected his performance. Although, I’d say it’s clear that this season hasn’t gone the way he planned since August. Hill lost the starting gig to Jameis Winston in training camp, Hill faced injuries earlier in the season, and now the 31-year-old, beaten-up QB is out of the lineup with COVID. 

The swiss army knife we’ve got to love can’t continue to be very effective for much longer. There aren’t many effective skill players at 31 – 32 years old. I don’t believe that the Saints should see a plethora of potential in him at this stage, also as a pocket passer. He still should maintain a solid combination of speed and arm talent for a few more seasons, but he shouldn’t be heavily relied on as a WR/TE long term, or really a QB that has a very high ceiling anymore. 

The free-agent QB class in 2022 is modest, but there are only a few QBs that will be given starting QB expectations. Teams will surely be on the trade block for a QB. QBs like Gardner Minshew, Baker Mayfield, Drew Lock, and Taysom Hill could be dealt. Teams like the Lions (think former Saints TEs coach Dan Campbell), Cardinals, or Eagles would all be ideal fits for Hill’s skillset.

Sean Payton will be searching for a starting QB this offseason and count on Jameis Winston being the floor in terms of interest. The Saints could very well reshape their QB room and it’s not clear whether they will want to keep Hill’s situation on the shelf. And if Ian Book shows that he has real potential and he is able to make plays against the Dolphins, it could cement him as the future QB2 and erase any need for the gritty Hill to be in the QB room. 

Payton isn’t scared to send a fan favorite playmaker out of the building if the right offer sits on his desk. Who Dat Nation saw Jimmy Graham and Brandin Cooks both shipped off the team for controversial deals. Don’t be shocked if Hill is the next Saints weapon to take his talents elsewhere — after the former BYU prospect skyrocketed his career in the Big Easy.

The post Saints should really trade Taysom Hill after the season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has had an interesting career up to this point. He has been an anomaly on the football field, not being stuck in the mold of any one particular position. He has spent time all over the field, from quarterback and tight end to special teams standout. 

Until the 2020 season, Hill had never been really utilized as a quarterback. Over two seasons he threw 13 passes for just over 100 yards. Over those same two seasons, he was utilized in more of a running role. He had 64 carries and 352 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. 

Hill hit his stride this past season. The 30-year old stepped into a true quarterback role for part of the season. In the four games that Hill started, the Saints went 3-1. Hill played well in his four starts, throwing four touchdowns and adding another four on the ground. He finished the season with 13 touchdowns and 1438 yards from scrimmage. 

After the end of the 2020 season and the retirement of longtime quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints restructured Hill’s contract. 

The deal could lock Hill in with the Saints for some time, or they could be out of it at the end of the season. The Saints could find themselves in an odd situation with Hill, especially when looking at how they can get themselves out of his contract. 

At nearly 31-years old, it is hard to envision Hill as the future quarterback of this team. The Saints also have a six-year veteran and former number one pick, Jameis Winston. It is assumed that Winston will be the QB1 heading into this upcoming season. A decision that puts Hill as the number one would shock the NFL. 

New Orleans also added Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Book could be the eventual long-term quarterback for the Saints but won’t be ready to go in his rookie season. 

With the quarterback situation in New Orleans, it begs to ask the question of what should the Saints do with Taysom Hill? After showing that he can play the quarterback position at an at least average level, should they trade him? Or, do they keep him as a backup to be there in case Winston struggles in his role? Both options are possible and the Saints could entertain the idea of a trade. Let’s take a look at both options. 

Why Hill could be traded

Hill could be the perfect option for a team that loses their QB1. Unexpected injuries happen every season and not every team has a backup that can step up and still win them games. That is where Hill could step in and play a role. 

Hill’s duality on the field could make teams want to add him to their roster as well. His impact on the field could help teams expand their offensive game plans, much like New Orleans has been able to do up to this point. He could expand a team’s run game and influence things all over the offensive side of the ball. He could an impressive TE2 and a dual-threat QB on a team that wants more explosion out of the backfield. Teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers would make intriguing landing spots.

Why the Saints could keep Hill

The Saints quarterback room outside of Winston and Hill is one of the weakest in the NFL. As previously noted, rookie quarterback Ian Book will more than likely be brought along slowly. The fourth quarterback on the roster is Trevor Siemian. Siemian has had difficulties in the NFL and the Saints may see him as the backup they would like to have. 

