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Training camp is almost here.

Here are 53 things we'll be watching for this summer when the Saints are back in action. ***premium***

Quarterbacks

1. There has been a lot of discussion on this site about Drew Brees' thumb and if it impacted his ability to throw the ball down the field last season. The fact that he completed 75 percent of his 12 attempts traveling 20 or more yards through the air during the final four games of the season as opposed to 31 percent of his 16 attempts during his first four games back from injury suggests that something was going on. Age is a factor, but it stands to reason the quarterback could see a little bit of bounce back on his deep passes this year.

2. One of the more interesting things about Brees' career is that he is getting sacked less. Part of that has to do with having an elite offensive line and changing the offense so that the ball comes out quicker. Last year he was only sacked on 3.1 percent of his dropbacks as opposed to 4.7 in 2015. If the offense changes to allow for plays to develop a little longer to take better advantage of wide receivers who aren't Michael Thomas, can Brees keep himself upright long enough to take advantage? He still moves well, especially for someone his age, but it will be interesting to see if the team allows plays to develop a little longer.

3. Taysom Hill.

4. Do you need an explanation? OK. Everything he does this summer is going to be in focus since it now has to be assumed Brees is retiring right up until he announces he is coming back for another year. Hill did a good job operating the offense during the preseason and was able to execute many of the Saints' passing concepts without issue. He needs to continue to throw with anticipation and work on his accuracy. If he continues to take steps, New Orleans might start to feel more comfortable with the idea of him taking over at quarterback.

5. The other thing to watch with Hill is whether he practices on special teams or takes reps at any other position. He said this offseason he wants to dial back on special teams and lock in on offense.

6. Jameis Winston will be under a similar microscope. Every throw, every decision will be analyzed. If he can figure out how to limit his mistakes and cut back on the unnecessary risks, he has incredible upside and could make a case for being kept around for another season.

7. The other thing to keep an eye on with Winston is if everything he does looks a little sharper. The quarterback got surgery to correct his vision this offseason. The story seems a little silly, but as someone close to him recently told NewOrleans.Football, he got the operation for a reason.

8. This story seems like it came and went quickly, but another thing to keep an eye on is how the Saints react to Brees after his comments regarding the national anthem caused some division between him and his teammates. While everything appears to have mended, it is worth keeping an eye on how his teammates react to him.

9. How does rookie quarterback Tommy Stevens fit? Does he practice with the quarterbacks, or will he float around and work with different groups? He has potential as a receiver and on special teams.

Wide receivers

10. Thomas is always going to show up better and improved, ready to prove something to himself and the world. Judging from recent photos of the wide receiver, it looks as though he has added a considerable amount of muscle, which should help him make plays in space and improve after the catch. But what else has he done? You know that Thomas will find a way to improve upon the most productive season of all time by a wide receiver.

11. Brees spent some time with Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, which should help make up for some of the time lost without organized team activities and minicamp. With there likely being a ramp-up period and no preseason games, the two will need to get on the same page and develop chemistry quickly if they don't want to waste time and opportunity during the regular season. You'll know things are clicking when Brees is throwing the ball while Sanders' back is still turned to the quarterback.

12. Seeing how often Sanders lines up inside or in the slot will also be of interest and could dictate how the team approaches the third-receiver role. This stat could be a coincidence or the result of a small sample, but it is worth noting Tre' Quan Smith caught 10-of-12 targets from the slot last year for 124 yards with three touchdowns and no drops. He caught 8-of-16 targets for 102 yards with one touchdown and one drop when split out.

13. We looked earlier this offseason at Deonte Harris' growth at wide receiver throughout last season. Seeing how many routes, and which ones he gets targeted on during camp, could offer some tells to how he will be used during the season.

14. Emmanuel Butler only had a couple of catches from the slot during his time in college and caught one of four targets from the spot during the preseason last year. He can make plays outside. Is he now more comfortable moving inside? To be a viable weapon for the Saints, you have to play multiple roles.

15. One of the things that will be hard for the media to evaluate without preseason games is how the receivers look as run blockers. Smith and Krishawn Hogan were among the best in this area last season. Replacing one of them on the roster or stealing snaps on offense might be partly dictated by how well someone performs as a run blocker. Undrafted free agent Juwan Johnson from Oregon was an extremely effective run blocker in college.

