Barion Brown has been one of the biggest surprises of New Orleans Saints training camp. He made some plays down the field and just didn’t stop, eventually working his way into the first team. Actions speak louder than words, and Kellen Moore didn’t have to say a word to tell Saints fans what he thinks of Brown.Â
The Saints haven’t played their starters the entire preseason and likely won’t change that against the Dallas Cowboys. The privilege is sitting out has also extended to starter adjacent players like Danny Stutsman and Noah Fant. Apparently, Moore has seen enough to put Brown in that category.
That was the latest surprise and maybe the biggest surprise of them all. After a solid preseason debut and follow up week of practice, Moore told reporters he rested Brown because, "we''re just resting him based off of the workload this week." He's now officially a lock to make the roster.
Barion Brown will at least have a clear role on the Saints offense
Beyond just making the roster, this is a clear indication that Brown will have an offensive role in 2026. We've made a lot about Brown as a returner vs a receiver. He should still contribute on offense and special teams, but the story here is his role as a wide receiver.
Brown didn’t really have to showcase his skillset as a returner in the preseason, and that probably isn't the trait the Saints saw a bunch of work in over the course of the week. Also, it's not the type of thing you rest your player for if that’s his main role.Â
You put everything together, and it's clear that Brown's monster camp has solidified him an important role within this offense. If we had to place him in the pecking order, Brown is likely coming in at WR4 with Tyson out of the picture for at least the first month.
Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele will obviously be the top two at the position, and then it'll likely be the rookies right after that. Brown has had a monster camp, but it does feel like Bryce Lance, who has had a particularly strong camp lately, is still ahead of him. With Vele resting on Tuesday, Lance was WR2 in joint practices against the Cowboys.
Even with Brown being the Saints fourth receiver, there's still a clear impact for him. It's not the raw 600 yards but rather a role. Brown could still be the run after catch player the Saints don't have at wide receiver.
That'll keep Brown on the field and could make him an impacful player as a rookie. Every great offense has some easy yard getters in their repotoire. The Saints haven't for a while, and Brown is the remedy.
The traits are all there. Brown has great speed and open field vision. His time as a returner lends itself to weaving through traffic. Sometimes those plays are explosive plays and sometimes they're keep you on schedule plays, but regardless Brown filling that role makes New Orleans mroe dangerous.
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