Why do the Saints have an extra punter on their 53-man roster?
Who expected Blake Gillikin to make the cut for the New Orleans Saints? And of those fans who put their bet on the undrafted rookie punter out of Penn State, how many expected veteran leg Thomas Morstead to stick around, too?
That’s the case now that the Saints have initialized their 53-man roster, with both punters still on board after a wave of players were waived and released Saturday. But the situation could change very soon: the Saints may be waiting a day or two to waive Gillikin and sneak him onto the practice squad, because any team that might poach him would have to let another player go.
And good punters are a hot commodity in the NFL. If it comes down to it, the Saints could probably find a trade partner — for either of their punters. While Morstead is one of the most experienced and respected members of the team, the Saints could also find $3.3 million in salary cap relief by trading him. It can’t be ruled out if they believe Gillikin has real potential.
The Saints saw that Gillikin can make NFL-quality punts through his work in training camp, but Morstead was effective as ever. That sort of competition was something Morstead took in stride. He’s been expecting someone to come for his job for quite a while.
“I made a commitment to myself a long time ago that, you know, at some point in my career, they’ll start bringing in young guys to come compete and push me,” Morstead said in his Sept. 2 media conference call. “And I made a commitment to myself that I would mentor them just like I had been mentored when I was a younger player, even while I’m competing with them. And so it’s been a joy.”
The more likely scenario is that the Saints are hoping to squeeze Gillikin onto the practice squad. In such an odd year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, having a solid backup plan at the ready should Morstead miss time can’t be understated. The Saints could also simply keep Gillikin on the 53-man roster all season to protect him from other teams; new NFL rules allow teams to promote two players from the practice squad on game days.
But Morstead himself isn’t taking anything for granted. He continued: “It’s definitely pushed me, Blake’s a very talented, talented young player. And he’s got a bright future. And I think and hope that he’s had a good experience, training alongside me and competing with me. I’ve tried to give him help and information and experiences that I’ve learned from. Because people did that for me when I was a young player.”
