What Will Taysom Hills Absence Mean for Saints This Season?
This offseason, the New Orleans Saints were faced with the potential of major departures throughout the roster. Veterans who have commanded the team for years or young players who have the potential to be impact players on winning squads. In the end, the Saints did a pretty good job retaining the leaders such as Alvin Kamara and Cam Jordan, but ended up letting Alontae Taylor leave for the Tennessee Titans and Demario Davis go to the New York Jets.One of the other veteran players that the Saints could have re-signed is QB/TE/RB Taysom Hill, but that has still not happened. With Hill's injuries in recent years and the clear falloff in play, it would be risky to bring him back on really any deal. Yes, the type of flexibility that Hill could bring is something any team would be interested in, but the Saints tried forcing that last season, and we clearly saw how much it negatively affected the offense. It seems like the Saints agree with their lack of interest in the move.So, now with Hill set to be off the roster, the impact is going to be felt. First, just looking at it from a roster-building perspective, the Saints gained some flexibility here. Hill always felt like a player who didn't have one position, so now the Saints can actually designate one spot for one position. Might not be the biggest impact, but could make a difference.The other interesting impact that will happen with Hill on the roster is what Kellen Moore is going to do in situational moments. When Hill was out last season, the Saints had to rely on other players to convert short-yardage situations, but that didn't really happen consistently. So, when Hill came back, Moores attention went straight to him. It really didn't work, but Moores attention stayed with Hill. It was almost a distraction at times, but with Hill off the roster, Moore is going to be forced to find someone else, which may end up being a blessing in disguise.Hill also brought important veteran leadership in the TE room that will be missed. Right now, there really isn't that leader in that group that you would want for a rookie like Oscar Delp. Juwan Johnson could be that person, and with Hill out, it's the perfect time to prove that. But that may not happen. Even with Hill's recent struggles, he was always a great teammate to have and an important voice in the locker room.