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Message
Saints day 5 observations
Posted on 8/3/21 at 7:44 pm
Posted on 8/3/21 at 7:44 pm
LINK
Mother Nature once again derailed practice plans for the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, sending the team inside for the second straight day due to a morning downpour.
For the first time during training camp, the Saints were in full pads during practice.
Observations from the fifth day of Saints training camp:
PARTICIPATION
Tuesday was a veteran rest day, coach Sean Payton said, and left tackle Terron Armstead, linebacker Demario Davis and defensive end Cameron Jordan were not present and did not participate.
Payton said that the older players will have every fourth day off of practice. Though, not all of the seasoned veterans took the day. The two oldest players on the roster, cornerback Patrick Robinson and safety Malcolm Jenkins, were both present and participating.
Kicker Wil Lutz was present but did not participate, as he still remains on the non-football injury list.
Only one player was truly absent Tuesday: cornerback Grant Haley, who is dealing with a family matter.
Two players left practice with apparent injuries.
Receiver Tre'Quan Smith pulled up with an unspecified lower body injury during 1-on-1 drills and did not return to practice. Cornerback Keith Washington II also sustained an apparent injury during 1-on-1 drills and left the field. He did not return to practice either.
QUARTERBACKS ROUNDUP
Quarterback Taysom Hill rotated back to working with the ones, and quarterback Jameis Winston was back with the twos. Quarterback Trevor Siemian ran with the third team and rookie quarterback Ian Book was with the fourth-team.
None of the quarterbacks had a standout day. Both Hill and Winston went 6-of-11 in full team drills, which was the worst they've done all camp. Some of those incompletions are a credit to the defense, as there were several pass breakups, a batted pass at the line of scrimmage and a few near-picks.
The first interception of training camp happened Tuesday... and it happened near the end of the first full-team period on Book's first attempt. More on that later.
DEFENSIVE (NEAR) TAKEAWAYS
The defense collectively had a more productive day at the office than in previous practices. Several different players walked away with key plays.
The player to get his hands on the first interception of camp was second-year linebacker Zack Baun, who picked off rookie quarterback Ian Book during full team drills.
There were a couple of other close calls on interceptions, too.
Star cornerback Marshon Lattimore nearly came away with an interception off of quarterback Taysom Hill during the second set of full team drills, but receiver Marquez Callaway made a head's up play on the ball to knock it incomplete. Lattimore had a couple pass breakups and likely one pass interference during the day in coverage.
Linebacker Andrew Dowell, who has turned some heads so far in camp, also had a near-pick off of Jameis Winston near the end of practice during full team drills.
In terms of pass breakups, both cornerbacks Brian Poole and Paulson Adebo had at least two.
One of Poole's came during 7-on-7s against receiver Chris Hogan. Poole then knocked a Winston pass away from Hogan during the following set of team drills. Adebo batted a ball away from Hogan during 7-on-7s and one away from receiver Jake Lampman in 1-on-1s.
At the line of scrimmage, rookie defensive end Payton Turner had the opportunity to show off his lengthy wingspan. Turner, on the first play of one of Hill's series during team drills, batted down a ball with such force it echoed in the indoor facility.
PLAY OF THE DAY
The first interception of training camp occurred near the end of the first full-team period when rookie quarterback Ian Book was in the pocket. Book went through his reads, settling on trying to find receiver Tommylee Lewis on what would have been a short completion, but there was plenty of traffic in the middle of the field and second-year linebacker Zack Baun came away with the takeaway.
UP NEXT
The second day of full pads commences at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Mother Nature once again derailed practice plans for the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, sending the team inside for the second straight day due to a morning downpour.
For the first time during training camp, the Saints were in full pads during practice.
Observations from the fifth day of Saints training camp:
PARTICIPATION
Tuesday was a veteran rest day, coach Sean Payton said, and left tackle Terron Armstead, linebacker Demario Davis and defensive end Cameron Jordan were not present and did not participate.
Payton said that the older players will have every fourth day off of practice. Though, not all of the seasoned veterans took the day. The two oldest players on the roster, cornerback Patrick Robinson and safety Malcolm Jenkins, were both present and participating.
Kicker Wil Lutz was present but did not participate, as he still remains on the non-football injury list.
