Top 10 New Orleans Saints to watch at training camp: No. 9, Kenny Vaccaro
It was indeed a down year for Kenny Vaccaro a season ago. After being honored as a top rookie in 2013, the New Orleans Saints safety found himself in a bit of a rut, something we like to call a “sophomore slump.”
Perhaps it was a series of injuries that kept Kenny Vaccaro’s production to a minimum. He exited his rookie campaign early after suffering a broken ankle, and according to the former Texas Longhorn standout, that same ankle bothered him for a majority of 2014.
On top of that, soon after the season came to end, it was reported that he had played 2014 in its entirety with a partially torn hamstring. He also didn’t have much help after All-Pro safety Jairus Byrd landed on injured reserve just four weeks into the season during his first year in New Orleans.
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No matter the situation, it was a down year for Kenny Vaccaro. Plain and simple. Now at full health, and with a new, strong supporting cast surrounding him, the former first-round pick, who eventually found himself riding the bench last season, looks to shake off the dust and shine as a promising young safety in a potentially dangerous secondary. With additional experience, he could have a huge season, and it all begins when the Saints kick off training camp July 30.
The skill set of Kenny Vaccaro is undeniable, and that will be something to look for over the next month and half. He’s fast, explosive, physical, and possesses the uncanny ability to stretch the field from sideline to sideline. There is a Pro Bowl athlete in this kid. Coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis didn’t draft him with the team’s first pick in 2013 for nothing.
With much adversity to overcome in 2015 as the New Orleans Saints look to get back on the road to the promised land, just make sure to keep an eye on this kid. Sometimes it’s not all that easy, but good health and focus usually pay off for hard-working athletes, and I believe we’ll get a glimpse of that from start to finish in the mountains of West Virginia when training camp gets underway.
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