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AROUND THE SHIELD — The Taysom Hill experiment as an NFL quarterback appears to be over, or at the very least, on hiatus in New Orleans.
During a round of interviews with reporters at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday in Palm Beach, Florida, new Saints coach Dennis Allen said the former BYU quarterback was going to be used "a lot more" as a tight end rather than starting quarterback Jameis Winston's backup.
"I think the role for Taysom really is going to be a lot more of F-tight end, move-tight end type of role," Allen said. "I think that's the direction that we need to move with him.
"I think he can be one of the better players in the league in that role. I don't like having Taysom — if Jameis is out there playing quarterback — I don't like Taysom standing next to me on the sideline. And so, I think you'll see him more in that type of role."
The admission comes as the Saints are adding veteran quarterback Andy Dalton on a one-year deal, ESPN reported Tuesday. The deal is reportedly worth up to $6 million for the former Bengals quarterback, per ESPN.
Hill recently signed a unique contract extension that was set to pay him $40 million over four years if he remains with the Saints "in a non-quarterback role." The deal would then be increased to up to $95 million if he became the starting quarterback.
Dalton would also replace backup quarterback Trevor Siemian, who signed a two-year deal worth up to $5 million to become the fourth quarterback with the Bears. The former seventh-round pick in 2015 joins Justin Fields, Nick Foles and Ryan Willis in Chicago.
Hill has had one of the more unique — and versatile — roles in the NFL since joining the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2017, coming off a training camp stint with the Green Bay Packers (the only other club he's known).
The former BYU star has accounted for 31 total touchdowns while playing a variety of quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, running back, H-back, and even some special teams. To date, the Pocatello, Idaho, native has thrown for 2,025 yards, ran for 1,183 yards and 16 scores, caught passes for 388 yards and two scores, while also adding 360 yards in the return game and 16 total tackles during his career.
He's also 7-2 over the past two years as a starting quarterback, so he's not a bad player to keep around. It just won't necessarily be as a quarterback.
"I'm happy that I don't have to go into training camp with a question of whether I'm going to be leading this team or not," Winston said.
Allen said there were several "tough conversations" held with Winston before re-signing him for two more years.
"Jameis was great. And Jameis understands how our business operates," Allen said. "He was great during the process; he and I had a couple of good, tough conversations. I thought it was a good process."
The move comes as the Saints are remaking the organization in the first year of Allen, the former defensive coordinator who succeeded Sean Payton as head coach in January. Among the changes are the departure of Marcus Williams, the former Utah safety who signed a reported five-year, $70 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens on the second day of free agency.
Williams cited the Ravens' culture as key to his inclusion with the new team, though $70 million will go a long way, no doubt.
"It's about the family environment that they already said that they have," Williams said, per USA Today. "You've seen over the years the type of success they've had and the type of guys they bring in — hard working guys, ready to work — and that's the type of person I am.
"I feel like I fit, because I'm always ready to compete, no matter what. Every day is an opportunity to compete and to get better."
The Saints brought in former BYU safety Daniel Sorensen to a veteran's minimum deal, a $1.27 million contract with around $500,000 guaranteed, per New Orleans.Football.
The eighth-year safety has spent his entire career in Kansas City, totaling 12 career interceptions with four returned for touchdowns and five total defensive touchdowns. Sorensen started 10 of the 15 playoff games he played, including the Super Bowl LIV victory over San Francisco.
And he hopes to win more with New Orleans.
"It's a winning franchise; they've proven it over and over to have a good track record," Sorensen said of the Saints in his first interview in New Orleans. "Defensively, I can speak from that standpoint, they've done really well. On special teams, as well, and those are two things that I feel like I can contribute and bring value.
"Hopefully it was a good fit for the both of us."