16. Will one of the young receivers who hooked on last season make a push for a roster spot? Butler was the recipient of early camp hype last year, and the team still thinks a lot of him. Lil'Jordan Humphrey also has a lot of fans, and while he wasn't talked about as much as Butler last summer, he can play. There's a reason Humphrey had 34 plays of 15 or more yards during his final season at Texas.

17. While this is one of the stronger positions on the roster in terms of top talent, the only person on the depth chart with nothing to prove is Thomas. Sanders needs to show he can fit into the offense. Harris wants to show he can be a bigger contributor. Smith needs to earn snaps. Humphrey, Austin Carr, Hogan, Callaway, Johnson, Butler, Tommylee Lewis and Maurice Harris are all looking to stick on the roster. A few guys would have to really step up to make it happen, but despite being a third-round pick in 2018, Smith isn't guaranteed anything. He's going to have to fight to keep his job after only racking up 661 yards during his first two seasons.

Tight ends

18. The biggest question for the tight ends will be whether or not Jared Cook can maintain the pace he was on during the second half of last season. Some have questioned if he can keep it up. A level of skepticism makes sense considering the inconsistencies Cook has endured throughout his career, but he looked just as good in Oakland in 2018, and New Orleans has a creative offense that knows how to make use of tight ends. Brees and Cook will need to pick up where they left off last season. Seeing him command a high-level of targets during practices would also suggest that Cook will continue to eat during the season despite the addition of Sanders at wide receiver.

19. Rookie Adam Trautman is athletic enough to show up, get put on the field, and figure out how to catch passes. He might be raw, and there will be a transition and some refining needed for him to reach his full potential, but he's going to get some targets. The thing to focus on during camp is his blocking. The rookie will eventually become a three-down player. Before that happens, he'll need to show that he can hold his own in this phase of the game.

20. If Trautman steps up, where does Josh Hill fit? Who plays in two-tight end sets? Is there more of a rotation? Does Cook come off the field in favor of someone with better blocking ability? Does New Orleans use fewer sets with six offensive linemen? The offense is going to evolve in some form if Trautman is ready to go. Seeing how the groups come together throughout the summer will be fascinating.

21. Garrett Griffin, Jason Vander Laan and Cole Wick are going to have to really prove it. None of these guys have been active very often throughout their careers and have only made sporadic contributions on special teams. They'll need to step up in that phase of the game to make it on the initial roster.

22. Does Taysom Hill take on a bigger role at tight end? He logged 85 snaps there last season and is a fantastic blocker. Is New Orleans willing to let him mix it up more often in the trenches, or will it continue to pick its spots with Hill to keep him free of too much wear and tear? This one probably won't get answered during camp since most of Hill's snaps during practices will likely come at quarterback.

Running backs

23. Alvin Kamara needs to be healthy for this team to reach its full potential. He should be good to go once camp starts. The questions won't come until later in the season. One of the things to keep an eye on during camp is where Kamara is earning his targets. He only got four passes thrown to him last year while split out wide. He saw 11 passes from those spots in 2018 and 10 in 2017. There hasn't been a big shift in how he has been covered over the years, with teams pressing him at about the same rate each season. The only guess is that his health limited him last year, but it will be worth watching if there is a trend at play.

24. Latavius Murray is going to have a role on this team. But how big? Regardless, Murray is going to get his touches and needs to make the most of them. He could benefit significantly from an improved interior offensive line considering how many blocks guard Larry Warford blew last season. The running back could also stand to improve in the screen game, where he only averaged 5.5 yards per screen last season. Kamara finished at 7.

25. Does Ty Montgomery get a lot of carries? What type of plays is he used on? His versatility could be a weapon for the Saints if they figure out how to use him best. Montgomery has been a little inconsistent as a runner, but he will get what is blocked. A creative offense could make use of his talents and use him to take advantage of defenses. New Orleans can look to how it used Travaris Cadet and build upon that package.

26. Taquan Mizzell is another interesting weapon. New Orleans signed him last September and kept him on the practice squad all season. He competed as a wide receiver during camp last summer for the Bears. He has a long way to go before making the roster, but he is the type of player who could move around the formation and create scheme flexibility, a trait the Saints covet.

