Saints: Adam Trautman considered the best-kept secret on the roster

Every NFL team has a “secret weapon” and for the New Orleans Saints, it very well could be second-year tight end, Adam Trautman. The Saints spent a third-round pick on Trautman in last year’s draft and Trautman had just 171 yards with one touchdown during his rookie campaign, not instilling much confidence in him.

Now that Jared Cook and Josh Hill are no longer in New Orleans, however, it’ll open things up more for Trautman to take off and become one of the better tight ends in the league. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report put together a list of every NFL team’s best-kept secret and Trautman was New Orleans’.

Knox threw this tidbit in at the end of his blurb on Trautman and I found it rather interesting:

"With Taysom Hill competing to be the starting quarterback, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Trautman also take over as Sean Payton’s proverbial Swiss Army knife."

This isn’t something I’ve really thought of before. Maybe that’s because I’m assuming, like many other Saints fans, that Jameis Winston is going to be the starting quarterback, but is Trautman really going to be utilized in this kind of role?

Saints tight end Adam Trautman isn’t well-known but that could change this year.

Despite not doing much as a rookie, Trautman made the cut of PFF’s tight end rankings entering the 2021 season. He came in at No. 30, just barely making it onto the list of the 32 best tight ends for the upcoming season. This ranking isn’t disrespectful by any means because Trautman caught just 15 passes last year and is relatively unknown.

The good news is that Trautman has a big opportunity ahead of him to step up and prove he was worthy of a third-round pick and now he has the platform to do so. With no other tight ends ahead of him on the depth chart, there are no more excuses for the former Dayton tight end.

Adam Trautman has a chance to go from unknown wonder to one of the better tight ends in the league. New Orleans Saints fans are definitely hoping that by the end of the year, Trautman is no longer a “secret” on the roster.