At 30 years old, New Orleans may not get a return in a trade that makes it worth it to move Hill, especially with the role that he plays for the team. He will be 31 by the time the regular season starts and it could make sense for both sides for Hill to just stay with the Saints. 

After weighing both options, the Saints would be better off having Hill on their roster. He is a proven security blanket, a player that can step in when called upon, which he proved that last season. Most teams would like to have a player with his talent on their roster, and the Saints could make a big mistake by moving him. There is also an inspirational factor in which many Saints fans adhere to his underdog story.

The post Should the Saints consider trading Taysom Hill? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Joe Pepe

The 2020 NFL season is ending Sunday with the Super Bowl. We all know, though, that football is a year-round sport due to its offseason. 2021 will be an intense offseason compared to recent years due to the free-agent market’s amount of talent. One team that will have to make some moves will be the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints roll into this offseason with a lot of cap issues for the franchise. They are, at the moment, over $100 million past the base salary cap. With restrictions being necessary for 2021, the Saints will have to move some talent on their squad to meet the requirements for every NFL team. The offseason is for speculations, and none could be more significant than what the Saints organization does with their quarterback position in the possibility of Drew Brees’ retirement.

One scenario the Saints could look into is trading Taysom Hill. His base salary for 2021 is over $10 million. Hill entered the starting role this year when Drew Brees went down with multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung. Hypothetically speaking, if the Saints moved on from Hill, they would need to find suitors to execute this trade.

Remember the Saints roster Jameis Winston in 2020, now a free agent; however, Sean Payton could bring back to the team on a cheaper deal. Who would be the perfect trade partners for Taysom Hill?

Trade Option Number One

The Washington Football Team (WFT) had a stellar year that most analysts did not predict. Washington has a strong defense, a budding number one wide receiver in Terry McLaurin, a strong backfield, and a young stud at tight end with Logan Thomas. The piece the team is missing is at quarterback.

Alex Smith is a free agent this offseason. Smith could move on in free agency, or he could retire. One of the rumors swirling around the NFL is a reunion between Ron Rivera and his former Carolina Panthers (now a free agent) Cam Newton. Between Newton and Hill’s albeit small sample size, Hill outperformed Newton on the NFL field this offseason.

Washington was involved in the Matt Stafford sweepstakes and rumored to be running for disgruntled Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson. However, if they lose in the Watson sweepstakes, Washington could turn their eyes to Hill. This contract would allow New Orleans to dump off one of their contracts while allowing Washington to increase their quarterback room talent.

Trade Option Number Two

Rumors have been swirling around the Twitterverse about the Chicago Bears being in the running for a new quarterback, most leads pointing to Carson Wentz. Bears fans (and NFL fans in general) are questioning why you would bring back the pairing of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles to lead to another carousel between the two veteran quarterbacks. Instead, the Bears could reach out to the Saints for their dual-threat quarterback, who went 3-1 in relief of Brees. Hill’s dual-threat ability would allow for their running game to blossom with David Montgomery, who made a surge at the end of 2020 in the Bears’ backfield.

Trade Option Number Three

This trade scenario with the Niners would be the least likely of the three written in this article. According to rumors, the Niners have been looking to upgrade all offseason at the quarterback position. Taysom Hill would all the running capability to an offense loaded with weapons such as George Kittle, Debo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and a plethora of running backs. An interesting stat to consider: Taysom Hill’s, in his brief stint starting, highest yards per attempt were 10.13; Jimmy Garoppolo best game (with the same stat) was 11.08

Neither quarterback was throwing deep down the field this season. Hill, however, possesses the ability to bring his running abilities to Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The Niners would avoid Garoppolo’s base salary of $24 million in 2021 by trading their once Super Bowl quarterback trade. With the Saints in salary cap trouble, this scenario is more of a pipe dream than a realistic opportunity.

Where would you like to see Taysom Hill play in 2021? Let us know at @profootballman1; @jpep20 is also my username if you want to discuss Hill more!

The post Three Teams That Could Trade For Taysom Hill: WFT Could be a Fit appeared first on Pro Football Mania.