Two new Saints and one returnee addressed local media bubbling with enthusiasm Thursday, two of them for the exact same reason.
Free agent fullbacks Adam Prenticeand Zander Horvathboth are giddy at the possibility of increased usage under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who joined the Saints after a Super Bowl-run season as the passing game coordinator for San Francisco, a team for which Kyle Juszczyk was a first-team All-Pro in 2023, which also ran to eight the consecutive seasons he has been named to the Pro Bowl.
And free agent linebacker Willie Gayforesees an opportunity in New Orleans to showcase the skills that he wasn’t always to spotlight even as he was helping Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022-23.
“I’ve watched a few guys play in that system as I’ve been in the league, and before I came into the league,” said Prentice, who played his first three years with the Saints and agreed to terms on a one-year contract. “That’s a fullback’s dream. They use them so much. It’s something where I’m very excited to get back and start learning, and absorbing as much as I can.
“This (San Francisco) offense is catching fire here in the last few years and a lot of teams are adopting it, and that’s because it’s been really productive. I think that’s a testament to the fullback position and that’s something that us fullbacks in the league are trying to keep alive.”
Prentice has nine carries for 26 yards and eight catches for 37 yards and a touchdown in his first three seasons. Horvath, who wasn’t on an active roster last year, played 15 games with the Chargers in 2022 and ran for eight yards on four carries, with five catches for eight yards and two touchdowns.
In seven seasons with the 49ers, Juszczyk has 165 catches for 1,695 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus 55 carries for 186 yards and four touchdowns.
“I would say (receiving is) a great trait of mine,” Horvath said. “In college (at Purdue) I played running back my whole career, in high school and everything, so I’m used to catching the ball, running and coming out of the backfield. Having the ability to incorporate that into my skill set when I’m on the field can, I think, help the team.
“The defense when they’re out there, they usually expect just running the ball somewhere up the middle when the fullback is in, so with an offense that will have someone that can be utilized in different ways like that I think is…
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