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Toughest decisions facing the Saints in building their 53-man roster

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Heading into Tuesday's roster cuts deadline following their 30-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the New Orleans Saints are now in deep discussions on which players will be sticking around for the 2024 season. We've already made our guess for which players might make the cut.

There are many different position groups that are still up in the air in terms of the back end of the depth chart, which allows for some conversation to be had regarding those spots. With that being said, we've put together an overview of the toughest roster decisions for the Saints as cuts are quickly approaching:

Which receiver(s) claimed the final spot(s) at the position?

Aug 25, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (13) catches a touchdown against Tennessee Titans safety Shyheim Carter (28) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 25, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (13) catches a touchdown against Tennessee Titans safety Shyheim Carter (28) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The wide receiver position was one of the most intriguing battles all through training camp. With the rise of undrafted rookie Mason Tipton all the way to the uncertainties of A.T. Perry, this position is still one where no one emphatically delivered behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. With that said, it's likely that the Saints will keep A.T. Perry and rookie Bub Means as their No. 4 and No. 5 receivers, with Equanimeous St. Brown getting cut and brought back as a standard practice squad elevation being that he's a long-time vet.

Will Rico Payton make it?

Aug 18, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Rico Payton (36) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Danny Gray (6) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Rico Payton (36) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Danny Gray (6) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerback Rico Payton has done everything in his power to make this roster. Being thrown at 13 times and only allowing 3 receptions is no small feat for a cornerback regardless of whether it's the preseason or the regular season. The tough thing about keeping Payton is the nature of his position with the Saints having their top four corners set in stone. It would be very hard to justify keeping Payton off the 53 and losing him to another team, especially with the uncertainty regarding Marshon Lattimore's injury history. If there was a time to keep five corners, I believe now is the perfect time.

Who are the specialists?

Aug 20, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints punter Matthew Hayball (43) and New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Grupe (19) look on during practice at Yulman Stadium (Tulane). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints punter Matthew Hayball (43) and New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Grupe (19) look on during practice at Yulman Stadium (Tulane). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into Sunday's game, the competition at kicker and punter was up in the air. Specifically at the kicker spot, Charlie Smyth wasn't able to participate in the game due to some groin tightness which led to Blake Grupe making the most out of his opportunities knocking down two field goals including one from 54 yards out. This put Grupe at a perfect 5-for-5 in the preseason. With that said, it would make a ton of sense to keep Smyth on the practice squad. He's showed some incredible potential for someone with so little experience which means he's only going to get better.

As far as the team's punting situation, Lou Hedley did very little to make his case as the starter going forward. A short punt late in the fourth quarter on Sunday, set up a game-winning touchdown drive for Tennessee which is not what you want to see from your starting punter. His 43.7 yard average was also just under 7 yards short of Matthew Hayball's 50.3 this preseason. Hayball has done some good things this summer and has shown that he has a ton of power in his leg but if I had to place a bet, the Saints punter probably isn't on the roster at the moment. Look for them to sign a player who gets cut or a veteran that is currently a free agent.

How many offensive linemen?

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) and center Cesar Ruiz (51) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) and center Cesar Ruiz (51) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of the top six players (Fuaga, Patrick, McCoy, Ruiz, Penning, Udoh), there is some conversation to be had. Undrafted rookie Kyle Hergel seems like the next best bet to make this roster at the guard position. He's shown some promise on an offensive line who's struggled throughout this summer. Landon Young is also a guy they most likely keep although he hasn't shown much to be impressed about so far. His position flexibility probably gets him on the final 53. It's also safe to say that the team will keep Nick Saldiveri on to then place him on I.R. and potentially adding a player shortly after. I could easily see this team holding nine offensive linemen this year with just so much uncertainty across the board.

Which running backs make the team?

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 25: James Robinson #26 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes Benz Superdome on August 25, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 25: James Robinson #26 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes Benz Superdome on August 25, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

At the moment, it seems like Jordan Mims is the guy behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams. He impressed in every preseason game with his burst, vision and elusiveness in space. He definitely looks like the No. 3 back at the moment. However, the big question is how many will they keep and what will they do with Kendre Miller? At this point, the best case scenario is that they keep Miller on the initial 53 and place him on I.R. After that, then the team will be able to make the decision on whether they want to keep three or four running backs on the roster. Both James Robinson and Jacob Kibodi impressed recently especially in this last game, so it will be interesting to see what the teams plans for them are.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Toughest decisions facing the Saints in building their 53-man roster