Appearing at the NFL’s annual Owners Meetings in Palm Beach, Dennis Allen shed light on how he plans to employ gadget player Taysom Hill this upcoming season. A jack-of-all-trades, Hill played a variety of positions in 2021, even seeing extended time at quarterback, spelling injured starter Jameis Winston after he was lost to a season-ending ACL tear. Hill and Winston battled for the starting job in training camp last summer, but apparently that won’t be the case in 2022.
Allen made clear Winston won’t have Hill looking over his shoulder this time around. Instead, Hill will return to his usual Swiss Army knife capacity with a particular emphasis on tight end.
“If Jameis is out there playing quarterback, I don’t like Taysom standing next to me on the sideline,” said Allen during Tuesday’s media availability. “A lot more of the F tight end, move tight end type of role. I think that’s the direction that we need to move with [Hill], because I think he may be one of the better players in the league in that role."
A favorite of former coach Sean Payton (who recently announced his “retirement” after 16 years in New Orleans), Hill has lined up all over the formation since joining the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2017, logging snaps at quarterback, tight end, running back and receiver while also playing extensively on special teams.
It’s worth noting Hill’s contract carries up to $4.5 million in performance-based incentives. Now that Jameis is entrenched as New Orleans’ clear QB1, Hill is unlikely to reach any of the benchmarks required for bonuses including escalators for recording at least 3,250 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 65 or higher (minimum 224 attempts).
With Hill concentrating on tight end, the Saints’ backup quarterback position will be contested by incumbents Ian Book (who made one start as a rookie in 2021) and former Jaguars first-round pick Blake Bortles, assuming New Orleans doesn’t add another arm through the draft or free agency.
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