Biggest Saints Storylines to Follow in Training Camp

What are the biggest storylines going into Saints training camp?

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Jul 22, 2022 5:30 PM EDT

In this story:

We're just days away from Saints training camp starting. The rookies are already in the building, and the veterans will join them on Tuesday. We'll get our first look at practice on Wednesday, and we anticipate speaking to Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen to kick things off.

Like every team, New Orleans has plenty of things going on that will dictate success or failure for the upcoming season. Here's a look at some of the biggest storylines to follow over the next month with the black and gold.

Michael Thomas and Marcus Davenport coming off the PUP list

The Saints placed Thomas and Davenport on the PUP list to start training camp, and they can come off at any point. Of course, we expect them to be available come Week 1 of the season, but this certainly is unsettling for some.

Thomas has been running routes and starting cutting on his ankles, and it's important to remember that the Saints aren't going to rush someone who hasn't been on the field in a long time. They're going to make absolutely sure that he's totally good to go. The key takeaway is that things have been progressing for him in the right direction, and as long as there are no setbacks, that's all we can keep hoping for.

As for Davenport, well, that was an interesting story. He actually had half of his pinkie amputated in the offseason in addition to shoulder surgery in January. He was tremendous for the Saints last season, despite missing six games in 2021. When he came back, the pass rush revived from the dead and turned in 46 sacks. Getting both of these players back at some point in camp will be huge, to say the least.

Trevor Penning vs. James Hurst

Arguably, this is the biggest battle of training camp. You have the veteran facing off against the rookie in a bid to protect Jameis Winston's blindside. Hurst is the early favorite, and deservedly so. He did a lot for the Ravens in the early stages of his career, and ended up starting in 26 games between 2017-2018 for them. He has done everything the Saints have asked of him and then some over the past two seasons, and has quietly become a leader in the locker room.

By now, you know that Trevor Penning is a mauler type of player who will undoubtedly show some of that off when the pads come on. In fact, I fully expect it to lead to some extracurricular activity after plays. He can be killer in run support, but the question for him is how he develops as a pass protector. In mandatory minicamp, we saw back-to-back reps where he had issues with Carl Granderson.

The bottom line is you should expect Hurst to take the first-team reps and be the starter until he isn't, but expect Penning to give him a strong run.

USATSI_17068516_168388561_lowres — Oct 31, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II (14 and running back Alvin Kamara (41) shake hands during pre-game warmups before the game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Alvin Kamara

The outlook for Kamara is hazy at best, but what we do know is the next scheduled court hearing is slated for Aug. 1. Will that actually produce anything? That remains to be seen. The hearings have been postponed twice now, and could linger on into the season.

Kamara's situation is two-fold being that the legal side of things have to play out, and then the NFL discipline steps in. The league's conduct policy could slap Kamara with a six-game suspension, and the timing of this is really something to watch. The NFL isn't exactly swift with things, and then there's the whole focus right now on things happening with Deshaun Watson. For further perspective, Marcus Maye had an offseason arrest for a DUI back in February 2021, and that is still ongoing. These things just take time.

Another thing to keep tabs on regarding Kamara is what the team's plans are with the backup situation. Mark Ingram looks to have a good bit left in the tank, but the team's interest in adding talent can't be ignored. The Saints looked at Sony Michel and David Johnson, and have also been linked to potential trade options. This will be something to keep an eye on as we get through training camp leading up to the start of the regular season.

USATSI_18269417_168388561_lowres — May 14, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen looks on during rookie camp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Life Without Sean Payton

In two short years, we've seen New Orleans lose mainstays Drew Brees and Sean Payton. The Dennis Allen regime is in full swing, and there's certainly confidence in optimism in what he'll accomplish in a new era of Saints football. Some have called a lot of attention to Allen's last tenure as a head coach nearly 10 years ago as a reason for caution. Allen is confident, however, citing the fact of him being with the Saints 12 out of the past 16 years and fully knowing what is expected.

Allen has surrounded himself with some great coaches to help him be in a position to succeed, which includes promotions of Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard while also adding Doug Marrone and Kodi Burns to the staff. Other staffers like Michael Hodges, Ronald Curry, Joel Thomas, Darren Rizzi, and Pete Carmichael are as smart as they come, and the way they all integrate together should help the Saints be in a great position to be prepared each week.

USATSI_17027295 — Oct 25, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston

It feels like Winston has answered a lot of questions regarding his knee from the start of OTAs to now, but it continues to be a focal point of the Saints and their season outlook. Make no mistake about it, this is Jameis Winston's team. Remember that he's not going into camp having to compete like he did last season.

We got a small sampling of what he could bring to the table last season, and there's plenty of reasons to feel good about his outlook in 2022, especially with an upgraded wide receiver corps. Winston has talked about areas where he needs to get better at, particularly using guys like Alvin Kamara in the passing game. New Orleans will go as far as Winston can lead them, and that ceiling seems like it can be high.