Saints Training Camp Day 9 Notes and Observations

Derek Carr, Lucas Krull, Foster Moreau, and A.T. Perry were some of the standouts from Saints training camp on Saturday.

METAIRIE -- The action picked up a good bit on Saturday from Saints training camp, as we saw a little bit of everything. Derek Carr was on a tear in the red zone, while several plays stood out. However, it wasn't all good. Here's our notes and observations from Day 9.

TRAINING CAMP RECAPS: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8

Saints Training Camp Notes and Observations from Day 9

ATTENDANCE

Cesar Ruiz, Andrus Peat, Calvin Throckmorton, and Bryan Bresee were among those not spotted at practice. Ruiz had a rest day. Michael Thomas, James Hurst, and Cam Jordan all returned. We saw Demario Davis for a brief period during stretches. He and Bresee were held out of practice due to calf injuries, and Dennis Allen said after practice that Davis was going to get imaging done on it. On Bresee, Allen said that it is not believed to be serious.

INJURIES PILING UP

Eno Benjamin suffered a ruptured Achilles during the indoor portion of practice, and both Tre'Quan Smith and Rashid Shaheed both left due to groin injuries. Shaheed also had to miss time in minicamp because of a groin issue, so that's not ideal. Kendre Miller got popped on a play that was well over with and had to leave the field. He did return, and Allen said after practice that it was jaw related, possibly TMJ. 

TEMPERS FLARE

There were a few instances, whether it was the hit or otherwise, where we saw a few flareups during practice. Issac Yiadom and Chris Olave were doing a good bit of jawing during 1-on-1s, while later in team drills Keke Coutee and Lonnie Johnson Jr. got into it some following the play. However, cooler heads prevailed. The final instance involved Tommy Kraemer and Malcolm Roach. Roach got his helmet knocked off in a rep and took exception to it, throwing a nice open-handed swing after things were over with.

STARTING LOOKS

The offense rolled with an offensive line of Landon Young, James Hurst, Erik McCoy, Max Garcia and Storm Norton. The second grouping had Lewis Kidd, Nick Saldiveri, Alex Pihlstrom, Mark Evans II, and Koda Martin.

Defensively, New Orleans had a line of Cam Jordan, Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders, and Payton Turner. D'Marco Jackson, Pete Werner, and Zack Baun were at linebacker with Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo on the outside. Jordan Howden got first-team reps with Tyrann Mathieu.

DEREK CARR RESPONDS IN A BIG WAY

Derek Carr didn't have the best of days on Friday, but he was outstanding on Saturday during red zone drills. He went 6-of-6 during 7-on-7 and had four touchdowns (more on that shortly). Carr also hit some big connections in 1-on-1 drills. He was dealing most all of the day, which was a welcomed sight.

RED ZONE WORK AND QB BREAKDOWN

Here's all the details indoors from how things looked inside the red zone.

Derek Carr (6/6)

• 14-yard-line: Completion, Jamaal Williams in the left flats for a short gain with D'Marco Jackson in coverage.
• 10-yard-line: Complete, Alvin Kamara on an angle route for a touchdown with Zack Baun in coverage.
• 7-yard-line: Complete, Keith Kirkwood in the back of the end zone for a touchdown over the middle with Jordan Howden in coverage.
• 5-yard-line: Complete, Juwan Johnson on a slant route going right to left working against Paulson Adebo. Adebo stopped him short of the goal line at the 1.
• 14-yard-line: Complete, Chris Olave on a post route for a touchdown working against Ugo Amadi.
• 12-yard-line: Complete, Foster Moreau down the left seam against Ryan Connelly for a touchdown. He dunked the ball after the play.

Jameis Winston (2/4)

• 10-yard-line: Incomplete, Kendre Miller out to the flats right with Anfernee Orji in coverage.
• 5-yard-line: Complete, Foster Moreau curl left for touchdown against Orji. Moreau almost went for another dunk, but opted to just celebrate.
• 15-yard-line: Incomplete, back shoulder hookup right end zone to Lynn Bowden Jr. working against Troy Pride. It almost worked, as Bowden Jr. got hands on the pass.
• 10-yard-line: Complete, short crosser over the middle to Krik Merritt with Ryan Connelly and Ty Summers in coverage.

Jake Haener (1/2)

• 8-yard-line: Incomplete, middle of the field intended for Lucas Krull. Credit Anthony Johnson with a pass breakup.
• 5-yard-line: Complete, fade route right hookup to A.T. Perry against Adrian Frye. Perry did a great job jumping up to get the pass.

