The Saints’ off-season situation: special teams

With some coaching additions, the Saints could get some momentum this week. They currently have an opening for a Senior Offensive Assistant and three position coaches for their offense. The season will officially finish after next Sunday, leaving a hole for football enthusiasts. We’re coming to the end of our offseason projections for the Saints, examining our spot on the special teams roster. THE OFFSEASON SAINTS SERIES’ STATE: Linebacker, Cornerback, Safety, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Wide Receiver, Tight End, and Quarterback Overview of Saints Special Teams

Oct. 1, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA: In the first quarter at the Caesars Superdome, New Orleans Saints place kicker Blake Grupe (19) makes a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Required Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Matt Hinton On October 1, 2023, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, the New Orleans Saints place kicker At the Caesars Superdome, Blake Grupe (19) makes a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter. Credit Required: Matthew Hinton, USA TODAY Sports The following players are under contract: Isaiah Foskey, Jordan Howden, Taysom Hill, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Lou Hedley, Zach Wood, J.T. Gray, Rashid Shaheed, Nephi Sewell, D’Marco Jackson, and Blake Grupe. Zack Baun, Andrew Dowell, Lonnie Johnson Jr., Jonathan Abram, and Ty Summers are the free agent outlook. Low Priority Level

To ensure that we don’t miss out on any key players for the kick teams, you’ll see that we included a few extra players for special teams. The Rick Gosselin Special Teams Rankings saw the Darren Rizzi effect turn in a second overall unit, marking the sixth time in the previous six years that Rizzi’s teams had placed in the Top 5. Leaders for the Saints Special Teams Snap Count 2023 Zack Baun 82.8 %, 385 Jackson, D’Marco – 384 (82.6%) Ty Summers – 65.2%, 303 Gray, J.T. – 301 (64.7%) 57.4%, or Isaac Yiadom, – 267 Sewell Nephi – 266 (57.2%) 249 (53.6%) Lonnie Johnson Jr. The special teams choices from the previous season come to mind first when considering risky plays. Putting Wil Lutz and Blake Gillikin behind us in favor of

Not everything went as planned for the two undrafted rookies, especially in the beginning of the season when things didn’t exactly appear flawless. This was not precisely a novel circumstance for Darren Rizzi; he has experienced something similar in Miami before. Grupe went on to finish eighth in the NFL in terms of scoring, totaling 130 points, while the Saints’ kick return unit placed third in the league, conceding 18.8 yards per return on average.

Regarding Grupe’s rookie season, there was something really intriguing that Assistant Special Teams Coach Phil Galiano of the Senior Bowl revealed. He described it as a year above ordinary for him. “I think we’re really excited about his future,” Galiano stated. “You know what, he had a really, really good year,” you may be saying in a different conversation if we could get back the two short kicks that he missed. He missed them, but he learned from them, but you can’t.” He went on to emphasize that his second season will result in a significant jump, primarily because Grupe is skilled with his body. He made reference to the fact that he didn’t precisely

take a sabbatical, practicing for the combine, pro day, and rookie camp after his college graduation. Grupe will be experiencing some rest for the first time in a while, which should theoretically improve him.

When it comes to Lou Hedley, his punting approach is rather unconventional. Although the rugby approach doesn’t exactly look nice or result in big punts, the numbers speak louder than words. With an average of 5.6 yards per return, New Orleans emerged as the league’s top team. The idea and logic behind this is that you may kick the ball 60 yards, giving up a return of 10 to 15 yards, and then only punt it 45 yards, receiving little to no return, and yet end up with the same net. The only player from the Saints to be chosen to the Pro Bowl through voting was Rashid Shaheed, who also finished as a First-Team All-Pro. At 13.6 yards per return, he was third in the NFL in punt return yards (339). HeWhen it comes to Lou Hedley, his punting approach is rather unconventional. Although the rugby approach doesn’t exactly look nice or result in big punts, the numbers speak louder than words. With an average of 5.6 yards per return, New Orleans emerged as the league’s top team. The idea and logic behind this is that you may kick the ball 60 yards, giving up a return of 10 to 15 yards, and then only punt it 45 yards, receiving little to no return, and yet end up with the same net. The only player from the Saints to be chosen to the Pro Bowl through voting was Rashid Shaheed, who also finished as a First-Team All-Pro. At 13.6 yards per return, he was third in the NFL in punt return yards (339). He

same manner with bread and butter. The Saints should have another strong special teams squad heading into the upcoming year, regardless of how they get there.