Rashid Shaheed's duality increased value and role with New Orleans Saints

'I can't let this just be the settle point, I've got to continue to grow as a player and as a teammate'

Jul 26, 2024 at 04:20 PM

John DeShazier

Senior Writer

Full coverage of the New Orleans Saints workouts during 2024 Training Camp at the University of California, Irvine on Friday, July 26.

Irvine, Calif. – Telling Rashid Shaheed that he was an important component to what the New Orleans Saints want to do on offense and in the kick return game was one thing, and designing plays in each phase to allow the team to showcase his abilities was another.

But when the faith and appreciation took the form of a substantial salary increase – as it did roughly a week ago, when Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced that the Saints and Shaheed had agreed to a one-year contract extension, through 2025 – that was a different realm of respect.

It might not allow Shaheed totally to exhale in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league. But for the undrafted rookie receiver out of Weber State (in 2022), who was named first-team All-Pro as a punt returner last year and a Pro Bowl starter as return specialist, it was a huge step in the right direction.

"I think it shows they believe in the hard work that I've put in to put me in this position," Shaheed said Friday, following the Saints' training camp practice at Cal-Irvine. "And I've got to continue to grow. I can't let this just be the settle point, I've got to continue to grow as a player and as a teammate."

Last year, his second, was a substantial leap. In 15 games, he caught 46 passes for 719 yards and five touchdowns, rushed seven times for 37 yards, returned 25 punts for 339 yards and a touchdown and took back 18 kickoffs for 384 yards. His 1,479 all-purpose yards ranked 10^th in the NFL.

In 12 games as a rookie, he caught 28 passes for 488 yards and two touchdowns, ran four times for 57 yards and a touchdown, returned 20 punts for 193 yards and 14 kickoffs for 320 yards.

Shaheed's continued development as a receiver makes him a prominent option for the new Saints offense being installed by offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. That, and return duties that aren't likely to diminish, led Shaheed to raise his conditioning level this offseason.

"I know that my role was going to be bigger going into this offseason," he said. "I tried to make that a focus into being in the best shape that I possibly could, knowing that there might not be many times where I come out of the game.

"Coach Kub is going to be counting on me to make a lot of plays for this team, and I'm super excited for that role. I feel like I'm ready for it.

"So far, what I've seen is the offense kind of allows us to get the ball in our hands and be able to get some YAC (yards after catch). It allows us to play to our abilities, it allows us to play pretty free, a lot more confident. I feel like the whole offense feels more confident in ourselves."

That, and there will be a more physical element to the offense for receivers.

They'll be responsible for more blocking; the slight Shaheed, listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds, said he's ready for the challenge.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes. To be on the field, I've got to do it," he said. "If I want to be able to make the plays that I want to, I've also got to block and that's a big part of our offense, and it's going to be a big part of our play-action game as well. So, to be able to block is going to be big and I have to do it."

He also will be the focus of the return game under the NFL's new kickoff rule, which largely was crafted by Saints special team coordinator Darren Rizzi.

Previously, opponents simply could kick the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs to deny Shaheed a return opportunity. Failing that, a high, deep kickoff allowed opponents – who had a running start – a better chance to corral the speedster.

This season, under the change, the ball will be kicked from the kicking team's 35-yard line. All kicking team players other than the kicker will line up with one foot on the receiving team's 40-yard line. Those 10 players can't move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone.

At least nine receiving team players must line up between the 35- and 30-yard line, and at least seven with one foot on the 35-yard line. Those seven players also can't move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone.

The landing zone is between the goal line and the 20-yard line. A kick that lands short of the landing zone will be treated as a kickoff out of bounds and the receiving team gets the ball at the 40, a kick that hits the end zone and stays in or goes out of the end zone comes out to the 30, but any kick that hits in the landing zone must be returned.

Shaheed's return opportunities significantly could increase.

"I'm in favor of it. I love it," he said. "I feel like it's an opportunity for us to score a lot more points, to get better field position."

LATTIMORE LEAVES PRACTICE: Star cornerback Marshon Lattimoreleft Friday's practice with what Coach Dennis Allen called a hip flexor.

All-Access Photos: 2024 Saints Training Camp practice 7/26/24