GM Mickey Loomis Reveals Key Insights On Team Ahead Of Saints Training Camp

Learn what the New Orleans Saints executive had to say about Alvin Kamara, Klint Kubiak, Chase Young, and his team before training camp kickoffs.

Mickey Loomis / Credit: New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis spoke for nearly twenty minutes at his Saints pre-camp press conference in Irvine, California.   

ADDRESSING ALVIN KAMARA'S ARRIVAL

Amid the contract tensions with star running back Alvin Kamara, Loomis was pleased he arrived at camp.

"Look, he's here," Loomis said. "I haven't had a conversation with him today, but he's here. I appreciate that he's here. And, look, I think one thing that we, you know, you have to understand, or we have to understand, is that I'm going to be conservative here.  I'd say 50% of our organization, players, coaches, administrators, and scouts feel like they're underpaid. Right? And believe they deserve and want more money.

Perhaps Loomis' response may not have been a resounding vote of confidence in reworking Kamara's deal, but showing up was a good start for both sides.

Loomis plays his cards closely. We noticed how he addressed Mike Triplett's question about the remaining year on Kamara's current contract.  

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) gets ready to come into a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

He responded, "I don't wanna get into those kind of conversations, and it's nothing new. It's nothing about him. It's just you guys know how I am about negotiations. I don't like I don't like doing that, publicly. I don't like, you know, not one that wants to put things out or try to influence it, any negotiation through the media. I think if I have something to say, I say it directly to, you know, the agents and the players."

Shrewdly side-stepping the direct question may not signal transparency from the Saints' front office. However, if history is a good predictor, one could speculate that his arrival and Loomis' guarded words could soon have a resolution.

THE SALARY CAP EFFECT IN NEW ORLEANS

Each year, assistant general manager and vice president of football operations Khai Harley astounds the NFL analysts and "Saints tombstone writers" in the media. His ability to whittle down the team's contracts to get underneath the NFL-mandated salary cap is beautiful for Saints fans, but his boss is somewhat more pragmatic.

"Where we're at on the salary cap every year influences how and what we're able to do. I don't think that's much different than it's been in the past. Obviously, there's some volatility in the market for different positions, and then we have to pay attention to that," Loomis commented.

The salary cap has affected the team's decisions with veteran players. The team has a lot of young players on the core group, and the focus is on making sure they are put in the best position to succeed.

Related: Top Insights From Dennis Allen's New Orleans Saints Pre-Training Camp Presser

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May 11, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak looks on during the rookie minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

OTHER KEY QUOTES FROM MICKEY LOOMIS

Building a Winning Culture

"Because the culture and the leadership best comes from the players."

On Holding Training Camp Away From New Orleans

"It's significantly more logistics involved when you open it up to the public as to when you don't."

Impact of Heat on Training Camp

"You know, the heat last year, I felt like that was the first year that, man, it just really impacted what we were able to do in terms of training camp."

Mickey Loomis' Impression on Klint Kubiak

He's, very impressive. He's super smart, innovative, has a has a I think he has a real confident demeanor about him. He's quiet, but he has a confident demeanor, knows what he's trying to get accomplished, and yet, I think he's also there's a there's an open-mindedness to him that, if something if we have a round hole and a square peg, he's going to figure out a way to to make that work. And so, I've been I've been impressed. I've been impressed with the number, the new guys that we have.

Related: Kubiak on Kamara

Negotiating Athlete Contracts

"He wants to get paid based upon what he thinks he's gonna be, and we wanna pay him on based upon where he's been and wherever we think he's gonna be."

The Reality of NFL Team Ages

"I see these things about, average age of your team and who's young and who's not, but I don't think that really tells the whole story.

On Chase Young

"I've been impressed with how hard he's worked to get his rehab done, how his attitude about being on this team and having a chip on his shoulder.  I feel like he as a player, it feels like he has something to prove. And oftentimes, when you're that high a draft pick, that's hard to recapture."

In his press conference earlier, Dennis Allen confirmed that the team will have four practices before putting on pads. Before the sounds of pads clashing rings in SoCal, it'll be light work for the coaches and players.