Saints WR depth could (and should) dictate change in offensive identity
The Saints have never been married to an ideology or identity. The coaching staff will always lean on its team’s strengths and find ways to accentuate what its players do best. They will never force-fit players into a specific scheme, and they won’t heavily deploy personnel groupings just because it seems like a good idea […]
Who makes the cut? A pre-training camp 53-man roster projection
The questions about the 2022-23 roster are far different than they were this time a year ago. We already know the order of the quarterback depth chart, who is lining up at wide receiver, and there is an obvious No. 2 cornerback this year — maybe even three of them. The battles this season will […]
‘Mad Scientist’ Pete Carmichael steps into the spotlight
Pete Carmichael sees everything. If you’ve ever listened to a coach speak after a football game, you’ve probably heard one of them mutter something about having to “watch the tape” before being able to answer a question about a specific play or performance. It often seems like they are being purposefully difficult or dodging questions […]
Who’s calling the shots on defense and tight end Taysom Hill’s ‘phenomenal’ evolution
Dennis Allen spent a lot of time during summer practices prowling the field, keeping tabs on everything happening around him. At one point, you might spot the Saints head coach watching the wide receivers and showing one how to detail a route better; then five minutes later, you might see him perched behind the quarterbacks […]
Minicamp observations: Rookie Olave has some bark to go with his bite; Kevin White impresses
Notes and observations from the last minicamp practice of the summer: ATTENDANCE: TE Taysom Hill, WR Michael Thomas, DB Dylan Mabin, S J.T. Gray, DE Taco Charlton, WR Rashid Shaheed, DE Payton Turner and DE Marcus Davenport did not practice Thursday. OVERVIEW: The final practice of minicamp did not feature much action. A heavy emphasis […]
Minicamp observations: Chris Olave delivers finest practice yet
Notes and observations from Wednesday’s minicamp practice: ATTENDANCE: TE Taysom Hill, WR Mike Thomas, WR Rashid Shaheed, DE Marcus Davenport and DE Payton Turner did not practice Wednesday. DE Taco Charlton, S Marcus Maye and DB Dylan Mabin were limited. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson did not participate in team drills. OLAVE SHINES: Rookie wide receiver Chris Olave […]
Minicamp observations: Jarvis Landry is already turning into a ball magnet
Notes and observations from Tuesday’s minicamp practice: ATTENDANCE: TE Taysom Hill, WR Mike Thomas, CB Dylan Mabin, DE Taco Charlton, WR Rashid Shaheed, DE Marcus Davenport and DE Payton Turner did not practice Tuesday. Coach Dennis Allen said that anyone who didn’t practice was still at the facility. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson took part in the […]
Olave vs. Lattimore, Winston to Kamara and more to watch for at Saints mandatory minicamp
Here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on this week at mandatory minicamp: WHO’S THERE? Many players learned how to prepare for the season over the past two years and no longer feel organized team activities are necessary. Nearly a dozen key Saints players were missing from at least one of the […]
OTA observations: Mathieu taking charge on defense; UDFA tight end Lucas Krull continues to shine
Notes and observations from the third open organized team activity. ATTENDANCE: QB Taysom Hill, WR Tre’Quan Smith, WR Deonte Harty, WR Michael Thomas, CB Bradley Roby, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, CB Marshon Lattimore, RB Alvin Kamara, DL Taco Charlton, LB Demario Davis, OL James Hurst, DE Marcus Davenport, DE Payton Turner and WR Rashid Shaheed were […]
The rundown: How Michael Thomas worked to get pointers from Jarvis Landry as a high school player
Michael Thomas always has had a thirst for greatness. Soon, he will be reunited with one of the people who helped him try to quench that thirst during his formative years. While Thomas was in high school, he attended various camps and worked out with different players to hone his craft. But he also used […]