Severely shorthanded at quarterback, the Saints will add an emergency backup option. Blake Bortles is expected to sign with the team Friday, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweets.
Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, moving Ian Book to the top of the depth chart. Book is still set to start, with Duncan adding Bortles will be New Orleans’ backup against the Dolphins on Monday night.
Bortles caught on with the Packers on multiple occasions this year, during Aaron Rodgers‘ holdout and his subsequent COVID-induced absence, but has not seen any game action in two years. Although Bortles stopped over with the Rams and Broncos in 2019 and ’20, he has taken just two snaps since the Jaguars cut him.
The former top-five pick has 73 starts to his credit; all came with Jacksonville from 2014-18. The Jags cut bait on their 2018 extension a year into the deal. Bortles, 29, has bounced around since. With Book having never taken a regular-season snap, Bortles at least serves as an experienced arm for a suddenly thin Saints team.
I’m pretty interested to see what Ian Book can do in a Sean Payton offense. He’s suitably athletic, but he was pretty reluctant to throw downfield in college. However, the same could be said of Brees, Bridgewater, and Siemian.
Interesting observation. What I be interesting to see!
Let’s face facts: the New Orleans Saints are all done this season. They are on a very similar tract as the Patriots were on in 2020. The lack of a legitimate QB has killed all hopes of a playoff run.
While Jameis Winston was a sneaky good signing, he wasn’t going to get them to the promised land so the Saints have to be prepared to go all in next season for a QB. They’ll need to do some salary cap manipulation but the Saints need to figure out how to get either DeShawn Watson or Aaron Rodgers to lead their team next season. Rodgers will be the least expensive (in terms of not costing draft picks) but Watson would give them a franchise QB for the next 10 years. I believe DeVante Adams is a free agent next year too, so if the Saints can clear their roster and bring in both Rodgers & Adams, the Saints would become the favorites to win it all in 2022. Right now, it might be best to play out the season as is and lose close games so they can get a better draft pick. Sean Payton can turn this team around next year with a real QB running the offense. The only question is whether or not “Hollywood” Rodgers or Watson will want to call New Orleans home. I’m sure Rodgers would prefer to play in California but there aren’t any QB openings out there unless SF gives up on Lance. Herbert or Stafford aren’t going anywhere.
The 3rd option for New Orleans would be Russell Wilson. It’s obvious that he wants out of Seattle badly and I’m sure Payton will be able to turn him back into the weapon he once was. But until NO gets their QB situation under control, they are going nowhere.
I respectfully disagree. I think Payton’s ability to maximize the talent of QB’s gives the Saints a lot of options at the position. It also allows them to take a unique approach to roster construction. They don’t need to spend premium dollars or draft picks to acquire an established star. They can spend that capitol to strengthen multiple areas of the team and give whatever QB they bring in a very strong supporting cast. I think this approach will keep their competitive window open longer. We have seen multiple teams succeed while their star QB’s are on rookie contracts, then decline once he gets paid and the rest of the roster weakens.
I thought Philip Rivers had offered to be a late season option for desperate teams like the Saints? We’re they not interested? I can’t imagine him being worse than Bortles.
Poor guy always ends up as a last minute backup player, only to be fired a week later.