1-ON-1 HIGHLIGHTS

Here's what we had from 1-on-1's as we transitioned from inside to outside, as the team worked in more red zone during this drill.

• Keith Kirkwood vs. Isaac Yiadom (Winston) - Complete, touchdown fade right.
• Bryan Edwards vs. Bradley Roby (Winston) - Complete, inside left to right.
• Tre'Quan Smith vs. Paulson Adebo (Haener) - Complete, touchdown fade right.
• Rashid Shaheed vs. Jordan Howden (Haener) - Complete, touchdown fade left.
• Chris Olave vs. Alontae Taylor (Haener) - Interception, right sideline. Great play by Taylor here.
• A.T. Perry vs. Anthony Johnson (Haener) - Incomplete, end zone left.
• James Washington vs. Troy Pride (Haener) - Incomplete, fade right.
• Shaq Davis vs. Adrian Frye (Haener) - Complete, touchdown fade left.
• Kawaan Baker vs. Isaac Yiadom (Haener) - Complete, fade right.
• A.T. Perry vs. Ugo Amadi (Carr) - Incomplete, fade left.
• Lynn Bowden Jr. vs. Paulson Adebo (Carr) - Incomplete, right middle.
• Michael Thomas vs. Marshon Lattimore (Carr) - Incomplete, sideline left.
• Chris Olave vs. Alontae Taylor (Carr) - Complete, touchdown fade right. Olave made a one-handed grab to get this one. It was beautiful.
• Bryan Edwards vs. Bradley Roby (Carr) - Incomplete, left slant. Dropped, but ass was a little behind him.
• Keke Coutee vs. Troy Pride (Carr) - Complete, touchdown back of the end zone over the middle.
• Keith Kirkwood vs. Anthony Johnson (Carr) - Complete, touchdown back of the end zone over the middle.
• Tre'Quan Smith vs. Isaac Yiadom (Carr) - Incomplete, fade right. Good throw by Carr, but Smith couldn't get it.
• Rashid Shaheed vs. Adrian Frye (Carr) - Complete, touchdown inside middle left to right.
• Lynn Bowden Jr. vs. Paulson Adebo (Winston) - Incomplete, comeback right end zone.
• A.T. Perry vs. Johnathan Abram (Winston) - Complete, back shoulder left touchdown.
• Chris Olave vs. Isaac Yiadom (Carr) - Complete, inside middle slant touchdown.
• Shaq Davis vs. Anthony Johnson (Carr) - Complete, inside left touchdown.
• James Washington vs. Alontae Taylor (Winston) - Complete, end zone right out touchdown.
• A.T. Perry vs. Adrian Frye (Winston) - Complete, slant left to right.

TEAM DRILLS BREAKDOWN

TEAM DRILL NO. 1: Carr's first series got started with a short hookup to Michael Thomas. Nathan Shepherd was there for the pressure, and likely would have got a sack on the play. The second play was in and out of the hands of Alvin Kamara over the middle working against D'Marco Jackson. Carr came back from that to hit Taysom Hill on a crossing route that saw Jackson have a nice pop on him after the catch. Jamaal Williams had a short run on the next play, and the series concluded with a Chris Olave completion for an intermediate gain on a crossing route. The throw was a little low, but Olave somehow got it. Marshon Lattimore was in coverage.

Winston tried Michael Thomas on his first rep on a deep slant, but Alontae Taylor had a nice pass breakup on the play. Kirk Merritt had a short run on the next play that was stopped by Nathan Shepherd. Kendre Miller got to the second level on the next handoff inside. Winston completed both of his final passes, a check down to Kirk Merritt in the flats and then a nice gain to Chris Olave on a curl working against Isaac Yiadom.

Taysom Hill came in next, running a zone read to the outside left on his first play. Isaiah Foskey was in pursuit. His lone pass was off the hands of James Washington, as they tried a deep out on the right side with Troy Pride in coverage.

Jake Haener got three reps, hitting both of his passes. Things started with a short run with Ellis Merriweather, and then he hit Lucas Krull on a curl route for a short gain working against Nick Anderson. Haener then found a wide open A.T. Perry down the right sideline, as no one accounted for him in coverage.

TEAM DRILL NO. 2: Carr's second series of work saw him check it down to Kendre Miller to start over the middle. The next play was the one where Miller got hurt after taking a flip to the right side. The hit looked like it caused a fumble, and it was unclear as to who got him. Carr tried a fade route right to Michael Thomas, but the throw was low. He came back with a pass over the middle to Kamara with D'Marco Jackson and Cam Jordan around. His work finished with a swing pass out to the right to Kamara, where Jackson had good coverage on the sideline. 

