New Orleans Saints just signed their next Taysom Hill after surprise Raiders release

Billy Heyen

New Orleans Saints just signed their next Taysom Hill after surprise Raiders release image

The New Orleans Saints won't have Swiss Army Knife star Taysom Hill available to start this season due to injury.

But they may have just found their next super-utility player.

On Monday, the Saints signed Tommy Mellott to a contract, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Mellott's name is likely unfamiliar. He was a sixth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in April's NFL Draft. He was a quarterback in college at Montana State, but the Raiders had him playing receiver during training camp.

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During the draft process, Mellott was compared to Julian Edelman, who was a quarterback in college at Kent State before becoming a star slot receiver for the New England Patriots.

It'd be tough for Mellott to have a career that good, but he clearly has an enticing skillset.

In Mellott's final season at Montana State, the Bobcats went 15-1. He threw for 2,783 yards with 31 TDs and just two interceptions. He also ran 123 times for 1,050 yards (8.5 ypc) and 15 touchdowns. Mellott was given the Walter Payton Award, essentially the FCS version of the Heisman Trophy.

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He's nowhere near as big as Hill, measuring up at 6-feet tall and 206 pounds.

But the 23-year old can do a little bit of everything on the field, and the Saints likely have some fun ideas for how to utilize him.

Mellott seemed willing to embrace receiver with the Raiders even though he'd always been a QB. And even if it didn't work out there, it doesn't mean he can't still find a path to a long NFL career. The Saints are trying to give Mellott that chance.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle