New Orleans Saints: 3 Players demanding attention vs. Jaguars in preseason

The starting quarterback battle in the Big Easy has been a talking point for months. But the New Orleans Saints have other questions as well.

The team from the Crescent City has captured the NFC South each of the past four seasons. But somehow a second Super Bowl appearance has eluded the New Orleans Saints. From the Minneapolis Miracle to a non-pass interference call vs. the Rams. To a home overtime loss to the Vikings and a year ago, a setback to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, a team that Sean Payton’s squad handled twice in 2020.

There’s no more Drew Brees and thanks to some salary cap issues, the club lost some key performers. Now the team that has finished first in the division every season since 2017 is looking up at their division rivals from Tampa.

As the Saints host the Jaguars, here are three performers worth keeping an eye on.

3. TE Adam Trautman

The tight end has always been a pivotal part of Sean Payton’s offense, especially in recent years. From Jimmy Graham to Benjamin Watson to Jared Cook. The latter was released this offseason along with Josh Hill. The latter signed with the Lions and then opted for retirement while Cook latched on with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Be it Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill (or both), second-year pro Adam Trautman offers quite the formidable target. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound pro was a third-round pick in 2020 from Dayton. He played in 15 games as a rookie and made five starts.  And he made the most of his opportunities.

The 24-year-old performer was targeted 16 times and caught 15 passes for 171 yards and one score. He also added a four-yard reception in the wild card win over the Bears.