Winston's series was a little rough. The first play resulted in a sack for Tanoh Kpassagnon. Winston ended up trying to throw to James Washington off the left sideline, but it was into double coverage. The next play was a run to Keke Coutee off the right side, with Khalen Saunders and Johnathan Abram in position to make a stop. The next attempt was broken up by Abram in the end zone working against Lucas Krull. Prince Emili and Niko Lalos combined for a sack on Winston to finish the series, and it's worth pointing out that Isaiah Foskey won his rep and was coming.

Taysom Hill got a play next, which was a QB power to the left. Ugo Amadi was in position to get him in the backfield.

Jake Haener started things with a floater to the right side for Jamaal Williams. Kirk Merritt got a toss on the next play that went for a nice gain. Kyle Phillips jumped prematurely before the next play could unravel, but when it did it resulted in a nice run inside with Ellis Merriweather. Haener tried a back shoulder hookup to A.T. Perry working against Anthony Johnson on the next play, but it did not connect. Merriweather closed out the series with an outside run to the left that was stopped by Niko Lalos and Smoke Monday.

TEAM DRILL NO. 3: Most of these had a tough vantage point from where we were at, but we still got these charted in red zone. Carr's first pass was to Kamara in the flats for a short gain. The next play was blown dead after Cam Jordan and Payton Turner were there for a sack. Alvin Kamara was doubled on the play and the Saints had excellent coverage. Cam Jordan provided a pressure on the next play, which was a swing route to the right to Kamara. Jamaal Williams had an inside handoff on the final play.

Jameis Winston started his series with a hookup to Chris Olave over the middle to start. Jamaal Williams tried a rush inside that was blown up by Malcolm Roach for a loss. The next play was blown dead after Tanoh Kpassagnon and Payton Turner provided the pressure to get a sack. The final play was incomplete to Lynn Bowden Jr. in the back left of the end zone.

Jake Haener's first snap resulted in the play of the day. It was a hookup to Lucas Krull on a back shoulder route to the left. Krull was working against J.T. Gray and ended up making a one-handed grab for the score. Haener came back to Krull on the next play on a rollout to the right for another score. However, it wasn't all good for Haener, as he was picked off by Ugo Amadi on the ensuing play while targeting Jimmy Graham. Kirk Merritt helped the offense respond by having a rushing touchdown inside.

Derek Carr got two more snaps, which was a run to Kamara stopped short and a shovel pass to Juwan Johnson for a short gain. Winston then got two reps, as Jamaal Williams rushed for a touchdown and then he hit Foster Moreau for a score in the left end zone after escaping the pocket and scrambling to find him with Johnathan Abram in coverage. Haener also got two reps to close out team, as Ellis Merriweather scored on a run inside to the right, and then his second was an out route to the right that was caught by Lynn Bowden Jr. for a touchdown.

GENERAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

• Blake Grupe went 6-of-7 on the day, missing his long field goal attempt. The first three were prefect, and then the second set had a couple of kicks that were close, but grazed the inside of the uprights. His last long attempt hit the left upright and was no good. Lou Hedley was the holder.
• Lou Hedley handled punting duties today. Here's his unofficial times from his kicks: 4.60, 4.44, 4.72, 4.88, 4.53, 4.59, 4.34, 3.97, 4.69, 4.63, 4.66. He has some really nice kicks, especially when it came to inside the 10-yard-line. We continue to have an interesting special teams battle.
• Here's what the interior punt team looked like: Ty Summers, D'Marco Jackson, Zach Wood, Adam Prentice, Zack Baun, Foster Moreau, Johnathan Abram, and Taysom Hill. Juwan Johnson also rotated in as the personal protector.
• Landon Young has been working at guard, as we've previously reported, but it's only been a development from the last several days of training camp. He said that it's a little bit easier to kick inside and the team is cross-training him there for injuries. He's taken well to Jahri Evans' coaching tips as well, saying that it's a bit easier to understand things after Doug Marrone says it.
• Marcus Maye feels pretty comfortable going into this season. He also said that things are coming along with Tyrann Mathieu as well. He hasn't heard from the league yet regarding a potential suspension from his DUI incident from his time with the Jets, but expects to see that handled in the next few weeks.
• Clancy Barone made it a point to give Taysom Hill some love during tight end drills after a rep. We don't talk too much about Hill in this spot, but it seems like he's growing in the room. 
• Marques Colston was out at practice today. Yesterday, Brett Maxie and Rich and Michael Mauti were out here.