Why the short-term absences of Andrus Peat and Josh Hill could benefit the Saints

Dallas Cowboys DT Gerald McCoy went down with a season-ending quad injury on Monday. Devastating injuries are common in training camp practices, and most teams are affected by less serious injuries every preseason before they even play the first meaningful game. Injuries could be even more common through training camp practices and early into the regular season this year. NFL teams could not conduct team workouts over the offseason because of Covid-19 safety concerns, which also caused the cancellation of all preseason games.

The New Orleans Saints have not gone unscathed through the first few days since the official start of training camp. Starting LG Andrus Peat will miss a couple weeks with a thumb injury, and TE Josh Hill will miss time with an undisclosed injury, according to a team announcement on Tuesday. We believe neither injury to be serious, and New Orleans has the depth to withstand the brief absence of both players.

Peat is a key member of the New Orleans offensive line and has made the last two Pro Bowls as an alternate, but Nick Easton will take most reps with the starting offensive line while Peat is sidelined. The 28-Yr old Easton played well in relief of an injured Peat for six games in 2019 and is an experienced NFL starter. He now has a better opportunity to earn a roster spot after being viewed as a bubble player and potential cut by some.

While Peat's injury thins out a powerful New Orleans offensive line temporarily, it also allows an extra opportunity for some of the team’s younger backups to get additional reps and establish themselves. Undrafted rookie linemen like Calvin Throckmorton, Darrin Paulo, and Jordan Steckler should now have increased reps, giving them a chance to make an impression on coaches they lost with the lack of preseason games. Veterans like James Hurst, Will Clapp, Ethan Greenidge, and Cameron Tom now also have a chance to separate themselves with extra work as well in the fierce battle for offensive line roster jobs.

Losing Hill, one of the league's best blockers at the position, would also be problematic if he’s out for an extended period. The Saints were already thin at TE because of the decisions of Cole Wick and Jason Vander Laan to opt-out for the season. New Orleans signed TE Ethan Wolf, who was on the Rams practice squad in 2019, to provide extra depth. Rookie 3rd round pick Adam Trautman will now have extra looks while Hill recovers.

Trautman is an exciting receiving prospect at TE that could be groomed to be a starter in 2021. Tommy Stevens, a rookie 7th round pick, now has a key opportunity to grab the attention of coaches. A college quarterback, Stevens has been compared to Taysom Hill because of his versatile athleticism and was switched to TE on the team's depth chart last week. Obviously inexperienced at the position, Stevens has the advantage of extra reps now to gain additional experience to develop.

Injuries are never pleasant for any team, but they are an unfortunate certainty that every team must deal with. The New Orleans Saints have constructed one of the NFL's deepest teams at nearly every position, one that is built to withstand the eventuality of injuries.

While there are certain players on the Saints roster that are indispensable, this team should still perform at a high level even with talents like Andrus Peat and Josh Hill on the mend for a short time. Their absence during training camp might even turn out to be a small blessing, allowing younger players to develop faster with extra reps and further strengthening their depth.