Only one player was truly absent Tuesday: cornerback Grant Haley, who is dealing with a family matter.
Two players left practice with apparent injuries.
Receiver Tre'Quan Smith pulled up with an unspecified lower body injury during 1-on-1 drills and did not return to practice. Cornerback Keith Washington II also sustained an apparent injury during 1-on-1 drills and left the field. He did not return to practice either.
QUARTERBACKS ROUNDUP
Quarterback Taysom Hill rotated back to working with the ones, and quarterback Jameis Winston was back with the twos. Quarterback Trevor Siemian ran with the third team and rookie quarterback Ian Book was with the fourth-team.
None of the quarterbacks had a standout day. Both Hill and Winston went 6-of-11 in full team drills, which was the worst they've done all camp. Some of those incompletions are a credit to the defense, as there were several pass breakups, a batted pass at the line of scrimmage and a few near-picks.
The first interception of training camp happened Tuesday... and it happened near the end of the first full-team period on Book's first attempt. More on that later.
DEFENSIVE (NEAR) TAKEAWAYS
The defense collectively had a more productive day at the office than in previous practices. Several different players walked away with key plays.
The player to get his hands on the first interception of camp was second-year linebacker Zack Baun, who picked off rookie quarterback Ian Book during full team drills.
There were a couple of other close calls on interceptions, too.
Star cornerback Marshon Lattimore nearly came away with an interception off of quarterback Taysom Hill during the second set of full team drills, but receiver Marquez Callaway made a head's up play on the ball to knock it incomplete. Lattimore had a couple pass breakups and likely one pass interference during the day in coverage.
Linebacker Andrew Dowell, who has turned some heads so far in camp, also had a near-pick off of Jameis Winston near the end of practice during full team drills.
In terms of pass breakups, both cornerbacks Brian Poole and Paulson Adebo had at least two.
One of Poole's came during 7-on-7s against receiver Chris Hogan. Poole then knocked a Winston pass away from Hogan during the following set of team drills. Adebo batted a ball away from Hogan during 7-on-7s and one away from receiver Jake Lampman in 1-on-1s.
At the line of scrimmage, rookie defensive end Payton Turner had the opportunity to show off his lengthy wingspan. Turner, on the first play of one of Hill's series during team drills, batted down a ball with such force it echoed in the indoor facility.
PLAY OF THE DAY
The first interception of training camp occurred near the end of the first full-team period when rookie quarterback Ian Book was in the pocket. Book went through his reads, settling on trying to find receiver Tommylee Lewis on what would have been a short completion, but there was plenty of traffic in the middle of the field and second-year linebacker Zack Baun came away with the takeaway.
UP NEXT
The second day of full pads commences at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
2
Posted on 8/3/21 at 7:54 pm to GMoney2600
LINK 6 takeaways after the first day in pads
6. Paulson Adebo flashed
The Saints spent a third-round pick on Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo with the expectations that he’d step into a starting role. After adding a slew of talent in recent weeks, the pressure was on Adebo to earn a starting job through training camp.
After Tuesday’s practice, John Hendrix noted that “Paulson Adebo flashed a few times during practice”. This is excellent news for the Saints moving forward, as fans would love to see the rookie step into a starting role and keep it throughout the course of the season.
The Saints have Marshon Lattimore as one of their for sure starters at cornerback but with a potential suspension looming over him to start the season, any cornerbacks who can show any type of potential at this stage are going to be crucial to New Orleans’ defense.
Here’s to hoping Adebo continues to show these same kinds of flashes.
5. Kawaan Baker had a nice day
The Saints shockingly waited until the final round of the draft to address a nagging need at wide receiver. They did so with South Alabama’s Kawaan Baker, who could end up surprising people this year despite being a seventh-round rookie.
Baker stood out to John Hendrix, who noted that the rookie “had a pretty good day”. He mentions that Baker made some impressive catches and this is especially important considering how poorly the quarterbacks performed on the first day of padded practices (more on that later).
Most seventh-round rookies aren’t looked at as being important pieces for their team, but Baker stepped into a situation where he’ll be counted on to make the most of his targets. He might be a rookie who hasn’t taken an NFL snap but the Saints are desperate for production at wide receiver, so if Baker can continue to thrive in training camp, there’s a good chance he plays a major role on this team when the season gets underway next month.
