Saints Minicamp: Expectations, Questions, and Storylines

The Saints kick off their three-day minicamp on Tuesday, and here's what we're watching for with a few things to know and expect from the practice sessions.

A three-day Saints minicamp is here, with the team partaking in practice sessions starting this morning. It'll be our last exposure before we get to training camp. Here's a few things to know and what we're paying attention to for the black and gold when they hit the field.

What to Expect from Saints Practices

It's still Phase Three of the offseason, which means contact is not permitted. We can see 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 at practice sessions. It's definitely a lot easier to gauge the offensive skill positions here, but you will be able to see some things from the defense and especially special teams. Unlike last year, these aren't open to fans. Stay tuned for all the breakdowns here.

WHAT WE LEARNED AT SAINTS OTAS

Who's In and Who's Out

Sep 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) reacts after the Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

According to NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan, 100 percent attendance is expected. Skipping out on minicamp carries some hefty fines, but just because it's mandatory doesn't mean players can't get excused. We've seen that plenty in the past, but taking attendance will obviously be something of particular intrigue. Among those who we're specifically looking out for include Taysom Hill, Marshon Lattimore, Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk, James Hurst, and Andrus Peat. Hill welcomed his second child into the world at the end of April, so him being away would make sense.

We'll have to see what things look like on the field, and with the Saints being somewhat close to full strength, it'll give us an opportunity to see who's starting where at some positions. We wouldn't expect to see players like Nick Saldiveri, Kendre Miller, Trevor Penning, and Cesar Ruiz partaking in practice. Others like Eno Benjamin and Miller Forristall have been present as well, but not practicing. Michael Thomas will be full-go from the start of training camp, so we'll see if he's back out there just for presence.

More Chemistry With Carr

Derek Carr working in drills / John Hendrix

Derek Carr is obviously going to be a big reason why the Saints will succeed or fail this year, but things are getting off to a great start with him at the helm. He's developing some nice chemistry with the top weapons right now, and we obviously want to see more with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Juwan Johnson. Naturally, those won't be the only players to focus in on, but the main goal is getting a better offensive product on the field. The past two years have been hard to watch, but there's a lot of reasons for optimism this season. It all starts with Carr.

Things to Watch

John Hendrix

STORYLINES: The first thing to point out would be focusing on some of the younger players continuing to take more leaps. These include Jordan Howden, D'Marco Jackson, and Lucas Krull. Jackson has been pretty easy to notice, as the team is giving him a lot more responsibility. His development is critical, as he has the best outlook of taking on the Kaden Elliss role.

We pointed out some early roster sleepers and risers when we recapped OTAs, so that continues to be something to pay attention to. A few players to keep closer tabs on would be Kirk Merritt, Isaac Yiadom, Troy Pride, Storm Norton, and Jack Heflin outside of the normal names you would look for.

QUESTIONS: There's plenty of them going into this week, with the possibility of others being answered quicker than some. Here's some of the many we have for minicamp.

• What, if any, new players will brought in this week?
• What capacity will we see players like Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Marshon Lattimore during practices?
• Can Blake Grupe build upon a strong finish to OTAs and challenge Wil Lutz?
• What is the progression of the rookie class?
• Which undrafted rookie free agent will shine? Malik Flowers might be the player to keep close tabs on here.
• What impact will the new coaches continue to make?