27. Can Tony Jones Jr. compete for snaps? The former Notre Dame running back received $50,000 guaranteed from the Saints after rushing for 857 yards and catching 15 passes for 104 yards as a senior. Most of his damage got done running behind zone blocking concepts, making it a smooth transition to New Orleans. At 5-foot-11, 225 pounds, he's a big, powerful back who could make things interesting. Giving Dwayne Washington some competition isn't a bad thing.

Offensive line

28. I'll be looking straight down the line and seeing how quickly Cesar Ruiz is getting out of his stance compared to other players. This was one of the ways to tell how far Erik McCoy was behind early in camp. He was slow to pick up the cadences and was often still down while his teammates were already moving.

29. Andrus Peat has breathtaking ability, at times looking like one of the best guards in football. When he wins, he wins big, and it pops off of the screen. The problem is that he loses in much the same manner. For Peat to meet his potential, he needs to become more assignment sound and be more consistent. That starts in camp.

30. If McCoy does move to guard, he will have to go through the process of settling into a new position. Move over a spot on the line, and he'll be put in more one-on-one situations and be able to get out into space more. Getting down the field should be no issue, but he'll have to prove that he can handle more difficult blocking assignments. How he performs in one-on-one drills will be of interest all summer.

31. The Saints spent a good amount of money on undrafted offensive linemen Calvin Throckmorton and Jordan Steckler. A couple hundred thousand dollars combined tied up in the two players guarantees nothing, but it does signify a level of intrigue. I've heard that Throckmorton was on the team's draft board, and one member of the offensive line who has been around the rookie before said that Throckmorton "can play." These guys are going to have to compete hard to make the team, especially when players like Ethan Greenidge have been in the system for a year and have the inside edge heading into camp.

32. New Orleans has spent a lot of time grooming Cameron Tom, at one point outbidding another team that tried to sign him off of the Saints' practice squad. He'll have to fight hard to maintain his spot on the team with better depth on the interior offensive line. Nick Easton and Will Clapp both appear to be ahead of Tom, and players like Patrick Omameh and Throckmorton have the flexibility to play tackle and guard. The Saints also brought in James Hurst to add competition. Tom might still be on the right side of the bubble, but he is on the bubble despite sticking around for a few years.

33. As far as execution goes, one of the main things to keep an eye on during camp is how the line is blocking screen passes. McCoy and Peat, assuming he's healthy, should be able to get way down the field and lead the way. The Saints were an elite screen team in 2017 when they averaged 8.03 yards per screen. Since then, that figure dropped to 6.61 in 2018 and 5.98 last year.

Defensive line

34. Are Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins healthy? The defensive line needs at least one of those guys going at full strength all season. The Saints can get by without one, but losing both would be devastating. Rankins is said to be healthy following Achilles surgery, while Davenport's status following Lisfranc surgery is unknown.

35. Defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen said earlier this offseason that Davenport has been working his technique and knowledge of the defense while rehabilitating his foot. How much progress has he made? With a little refinement, Davenport could quickly become the kind of player who challenges double-digit sacks each season. The other thing to keep an eye on is how often Davenport is rushing from a three-point stance. He still rushes from an upright position quite a bit.

36. As for Rankins, the main thing will be seeing how he moves. He ended his 2019 season early so that he would be fully ready by the time camp came around. So, the hope is that he can get rolling right away and put together a quality season before hitting the market as a free agent. If Rankins has a great season and prices out of New Orleans, that would be a good thing. That would mean the Saints have all the pass rush it needs to make a deep playoff push.

37. Can Carl Granderson give New Orleans some more pass rush? The Saints liked the rookie last year and kept him around based on his potential, but that didn't result in much production. Granderson was on the field for 86 passing snaps last year and had four pressures and one sack. He did get better as the season went along. Maybe coming into Year 2 he can capitalize on that experience and turn it into more consistent production.

38. There is a real chance New Orleans found a player in Shy Tuttle. The former undrafted rookie had 15 pressures on 195 pass-rushing plays, or one every 6.3 snaps. Rankins averaged one every 18.7 snaps as a rookie. In 2018, when Rankins had eight sacks, he averaged a pressure every 9.8 snaps. Here is the other thing. Tuttle was only on the field for 20 third-down passes. It's not like he was able to go out there and pin his ears back and go. Could he do more in a more significant role?