4. Linebackers looked good
One of the biggest question marks on the Saints’ roster as of now is at the linebacker spot. Demario Davis is a monster and we all know that but surrounding pieces haven’t really inspired much confidence amongst the fan base.
Zack Baun and Pete Werner are battling it out to be the premier linebacker next to Davis and as of now, both guys are playing well. The most surprising name to emerge in this group, however, is second-year man Andrew Dowell, a former UDFA out of Michigan State.
Dowell appeared in just one game for the Saints last year but he’s put on a show this summer. Nick Underhill mentioned that Dowell “might be the star of camp so far”. He also praised Baun (who had the first interception of camp) and Werner for their work on Tuesday and this is a great sign for Saints fans.
It’s important to have a solid linebacker (or linebackers) next to Davis to open things up for him to wreak the kind of havoc we all know he can make. Davis is a game-changer but he can only be at that level if the linebackers next to him help take the pressure off of him.
With so many question marks on offense, the linebackers stepping up and making the defense stronger would be a huge win for the New Orleans Saints.
3. Key injuries
It wasn’t all good news for the Saints on Tuesday, as they saw two of their key players sustain injuries.
One injured player was cornerback Keith Washington, who Katherine Terrell said “landed hard on his arm and left”. Washington hasn’t appeared in a game for the Saints yet but there’s a legitimate chance for him to see playing time this year, especially with how thin the team is at cornerback.
Another key injury was to wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith. We don’t know exactly what Smith’s injury was (though Mike Triplett did say he walked off the field on his own power) but hopefully, he’s okay. He’s going to be a major playmaker in this offense, especially with Michael Thomas’ injury and losing him for any period of time would be a huge blow.
No injuries are good but Smith’s, in particular, is concerning. He also has said that he believes that he and the current Saints receivers can get it done this year.
Here’s to hoping it’s nothing serious and he can take the field in Week 1 when the Packers come to town.
2. Defense had a good day
Numbers 1 and 2 could go hand-in-hand but we’ll start with the defense and how their day went.
Several reporters noted that the defense looked good on Tuesday. Zack Baun recorded the first interception of training camp, grabbing an interception off of rookie quarterback Ian Book. Second-year linebacker Andrew Dowell has stolen the show, which is a sentence that no one expected to be saying about this team.
Paulson Adebo had his own section earlier but the rest of the cornerbacks played well on Tuesday too. This is highly important because it’s a position that a lot of people aren’t high on though the team has brought in a slew of corners to help change that narrative.
Katherine Terrell said that the cornerbacks looked good but it’s also possible that the offense had a really bad day. Either way, she praised the rookies for their efforts.
The defense having a big day even with the big dogs out (Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, and a few other key veterans had the day off) is hopefully a sign of what’s to come. The Saints need their rookies to continue to play to this level moving forward in order for this team to be able to stay relevant.
1. Not a good day for the quarterbacks
To this point, the Saints’ quarterbacks were looking decent. Jameis Winston was being heaped with praise for how he looked through the early stages of training camp while Tayson Hill was more of a rollercoaster.
Tuesday marked the first day of camp where the quarterbacks didn’t look so good. Luke Johnson noted that it was “the least consistent day of camp for both in terms of throwing the ball.”
This isn’t anything to panic about, as it’s one day and it’s camp. Now if we get to the preseason and Winston and Hill have more days like this than good days, then it’ll be time for Saints fans to worry a little more.
The quarterback battle is the highlight of the Saints’ offseason and while Winston has been the favorite to win the job, bad days like Tuesday could be what leads to him being the backup and Hill getting the starting job.
These two weren’t the only quarterbacks to have bad days, however, as rookie Ian Book didn’t look good either. He threw the first pick of training camp, which won’t help his case moving forward. It’s just one pick but Book already has an uphill battle when it comes to sticking on the roster.
6. Paulson Adebo flashed
The Saints spent a third-round pick on Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo with the expectations that he’d step into a starting role. After adding a slew of talent in recent weeks, the pressure was on Adebo to earn a starting job through training camp.
After Tuesday’s practice, John Hendrix noted that “Paulson Adebo flashed a few times during practice”. This is excellent news for the Saints moving forward, as fans would love to see the rookie step into a starting role and keep it throughout the course of the season.
