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ICYMI: Saints Training Camp Recaps, Analysis & Takeaways - Week 1

The best of the Saints Training Camp notes, quotes, and John Hendrix' recaps, practice analysis, and takeaways.

Kyle T. Mosley

The best of the Saints Training Camp notes, quotes, and John Hendrix' recaps, practice analysis, and takeaways.

Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
Jul 31, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton reviews drills during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle T. Mosley - Saints News Network

JOHN HENDRIX:  KEY OBSERVATIONS AT SAINTS CAMP

Day 1 

  • Taysom Hill took all first-team reps in practice. As we warned you in our important things to remember at training camp article, don't overreact based on one day. Jameis Winston looked sharp in his reps, and so did Hill. Both were wearing gloves on their non-throwing hands, while Trevor Siemian and Ian Book were not.
  • Today's practice saw a good bit of positional drills, with two quarterbacks throwing to a wide receiver for each one. The offensive line was working on 1-on-1 rush drills, and each position group was doing their respective drills.
Jalen McCleskey at Saints Camp - Day 2
Jul 30, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jalen McCleskey (17) performs wide receiver drills during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Day 2 

  • Taysom Hill took reps as the starter today, and Sean Payton said after practice that the team is working on installs. We could see the rotation swap tomorrow to Jameis Winston.
  • For Winston, he was pretty perfect on the day. His first pass in 11-on-11 was a connection to Deonte Harris over the middle. He did a great job finding the soft spot in the coverage. On the next play, James Hurst was beaten by Noah Spence off the edge for a sack.
  • Pass Rush: I charted two Carl Granderson sacks, with one on Winston and one on Siemian. Marcus Davenport also had a sack on Hill, while Noah Spence sacked Winston. The team's pass rushers stand out at times for their length and strength.
Saints Running Back Alvin Kamara at Saints Training Camp
Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, Saints News Network; July 31, 2021; Metairie, LA at Ochsner Performance Center

Day 3 

Jameis Winston to the starting reps.
Ian Book got the third spot on the quarterback rotation, his first throw was to Chris Hogan, who made a good effort to secure the catch on the sideline that got a good reaction from the fans.

  • The defensive line had Tanoh Kpassagnon and Payton Turner at the edge, with Jalen Dalton and Malcolm Roach playing inside. Pete Werner rotated in for Zack Baun as well.
  • The Saints were working on swing passes out of the backfield, with receivers getting in some sideline work after running in motion. The defense was working on position group drills, with the defensive backs and linebackers working together. There were also some drills for intentional safety and run-out-the-clock situations in which the passer throws back to a receiver on their own 25-yard-line.

"Blake Gillikin has a strong leg. I watched him in individual drills consistently booming punts well over 50 yards." Kyle T. Mosley

Saints Linebackers Kaden Elliss and Pete Werner
Saints Linebackers Kaden Elliss and Pete Werner;  July 30, 2021; Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Day 4 

  • Jersey Numbers: Amukamara (No. 6), Tommylee Lewis (No. 12), Freeman (No. 34), Russell (No. 35), Sweezy (No. 63). Alvin Kamara was wearing No. 6 again for today's session, but don't expect him to swap to it. Stevie Scott III is now No. 39
  • Prince Amukamara later got work on the right side with the second team opposite of Adebo (left). For those who might be paying attention, Eric Burrell was getting work at free safety, while Bryce Thompson was at strong safety.
  • New Orleans did a lot of passing work on Monday. The skills groups worked alongside quarterbacks, while other position groups like the offensive line were working on blocks and practicing with medicine balls. 

Day 5 

  • Tre'Quan Smith and Keith Washington II both left practice early due to apparent injuries.
  • In 7-on-7 drills, Hill and Winston both went 3-of-5, while Trevor Siemian was 2-of-3 and Ian Book was 2-of-2.
  • Sub Notes: Payton Turner and Carl Granderson rotated in as defensive ends, while Josiah Bronson and Christian Ringo were the inside pair. I credited Ringo with a sack on Ian Book towards the end of practice. 
  • This was a day that the defense won or the offense just didn't look crisp, however, you want to chalk that up. I'd lean to the defense winning the day.
July 30, 2021; Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA

Day 6 

  • It appeared to be a rest day for veterans like Latavius Murray, Malcolm Jenkins, and Ryan Ramczyk. They were spotted but did not appear in many reps.
  • Winston did throw his first pick of training camp, which ended up being a bit underthrown and picked off by Ken Crawley. Ian Book also threw a pick to Paulson Adebo in one-on-one drills.
  • Sub Notes: When the Saints moved to a base alignment, Carl Granderson came in for Davenport, while Ryan Glasgow rotated in at Tuttle's spot with Tuttle moving to Onyemata's. Kaden Elliss, Demario Davis, and Pete Werner were the linebackers, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson played in place of Jenkins.
  • The offense was in the dark jerseys for the first day. Winston once again had a glove on his non-throwing hand during outside's practice. At one point in formations, Nick Vannett lined up at fullback, similar to what Josh Hill would do.

