Idaho on the Bayou: Kellen Moore’s Saints begin minicamp with Gem State flavor
The first mandatory minicamp of Kellen Moore’s career as head coach of the New Orleans Saints kicked off Tuesday.
Dozens of players took to the two fields at the Saints’ practice facility just outside New Orleans under hot, sticky conditions as the former Boise State great primarily watched from the sidelines.
But there was one player who couldn’t make it out there, and Moore would love to see him back soon.
Pocatello native Taysom Hill, a BYU graduate, is entering his ninth year with the team, but he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in early December, and his recovery forced him to miss the Saints’ offseason OTAs (Organized Team Activities) and minicamp.
When asked Tuesday whether Hill would be available for the Saints’ training camp, starting in late July, Moore said, “That timeline is pretty far away.”
“Taysom’s obviously done an excellent job,” Moore said. “It’s a challenging offseason for him just from a medical standpoint. He’s done everything he could possibly do to put himself in a good position and be successful moving forward.”
Once he is healthy and fit, Hill will feature in the team’s plans, Moore said.
Those plans? What Hill has always done.
Known as the Swiss Army knife of the Saints, Hill can line up at quarterback, running back or tight end. He’s also been used as a wide receiver and kick returner for the Saints.
A college quarterback, Hill’s NFL career includes 12 touchdown passes, 27 rushing TDs and 12 receiving scores, making him the first player since New York Giants legend Frank Gifford (1952-64) to reach double digits in all three of those categories.
“Taysom’s a special player in this league. He can do so many things,” Moore said. “He stresses defenses, he’s really, really challenging, and he’s been a big-time impact player in this league.”
Idaho on the Bayou
Moore is from Washington, but his legendary career at Boise State ties him to the Gem State, and he’s surrounded in New Orleans by people with Idaho connections.
Along with Hill, who graduated from Highland High School in 2009, the roster includes 2016 Rocky Mountain High grad Jonah Williams. The defensive end, who played college football at Weber State, signed with the Saints in March, about a month after Moore joined the team.
Offensive assistant coach Scott Linehan and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier were quarterbacks for the Idaho Vandals, Linehan in the mid-’80s and Nussmeier the early ‘90s. Mike Martinez, assistant to the head coach, graduated from Boise’s Bishop Kelly High School in 2016 and was with the team before Moore’s arrival.
Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. was a standout at Boise State in 2016 and ‘17, exceeding 1,000 yards in each season and grabbing 18 touchdowns passes.
Crucially, Moore has known Linehan since joining the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2012, when Linehan was the offensive coordinator, and Nussmeier since 2018, when they both were on the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff.
“It’s super important,” Linehan told the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday when he talked about building a familiar coaching staff.
“One of the hardest parts about becoming a head coach is putting together a staff you want. (Moore) has spent a lot of time as he’s looked at other opportunities in the last X amount of years, saying, ‘OK, if I get this opportunity, these are guys that I feel comfortable with.’”
