RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The New Orleans Saints are preparing for their second preseason game, against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday afternoon. While they aren't a team who are hoping to figure out starting spots in these final few games, they are still figuring out the depth rotation and who is going to make the team towards the bottom of the roster.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first game, players like Jayden Price, Bub Means and Michael Heldman are examples of players who took that opportunity by storm and had fantastic starts. All three are fighting for their jobs and applied pressure to the others who are in the same situation.
Here's a look at the Saints rotational pieces who are under the most pressure heading into this second game:
QB Spencer Rattler
Rattler was the talk of camp heading up to this game, with many praising the strides he made during the offseason. As soon as he hit the field, though, he regressed to what he looked like when the team switched to Tyler Shough as the starter. Rattler was gun-shy and afraid to make that big play. He completed 8-of-11 passes, but only being able to generate 42 yards is not great. Zach Wilson looked better, putting himself into a real spot to compete for the backup job. Rattler can't afford another lackluster game on Saturday.
RB Kendre Miller
Whenever Miller is healthy, he is a great talent to watch. The problem is that he can't stay on the field. Through three seasons, he has played in 21 games. Now, he's entering the final year. There is plenty of opportunity with Travis Etienne not playing and Alvin Kamara banged up. Miller already missed the first preseason game, so he is already behind the curve. There is a lot of talent in that running back room, even in the depth. If he doesn't perform or gets hurt again, he could definitely miss the roster.
WR Kevin Austin Jr.
Similar to what's going on in the running back room, the early Jordyn Tyson injury has created another opportunity for snaps. Austin has been around for a while and is a solid blocker whom the team clearly trusts, but he has people to beat out to make the team. Bub Means has a great relationship with Zach Wilson and had a great first preseason game. Trey Palmer has return upside and big speed potential. Barion Brown and Bryce Lance are exciting rookies. Austin needs to bring something more to the table if he wants to begin the year active.
CB Dalys Beanum
Sometimes it's good to hear a cornerback's name, such as with Jayden Price in the first game. In that same game, however, Beanum was also a name called often, but for much worse reasons. The Jaguars made it a priority to target him. He was thrown at six times and allowed a catch each time, per Pro Football Focus . Now it's time to see how he responds after the weak performance in Week 1. If he can come out and wash away that game with a solid Week 2, he could potentially fight for one of those lower cornerback rotation spots.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 4 New Orleans Saints under the most pressure to perform vs. Rams
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