Dennis Allen wants the Saints’ youngster Spencer Rattler to compete with Derek Carr.
Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Matt Connolly | Last modified June 2, 24
Spencer Rattler, a former South Carolina star, had to wait until the fifth round of the NFL Draft before his name was called, but he appears to have landed in a solid situation.
The Saints eventually chose Rattler with the No. 150 overall choice. Head coach Dennis Allen intends to give him a chance to contend for the starting spot.
Dennis Allen told Rich Eisen, “The plan is that he comes in and competes, and we’ll let the cards play out as they do.”
The Saints’ starting quarterback, Derek Carr, returns, although the 33-year-old has been unreliable in previous years. Rattler may have a shot to win the job if he performs well in preseason.
Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 rounds of the NFL Draft, with Spencer Rattler being the next QB off the board at No. 150. Allen believes the Saints got a steal.
“I believe we were excited because we made it to the fifth round and he was still there. According to where we had him evaluated on our board, we thought this player had more of a second or third round talent,” Allen said. “And the fact that he was still in the fifth round, I believe, is due in large part to the fact that six quarterbacks had previously been selected in this selection.
“And that is a rather unique position in terms of the draft. So we were quite delighted when he fell all the way to us in the fifth round.
The Saints were expected to draft a quarterback in the first round, but instead selected Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga in the first round at No. 14 overall.
Allen was relieved that the top six quarterbacks were no longer on the board. Despite speculation that New Orleans wanted a quarterback in the first round, Allen was pleased with how the draft unfolded.
“The reality is I was kind of excited to see all of the quarterbacks go, because at the spot that we were picking at, quarterback was not a high priority at that spot,” Allen stated. “So when you see some quarterbacks going, that means they’re pushing some other players down the board to you.”
That left Spencer Rattler for the Saints to select in the fifth round. Allen believes he has a promising future in New Orleans.
“He has enormous talent. And now it’s just a matter of bringing him in here, teaching him what we want him to know, and having him execute what we want him to be able to do,” Allen explained.
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