We knew the New Orleans Saints starters weren't going to play in the first preseason game after joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. There was a surprise to see Kellen Moore choose to rest Bryce Lance, Vernon Broughton and Danny Stutsman. We were able to get some context behind two of those decisions after the game.
WWL's Jeff Nowak reported that Stutsman got the same treatment as the starters because he has a defined role in the defense. If there was anyone on defense who wasn't a starter but is starter-adjacent, it would be Stutsman. It's like Noah Fant on offense, but the difference in experience between the two is why it's still slightly surprising to see the linebacker not take any snaps.
We've seen Stutsman replace both Elliss and Werner in practice in certain packages in camp, so that's likely what is being alluded to as the defined role. He was a rotational player last year, and that is likely the next step in Stutsman's progression.
Bryce Lance and Vernon Broughton were surprising omissions from the Saints debut
It wasn't hard to guess why Stutsman wasn't suiting up prior to the context. It was a little harder to rationalize why Broughton and Lance weren't suited up.
Moore told reporters that Lance was held out as a precaution due to a minor injury. As a rookie, he needs these reps, so don't expect him to stay on the shelf all preseason. He may get the reps in the two joint practices this upcoming week, but he will still play moving forward.
Lance has been coming on strong, but the Saints played all the rookies that weren't injured. All fans really need to see from Lance is a Barion Brown type of performance. He didn't blow the doors off the hinges in the game, but he confirmed what we've been seeing in camp.
If Lance can do that, it'll be a successful preseason. It'll be even better if he can flash that big play ability.
Broughton is a starter now that Bryan Bresee is out with injury, but he's extremely inexperienced. He got treated like the starters because he is one now. However, this would have been an appropriate time for an exemption.
This is essentially Broughton's rookie season. He only played one game last year, so it would have been beneficial to get him some live action reps. Clearly, the Saints have seen enough in practice though.
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