The Saints Face A 'War Of Attrition' At Wide Receiver

Dennis Allen's comments about his newest wide receivers in New Orleans.

Marquez Callaway / New Orleans Saints

Dennis Allen vividly describes how injuries affect a team in training camp as a "war of attrition." The New Orleans Saints wide receivers, behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, are injured. Therefore, re-signing Marquez Callaway and newly signed free agent Samson Nakua were brought in to bolster a weakened position group.  

Saints Wide Receivers Injured At 2024 Training Camp

• Cedrick Wilson
• Bub Means
• Equanimeous St. Brown
• Jermaine Jackson

On the decision to bring in Marquez Callaway and Samson Nakua, Dennis Allen said, "I think the biggest thing that went into it was, you know, we're kind of nicked up at the position, you know, and here's what happens. There's the war of attrition that happens throughout the course of training camp, and it's not just the guys that get injured."

Allen On Callaway

"Obviously, we've had Callaway, so I think we have an understanding of the type of player he is. And yet, there's, 'how does he fit into this scheme?'"

"Marquez Calloway joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee after the 2020 NFL Draft. During his initial stint with New Orleans, he played in 45 regular-season games, starting 17, recording 83 receptions for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns."  

What Callaway Said

Callaway deboarded a plane in Las Vegas when he received a call from his agent about New Orleans. "Good thing that was close by," Callaway said. On rejoining the saints, "Feels good. Familiar scheme. But it won't be hard to learn. It's a little different. Some things are easy. Some things take a little bit [of time].  

It's only been a few months since Callaway packed for Pittsburgh, but new faces in the receivers room and offensive coaches will require minor adjustments for him. "Give me a couple of days, and I'm going to have everything down."

His new number: No. 82. "We're not going to talk about that."

Allen On Nakua

"Nakua's a bigger kind of more physical type, receiver. Look, I mean, just a couple of plays caught my eye in terms of just blocking on the day. So, yeah. I think that's kind of what we're looking at."

"Nacua, the older brother of Los Angeles Rams star wideout Puka Nacua, was on a UFL roster this season for the Michigan Panthers. The 6-3, 206-pound receiver signed with Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. Last season, Nacua played for the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers. This season, he signed with the UFL's Panthers and achieved 125 receiving yards on 11 catches."  

Questions about the Receivers

Could New Orleans win with the current receiving corps? How long will the veterans be out of commission? Will they make a trade?

We shall see.