Saints: 3 training camp battles to keep an eye on

Number One: Fullback

The only starting position on the New Orleans Saints that is currently up for grabs is the starting fullback position. Literally every other position on the offense and defense we know who the starters will be, except for this one.

The fullback role for the past few seasons was filled by Zach Line who announced his retirement following the heartbreaking loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round this past season. The Saints picked up two fullbacks to compete for the starting job this upcoming season with the signings of Ricky Ortiz and Mike Burton.

The starting job, as of now, is a toss-up.

The early favorite if I had to choose one would likely be Burton simply because of his experience in the NFL. Burton has been in the NFL since 2015 when he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Burton hasn’t touched the ball much, but he looks to change that in New Orleans.

Burton’s competition is Ricky Ortiz. Ortiz, two years younger than Burton at age 26, played in one game with the Saints in 2019 where he had one reception for eight yards. Ortiz blocked very well in that game too.

The Saints could opt to go with the younger guy in this instance, but a strong offseason will make all the difference in who wins the starting job.