There are going to be several players on the Saints defense impacted by the departure of tight end Jimmy Graham in a trade this offseason and Josh Hill would seem to be at the top of the list.
Hill played 293 snaps at tight end for New Orleans last season and caught 14 passes for 176 yards, numbers that seem destined for a sharp rise with Graham plying his trade in Seattle and coach Sean Payton complimenting Hill’s ability to “run and stretch the defense” as a receiver. Hill’s doing a good job of keeping things on an even keel in spite of the changes, however.
Hill said he’s approaching this season the same way that he’s approached any other year and that he wants to “do whatever I can do” to help the team. Hill’s also downplaying any major changes at tight end in the post-Graham offense.
“They ask us to do a lot of things,” Hill said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “They always have. I haven’t seen anything stand out to being really different, just subtle changes here and there.”
The Saints went out to more than subtly change the makeup of their offense this offseason by dealing Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills while acquiring center Max Unger and running back C.J. Spiller. That will likely mean a diminished role for tight ends even as Hill’s role grows in his third season in New Orleans.