Saints' Payton: Practice becomes preseason for Rookies

When asked about UDFA WR Marquez Callaway, New Orleans Saints HC Sean Payton discussed the disadvantage for rookies and UDFAs this season.

"This whole group [UDFAs] are coming in at a little bit of a disadvantage [this season]."  Sean Payton

2020 has been a year of unknowns for millions of people worldwide. That remains the case for the New Orleans Saints 11 UDFAs and the four rookies of the 2020 draft class. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rookies and UDFAs were without an offseason program and preseason. Consequently, talent evaluation has become very difficult for the Saints coaching staff. For a team that has valued and integrated UDFAs into team success as much as New Orleans has over the last decade, this evaluation process becomes even more critical.  Saints' head coach touched on the uphill battle for this year's UDFA class at Friday's media press conference when SNN beat reporter Kyle T. Mosley asked him about the progress of WR Marquez Callaway.

"This whole group, they are coming in at a little bit of a disadvantage. We talked about this last night. They are coming in without maybe the foundation they normally would have and then the other element they are having to deal with is without playing in preseason games, how do we know who these guys are? And we talked about this a night ago, telling a story about making a first impression. So these practices in essence become their preseason games. All of it is being evaluated." 

Saints Head Coach Sean Payton on UDFAs

The New Orleans Saints signed 11 UDFAs following the 2020 NFL Draft:

• Marquez Callaway, WR, Tennessee 
• Calvin Throckmorton, OT, Oregon 
• Jordan Steckler, OL, Northern Illinois 
• Darrin Paulo, OT, Utah 
• Malcolm Roach, DT, Texas 
• Tony Jones Jr., RB, Notre Dame
• Keith Washington, DB, WVU 
• Joe Bachie, LB, Michigan State 
• Juwan Johnson, WR, Oregon 
• Gus Cumberlander, DL, Oregon (Released)
• Tino Ellis, DB, Maryland (Released/Injury settlement)

SNN's Bob Rose selected Six UDFAs to Watch back in July and highlighted the same disadvantages Coach Payton spoke on Friday.

"The lack of offseason activities has put new free agents and incoming rookies at a significant disadvantage with their new teams. It has created an even larger obstacle for late-round draft picks and undrafted rookies, who statistically face an uphill battle to make NFL rosters under normal circumstances."  Bob Rose

The Saints struck gold with two UDFA just a year ago with DT Shy Tuttle and All-Pro return man Deonte Harris. However, the 2019 pair of UDFAs are just the latest installment of a long line of successful UDFAs under Sean Payton. In the most uncertain and abnormal NFL season in league history, the Saints have to look that much harder to strike a diamond in the rough.

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