The Saints have Marshon Lattimore as one of their for sure starters at cornerback but with a potential suspension looming over him to start the season, any cornerbacks who can show any type of potential at this stage are going to be crucial to New Orleans’ defense.
Here’s to hoping Adebo continues to show these same kinds of flashes.
5. Kawaan Baker had a nice day
The Saints shockingly waited until the final round of the draft to address a nagging need at wide receiver. They did so with South Alabama’s Kawaan Baker, who could end up surprising people this year despite being a seventh-round rookie.
Baker stood out to John Hendrix, who noted that the rookie “had a pretty good day”. He mentions that Baker made some impressive catches and this is especially important considering how poorly the quarterbacks performed on the first day of padded practices (more on that later).
Most seventh-round rookies aren’t looked at as being important pieces for their team, but Baker stepped into a situation where he’ll be counted on to make the most of his targets. He might be a rookie who hasn’t taken an NFL snap but the Saints are desperate for production at wide receiver, so if Baker can continue to thrive in training camp, there’s a good chance he plays a major role on this team when the season gets underway next month.
4. Linebackers looked good
One of the biggest question marks on the Saints’ roster as of now is at the linebacker spot. Demario Davis is a monster and we all know that but surrounding pieces haven’t really inspired much confidence amongst the fan base.
Zack Baun and Pete Werner are battling it out to be the premier linebacker next to Davis and as of now, both guys are playing well. The most surprising name to emerge in this group, however, is second-year man Andrew Dowell, a former UDFA out of Michigan State.
Dowell appeared in just one game for the Saints last year but he’s put on a show this summer. Nick Underhill mentioned that Dowell “might be the star of camp so far”. He also praised Baun (who had the first interception of camp) and Werner for their work on Tuesday and this is a great sign for Saints fans.
It’s important to have a solid linebacker (or linebackers) next to Davis to open things up for him to wreak the kind of havoc we all know he can make. Davis is a game-changer but he can only be at that level if the linebackers next to him help take the pressure off of him.
With so many question marks on offense, the linebackers stepping up and making the defense stronger would be a huge win for the New Orleans Saints.
3. Key injuries
It wasn’t all good news for the Saints on Tuesday, as they saw two of their key players sustain injuries.
One injured player was cornerback Keith Washington, who Katherine Terrell said “landed hard on his arm and left”. Washington hasn’t appeared in a game for the Saints yet but there’s a legitimate chance for him to see playing time this year, especially with how thin the team is at cornerback.
Another key injury was to wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith. We don’t know exactly what Smith’s injury was (though Mike Triplett did say he walked off the field on his own power) but hopefully, he’s okay. He’s going to be a major playmaker in this offense, especially with Michael Thomas’ injury and losing him for any period of time would be a huge blow.
No injuries are good but Smith’s, in particular, is concerning. He also has said that he believes that he and the current Saints receivers can get it done this year.
Here’s to hoping it’s nothing serious and he can take the field in Week 1 when the Packers come to town.
2. Defense had a good day
Numbers 1 and 2 could go hand-in-hand but we’ll start with the defense and how their day went.
Several reporters noted that the defense looked good on Tuesday. Zack Baun recorded the first interception of training camp, grabbing an interception off of rookie quarterback Ian Book. Second-year linebacker Andrew Dowell has stolen the show, which is a sentence that no one expected to be saying about this team.
Paulson Adebo had his own section earlier but the rest of the cornerbacks played well on Tuesday too. This is highly important because it’s a position that a lot of people aren’t high on though the team has brought in a slew of corners to help change that narrative.
Katherine Terrell said that the cornerbacks looked good but it’s also possible that the offense had a really bad day. Either way, she praised the rookies for their efforts.
The defense having a big day even with the big dogs out (Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, and a few other key veterans had the day off) is hopefully a sign of what’s to come. The Saints need their rookies to continue to play to this level moving forward in order for this team to be able to stay relevant.
1. Not a good day for the quarterbacks
To this point, the Saints’ quarterbacks were looking decent. Jameis Winston was being heaped with praise for how he looked through the early stages of training camp while Tayson Hill was more of a rollercoaster.
