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Saints snap counts: Will Clapp gets long look in preseason finale

The Saints played zero regular starters against the Dolphins.

Christopher Dabe

LSU Tigers offensive lineman Will Clapp speaks to the media during the 2018 NFL Combine at the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

NEW ORLEANS — Will Clapp has one full season of experience with the New Orleans Saints after his home-town team selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Now toward the end of his second preseason with the Saints, the former LSU offensive lineman will wait to find out his roster status. 

Clapp played 100 percent of the snaps on offense in the preseason finale Thursday against the Miami Dolphins, a game the Saints lost 16-13.

"I have one year in the system," said Clapp, who played three regular season games as a rookie. "It's a lot easier to understand the plays, play at a faster tempo. You don't have to worry about assignments. I think I put together a pretty good preseason."

Clapp and Ryan Groy both played 57 snaps on offense at the two guard spots, Clapp on the right and Groy on the left. Groy has five seasons of NFL experience, including the last three seasons with the Bills.

Clapp played 201 snaps on offense in four exhibition games.

Last week, Nick Easton and Clapp both led the Saints with 64 snaps on offense. This week, Easton played 21 snaps. The Saints signed him in the offseason to a four-year deal, with $4 million guaranteed this season.

The Saints played zero regular starters against the Dolphins. In total, 40 of the 90 players on the training camp roster did not play, leaving the other 47 non-specialist to complete the preseason.

In some cases, players were fighting for roster spots. In others, they were trying to put something good on video for other teams to see.

The Saints will review game film for all 31 other teams as they assess their players against others around the league.The deadline for teams to trim their rosters to 53 players is 3 p.m. Central time Saturday.

  • Linebacker Darnell Sankey made the most of his 30 snaps on defense with eight total tackles, mostly over the final three quarters. He also played 19 snaps on special teams. Sankey played six games with the Colts in 2017 and has since been signed and waived by the Vikings, Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos.
  • Defensive back J.T. Gray played 47 snaps (77 percent) on defense, the most on the team. The Mississippi State product played five games after coming off the practice squad last season.
  • Deonte Harris played 19 snaps on offense and Emmanuel Butler played 18. Both are undrafted rookie receivers favored to make the roster, with Harris as a return specialist after he returned a punt 78 yards for  a touchdown Saturday against the Jets. 
  • Marcus Sherels, the veteran return specialist the Saints signed during the offseason, missed all four preseason games.
  • Taysom Hill played slightly more than a full half. His one snap in the first half came on a kneel down.
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Christopher Dabe
CHRISTOPHER DABE

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