Day 7 

  • Tre'Quan Smith, Kendall Donnerson, Nick Vannett, and Ethan Wolf were all missing from practice. Deonte Harris returned, while Kwon Alexander and Grant Haley were at Thursday's session.
  • Sub Notes: Armstead was replaced by James Hurst, while Calvin Throckmorton was in for Peat. Devonta Freeman and Tony Jones Jr. got plenty of work today.
  • 11-on-11 Notes: Lots of action from the session. The quarterbacks just didn't have a good day, however. For instance, one of the passes Winston threw to Deonte Harris was just way too high. 
  • Callaway also had an outstanding grab where he essentially took the ball away from a C.J. Gardner-Johnson interception near the right sideline.
  • Stock Up: Christian Ringo had an outstanding day of practice. He had a tackle for loss when he blew up a screen play to Devonta Freeman, for starters. He later sacked Ian Book. He and Jalen Dalton have been very impressive on the interior.
Saints CB Paulson Adebo
Credit: New Orleans Saints; CB Adebo

Day 8 

  • Tre'Quan Smith once again was absent from practice, while Ethan Wolf (ankle) and Nick Vannett were missing. With the tight ends injured, there are several reported workouts the Saints are conducting, which include Josh Pederson, Demetrius Harris, and Gabe Holmes.
  • Taysom Hill had a decent day but had a really rough series at the end of practice in 11-on-11 operating from the shotgun. He went 1-of-2 on five reps with the lone completion going to the flats for a minimal gain.
  • Sub Notes: Later in 11-on-11 drills, Ethan Greenidge worked with the first team at right tackle, while James Hurst went to left tackle.
  • The defense was working together as three separate groups: defensive backs, linebackers, and the defensive line. The quarterbacks worked individually with the wide receivers, and then the running backs and tight ends joined after. The QBs also got work in with the skill position with some basic formations and plays.
  • 11-on-11 Notes: Carl Granderson had at least three sacks on the day (Book, Siemian, Hill). He also had a run stuff. He's been very consistent and flashing. 
  • Saturday's practice is the last day for fans to attend for quite a while, as they won't have an open session for nearly two weeks (Aug. 20). That one coupled with the Saturday session is the last two open to the public.

Previous Practice Recaps: 

Day 8 | Day 7 | Day 6 | Day 5 | Day 4 | Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1

NOTES AND QUOTES AT CAMP

COACH PAYTON

On Kwon Alexander

“All offseason he’s someone we’ve paid close attention to where he’s at with his rehab (torn Achilles). He’s someone we wanted to have back. It was just a matter of working out the right contract. He’ll get into the facility today. We’ll be slow with his acclimation. He’s done a great job with his rehab, but the worst thing we could do is to throw him right back into practice. He’ll be with us on the roster and in meetings, but there’ll be a little bit of an acclimation period for him before he’s ready to go."

Saints defensive end Payton Turner
Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, Saints News Network; July 31, 2021; Metairie, LA

On Payton Turner after 2 Days in Pads

“He’s doing well. He’s young. Probably rushing the passer better than defending the run so far, but nonetheless, he’s getting acclimated to what we’re looking for. He’s very coachable and we want him to keep going, keep trending the right way, and we want to keep working with him.”

On Kawaan Baker's Progress

“I thought he had a good practice today. For him, it’s just learning the offense, the different formations. There is an abundance (of learning) for someone that has come from a different system. I know he’s a willing blocker and I think he’s someone who will help us in the kicking game too. I thought he had a good practice today.”

Taysom Hill at Saints Camp
Credit: Kyle T. Mosley - Saints News Network; July 31, 2021

On Taysom Hill's Weight

"He is pretty good with his weight. If he is down, it might only be about five pounds. What we do before summer is go over every player's weight. We talk about what their weight was last year and see if we want to move it up or down. We come up with their reporting weight and they sign off on it so we're all on the same page.

On Chris Hogan's Picking Up Offense

"He is a quick study. That happens with some players, they just have real good football instincts. Aside from just picking up the offense, one of his strengths is he's a savvy player. He's smart and understands leverage. He's really good with his technique. I am encouraged with how he's been able to come in here and make an early impression."

OFFENSE

USATSI_16486511_168389760_lowres
Jul 31, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) performs offensive drills during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston - Grading Himself on the Gaunlet

"Listen, Jeff (Duncan). The first time I went through that gauntlet I blew it up. OK. Yeah, I know, they don't show you that, right. But the first time I blew it up. The second time I got hit pretty good. But I kept my ground. I stayed up. You saw that ball. Do you see the ball? The ball was secure. So I finished in the end zone. OK.  Like I said, we're going to be resilient. We're going to be resilient. Thank you. Appreciate y'all."

Taysom Hill on "Who's Winning Now"

"Honestly, it's a good question. We have been like back and forth trying to figure out what's on the line here and I don't know that we've been keeping too close to the track because we don't know what it's for. So I don't have an answer for you."

Latavius Murray on Devonta Freeman

"He looks good. He's obviously a guy that's had a lot of success playing in Atlanta for all those year.  He and I played in the Pro Bowl together a few years back, so it was good to catch up with him, now be alongside him and play with him. I'm just looking forward to playing with him, learning from him, and trying to get better together."

*Transcripts provided by New Orleans Saints PR Department

DEFENSE

Saints Linebacker Kwon Alexander
Credit: New Orleans Saints; LB Kwon Alexander, #58; Saints Training Camp 2021; Metairie, LA; August 5, 2021

Kwon Alexander on his Explosiveness

"Way, way more explosive. Dr. Reef got me more explosive, so I appreciate his help with everything."

Pete Werner on Demario Davis

"I've leaned on him a ton. He's a vet and has a lot of experience. Any tough questions that I can't reach Coach (Michael Hodges) right away I'm going to him. I just like to pick his brain every once in a while. He's a guy that's been around forever. If I got something I'm going to him."

Carl Granderson on Adding Weight 

"Yes. When I first got here I was about 243 and then I got up to about 254. So my second year, I played around 270. Now I'm 277. My body has matured, developing and I'm getting bigger and stronger."

*Transcripts provided by New Orleans Saints PR Department

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Kyle T. Mosley
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