Tuesday marked the first day of camp where the quarterbacks didn’t look so good. Luke Johnson noted that it was “the least consistent day of camp for both in terms of throwing the ball.”
This isn’t anything to panic about, as it’s one day and it’s camp. Now if we get to the preseason and Winston and Hill have more days like this than good days, then it’ll be time for Saints fans to worry a little more.
The quarterback battle is the highlight of the Saints’ offseason and while Winston has been the favorite to win the job, bad days like Tuesday could be what leads to him being the backup and Hill getting the starting job.
These two weren’t the only quarterbacks to have bad days, however, as rookie Ian Book didn’t look good either. He threw the first pick of training camp, which won’t help his case moving forward. It’s just one pick but Book already has an uphill battle when it comes to sticking on the roster.
Posted on 8/3/21 at 9:19 pm to GMoney2600
Book was such a wasted pick lol. Thanks for the overall recap. Glad to hear that the linebackers are showing out and Adebo is showing some promise at corner.
This post was edited on 8/3/21 at 9:20 pm
Posted on 8/3/21 at 9:21 pm to 3PieceSpicy
Based on what?
Posted on 8/3/21 at 9:30 pm to goatmilker
Based on having a need at other positions. Based on limited upside of Book. Based on Payton actually already having a 3rd guy who is pretty young on the roster that he claims to like a lot, T Sim.
This team has a lot of holes and we drafted a 4th string qb with limited upside in the 4th rd. That’s a big misappropriation of assets.
This team has a lot of holes and we drafted a 4th string qb with limited upside in the 4th rd. That’s a big misappropriation of assets.
This post was edited on 8/3/21 at 9:30 pm
Posted on 8/3/21 at 9:54 pm to GMoney2600
quote:
Receiver Tre'Quan Smith pulled up with an unspecified lower body injury during 1-on-1 drills and did not return to practice.
at all of the blind fanboys who were relying on this guy to be anything of worth to the offense this year. Inconsistent, constantly injured, and just plain not good. Saints are up shite's creek this year as far as offensive firepower goes. Hope we don't run Kamara into the ground.
Posted on 8/3/21 at 9:58 pm to 3PieceSpicy
quote:
This team has a lot of holes
But QB was not one to you.
Posted on 8/3/21 at 10:02 pm to VictoryHill
quote:I don’t think a single poster in here was expecting him to be a pro bowler. But go off if it makes you feel better
at all of the blind fanboys who were relying on this guy to be anything of worth to the offense this year. Inconsistent, constantly injured, and just plain not good
Posted on 8/3/21 at 10:15 pm to Melvin
quote:
I don’t think a single poster in here was expecting him to be a pro bowler.
Read what I said again. Never even insinuated he'd be a dominant player, but yes, most here were expecting TreQuan to step up. Instead, he's not going to be
quote:
ANYTHING OF WORTH
as stated previously.
Posted on 8/3/21 at 11:03 pm to goatmilker
We already have 3 average qbs on the roster. Drafting Book 2 rounds too early was not addressing a need. This season is about letting Winston and Taysom compete and see what they can do. If they aren’t that good, we can bottom out and draft a qb in the first rd next year. Book serves absolutely zero purpose.
Posted on 8/3/21 at 11:17 pm to 3PieceSpicy
A bunch of teams liked book and the 4th round is where he was probably going to get picked.
I agree that this wasn't the year to use a 4th rounder on a qb.
Payton all the way trying to be the smartest in the room.
I agree that this wasn't the year to use a 4th rounder on a qb.
Payton all the way trying to be the smartest in the room.
Posted on 8/4/21 at 11:55 am to goatmilker
quote:
Based on what?
Probably Grayson.
Posted on 8/4/21 at 3:06 pm to 3PieceSpicy
quote:
This team has a lot of holes and we drafted a 4th string qb with limited upside in the 4th rd. That’s a big misappropriation of assets.
I really wanted the te out of Miami in the 4th so we will see how their careers play out.
Posted on 8/5/21 at 7:45 am to Townedrunkard
Yeah brevin jordan was tempting.
Such a weird year to spend a 4th on a qb but supposedly he would've gotten scooped up if the saints didn't take him when they did.
Such a weird year to spend a 4th on a qb but supposedly he would've gotten scooped up if the saints didn't take him when they did.
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