39. New Orleans could rest a little easier at night if David Onyemata takes even a small step forward as a pass rusher. He does a lot of things well and earned a big contract extension this offseason, but there is still room to grow. He's never produced more than 40 pressures during a season despite playing more than 400 pass-rush snaps each of the last three seasons. Getting on the other side of that would provide a layer of protection if Rankins gets hurt or isn't up to par.

40. Many people think rookie defensive lineman Malcolm Roach could be a solid rotational player. He was used as a defensive end at Texas but will probably kick inside. He was a good run defender in college and was decent as a pass rusher. New Orleans has done a good job building competition on the interior defensive line. Roach will be up against players like Margus Hunt, Mario Edwards, Malcom Brown and Taylor Stallworth on the interior.

41. Perhaps it is due to the uncertainty created by the health of Davenport and Rankins, but it feels like New Orleans is still one pass rusher shy. Will someone – inside or off the edge – step into that void?

Linebacker

42. Zack Baun might have the hardest transition of any rookie because he'll be learning a new position. The Saints envision him as an off-the-ball linebacker who makes plays in space even though he didn't do much of that in college. That means he'll have to learn how to see the game from a different angle, which could take some time. Seeing if the Saints use him at all as a pass rusher will be interesting. He could move down to the edge in passing situations and help plug that gap.

43. At some point, Alex Anzalone is going to stay healthy and be a difference-maker. He is still a rangy, athletic linebacker with a ton of upside. We just haven't seen it over an extended period of time. Now healthy, this is his last chance to make good and earn a second contract from the Saints. If it finally clicks, New Orleans will be able to cover a lot of ground with Anzalone and Demario Davis in nickel packages.

44. Do the Saints have much depth at linebacker after Davis, Anzalone, Kiko Alonso and Craig Robertson? Someone needs to step up and distinguish themselves. The Saints like Kaden Elliss, who was a decent coverage linebacker in college before moving to edge rusher during his final season at Idaho. Ideally, this person would be Baun, but too much remains unknown about his potential.

45. Looking for some UDFA hype? Eyes should be on linebacker Joe Bachie, who received the highest amount of guaranteed money out of all of New Orleans' undrafted players. The Michigan State linebacker is really good against the run but needs a bit more work in coverage. He could be a contributor for someone if he gets the time to develop.

Defensive backs

46. New Orleans needs to get more aggressive at cornerback. The team has two press corners in Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins. There is no need to pull back and protect someone by hiding them in zones. The ratio of press snaps needs to grow larger to maximize the ability of both players.

47. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson should see the bulk of the snaps in the slot and excel in that role. Will the second-year player be the other safety on the field next to Marcus Williams in base situations? The Saints invested a lot in Malcolm Jenkins this offseason, but the best player will win that role.

48.  The Saints really like P.J. Williams' ability to play in the slot and outside cornerback but learned last year that he has some value at safety. New Orleans will tap into that ability to disguise coverages during the season. Will that lead to him getting some practice at the position so he's more comfortable when it comes?

49. Where does Patrick Robinson fit into the mix? The veteran cornerback probably would have gotten cut if he hadn't agreed to a reduction in pay this offseason, and really hasn't ever fit in since coming back to New Orleans. Would he be the next slot cornerback after Gardner-Johnson? If the answer is no, and that is Williams, is there a place on the team for him?

50. New Orleans brought Deatrick Nichols in from the XFL after the cornerback caught its eye. According to Pro Football Focus, Nichols allowed 16 receptions on 21 targets for 171 yards with three interceptions last season. The team Nichols played for last season primarily used Cover 3 concepts.

51. How many 3-safety looks does New Orleans use next season? Does it become a primary coverage package? Do they use more zone? How much will the team tap into the flexibility of Williams and Gardner-Johnson? The Saints have talked a lot about positionless football, but will it be a major theme on defense or just a wrinkle?

52. Does Johnson Bademosi get a look this season? He's good on special teams, and he also has some interesting insights on Tampa Bay tight end Rob Gronkowski considering he used to cover him during practices when both were members of the New England Patriots.

53. New Orleans likes undrafted rookie cornerback Keith Washington. This could be a good place to be for a cornerback. New Orleans could use another player on the outside since that isn't Williams' strongest suit.