Zach Wood Is Out, and the Saints' Special Teams Problem Just Got Real

Zach Wood is listed out, a calf strain expected to keep the long snapper sidelined four to six weeks. That puts his return somewhere in mid-to-late October at the earliest, well past Week 1 and likely past several more.

The timing is worth noting. Long snapper is one of those positions that draws no attention until something goes wrong — a bad snap on a field goal, a botched punt, a hold that never gets set. Daniel Carlson just won the kicking job over Charlie Smyth, and Ryan Wright is the punter. Both of them now open the season working with whoever New Orleans puts behind the ball in Wood's place. That's not a catastrophe, but it's one more thing that has to go right on a roster that has had very little go right since late July.

The broader picture is familiar by now. Bresee and Radunz are gone for the year. Cameron Jordan is questionable. Estime is on IR. Kamara is active but was nursing an MCL sprain a few weeks ago. The injury list has been growing since training camp opened, and Wood is simply the latest addition. At some point the list stops being a series of individual misfortunes and starts being a structural concern about how this team is built to absorb attrition.

Four to six weeks means Wood could be back by mid-October if the calf responds well. Until then, the Saints need a reliable answer at a position most fans won't think about — right up until they have to.