Juwan Johnson, you may be getting reinforcements very soon. Kellen Moore started his Monday press conference by announcing the New Orleans Saints are opening up the practice window for tight ends Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau.
Both Hill and Moreau ended last year with a season ending injury and started the year on the physically unable to perform list. This required them to miss at least the first four games.
With their practice window now open, the Saints have three weeks to activate both Hill and Moreau or they’re lost for the season. This means we’ll see each of them no later than Week 8 versus the Buccaneers
Juwan Johnson has been carrying the load for the Saints
Spencer Rattler has begun to target Chris Olave more frequently, but in the first couple of games it seemed like Johnson was his favorite target on the team, not just as far as tight ends go. At tight end, however, there’s no one remotely close to Johnson as a receiving threat.
Jack Stoll has predominantly been a blocker throughout his career. This season he's had three catches. If Rattler has wanted to target the tight end, it's been Johnson or no one for the most part. That will change with Hill and Moreau entering the lineup. Johnson will inevitably see his targets and receptions drop because there will be other players, specifically at his position, that will be implemented into the passing gameplan.
You could see more 12 personnel from the Saints offense with these players getting healthy. Putting Johnson and Moreau in a heavy formation together retains the threat of passing the football. Getting these players back is just another way to mask intentions because Hill and Moreau will catch and block. It'd be unfair to label either the blocking or catching guy.
It's unfair to label Taysom Hill as anything. His presence would have been nice on the Saints' attempted two point conversion. It wasn't blocked well, but Taysom is much more adept in short yardage situations than Rattler. The result may not have changed, but the odds are much better with Taysom. Seeing himself slot in as the Saints' short yardage runner again wouldn't be surprising.
There are ways to get Hill and Moreau involved. Their debuts are still likely a couple of weeks away, but it's still exciting to think what they could bring to the offense