The Saints’ offense will have a new look under center this year with Derek Carr in place. The process of tailoring the unit to the free agent addition has been an important one for New Orleans, but the team has once again been tasked with finding the right balance of alignments and playing time for Taysom Hill. 
The veteran Swiss Army knife was, as expected, not used as a long-term option as a quarterback last season. Instead, he transitioned to more of a hybrid tight end role (albeit one which involved only nine receptions on 13 targets) last season. Hill’s most effective usage was on the ground, as usual. The 32-year-old registered 575 yards and seven touchdowns on a career-high 96 carries. More of the same in that regard is expecting heading into the coming campaign.
“I feel like we’re starting to figure out what is normal again,” Hill said, via John DeShazler of the team’s website. “I felt like ’20 and ’21 were so abnormal that I don’t know what that is now. We’ve had a lot of change here the last few years, and I feel like being here the last few days with the guys and the team, I feel like everyone is gelling really well… I think we’re trying to find this happy medium and happy balance of like, hey, let’s be realistic with what we’re going to ask you do to this season and make sure that you’re getting the time and the reps on those things.”
The Saints have Carr on the books through 2026 after making a splash in free agency to acquire him in March, and the team retained Jameis Winston as well. With those two comfortably atop the QB depth chart, Hill and the team’s coaching staff can turn their attention to his usage as a rusher and pass-catcher. More emphasis in the latter department would suit Hill as he looks to keep adapting his game, though.
“I think that’s kind of stuff that hasn’t been explored a ton with me here,” he added. “I think running routes and catching balls, that was a foreign thing for me and I also think because of that, we haven’t done a ton of it and I think there’s some opportunities there that we just haven’t explored yet. As I look at next season, I think the hope and the expectation is that that expands a little bit.”
New Orleans has a crowded TE room with Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson each set to take up signficant snaps and targets. Hill will compete with those two for playing time in a pass-catching role during training camp, but his abilities on the ground as well as special teams figure to allow him to remain a key player in the Saints’ overall success. His restructured contract runs through 2025, so he should be in place in his current role for years to come.
His current roll is a Prune Danish.
The Saints will cut Tayson Hill to save $6.8 under the cap. This will allow him to sign with Denver. I can see Washington, Arizona, Cinncy, Green Bay, and Miami having a visit with Hill, but he will eventually land in Denver.
Hill is delusional. The current coaching staff has no interest in using him in his former role now that Derek Carr is on the team.
I suspect that most knives are rather dull and useless after 32 years. Perhaps Taysom can be a starting QB for the Swiss Army team.