Voluntary is the key word to consider when talking about OTA attendance, but there's a clear difference when it comes to mandatory minicamp.
Practices will be held June 14-16, the first two of which will also be open to the public. With that in mind, here are the top 5 things to watch as the team gets to work in Metairie this week, beginning with...
1. WHO ALL IS OUT THERE?
Dennis Allen said he had been in touch with every member of his team that was not in attendance for OTA sessions and none of the absences were problematic. Names like Marshon Lattimore, Demario Davis, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Payton Turner and a handful of others weren't spotted during any of the three sessions.
And that's just fine. No one should be worried about a player like Davis' ability to get ready for the season on his own time. But Allen also made it clear that this week nobody has been excused. The coach expects to see everybody.
That comes with a caveat, though. While everyone will be expected to be in the facility, that doesn't mean everyone will get onto the field for practice. The first-year coach already tossed some cold water on the idea that Thomas might get into his first practice in over a season. He said that while MT's rehab is progressing, his target for a return continues to be training camp. That was similar to the answer that Payton Turner gave when asked about his rehab status. Each of James Hurst, Marcus Davenport and Taysom Hill were said to be working back from some offseason health issue, and their on-field attendance will be something to watch for.
Related
One face we can expect to see is kicker Wil Lutz. It isn't exactly a surprise, considering he was in uniform during OTAs, but he announced on Monday that he's officially been medically cleared to return. That's a good thing, considering the Saints' kicking game was a stress nightmare during his absence.
However the attendance shapes up, this is when we'll get a better idea of whether there's any contract contention going on. An unexpected absence this week would be a clear signal on that front.
━━
2. MAYE'S PROGRESS
Unlike the injured players noted above, Marcus Maye has been on the field for each of the three OTA sessions. The amount of work he's done has ramped up each week, but he's still been limited as he recovers from the Achilles injury that ended his 2021 season early as a member of the New York Jets.
But how much work can one half the Saints' new starting safety depth chart get in before the team breaks ahead of training camp? Will he be ready to work fully during training camp, or will there still be training wheels?
His status could be an indicator of just how seriously the Saints have to consider the bottom end of their safety depth chart. Barring injury, it seems players like CJ Gardner-Johnson, Tyrann Mathieu, JT Gray and Maye are guaranteed spots on the roster. PJ Williams is also a highly likely option to retain. Does Maye's injury and a potential suspension lead the team to load up a bit more on safeties? Daniel Sorenson, Smoke Monday, Justin Evans and Bryce Thompson will be fighting to make that decision as difficult as it possibly can be.
━━
3. PENNING VS HURST
Trevor Penning is a rookie. He's going to have rookie moments. Allen said as much when asked to evaluate the No. 19 overall pick's work through rookie minicamp and the three OTA sessions. He's got more to learn, but he's working as hard as anyone, say his coaches and teammates.
Penning himself admitted that he's a bit behind on the technique curve. Things like perfect hand placement and footwork often weren't necessary at Northern Iowa, where he was often physically superior to his opponents. That won't be true in the NFL, and it's one of the difficulties when it comes to trusting a small-school tackle as a rookie. It's not a negative, per se, simply an extra rung on the hurdle he has to clear to win the LT job in Year 1.
Related
It's also an element that makes the position battle even more interesting. If Penning's technique still needs refinement deep into camp, Doug Marrone and Co. likely won't think twice about erring toward the veteran Hurst to start and seeing how things develop from there. But is Hurst ready to practice during minicamp? If not, that'd give the rookie an extra few days to make an impression. If Hurst is out there, the race for the starting LT job really shifts into gear this week.
Marrone brought up Hurst's name unprompted earlier this season when speaking about the OL group he's taking over. And the veteran is certainly going to be fired up to potentially win a starting job after two seasons operating as a swing tackle. Game on.
━━
4. OLAVE/LANDRY VS THE DB ROOM
One thing that stood out during OTAs: A major chunk of the Saints' secondary was not in the building.
None of Marshon Lattimore, CJ Gardner-Johnson or Bradley Roby were in attendance at any of the sessions. And all three will be fascinating to watch lined up against new Saints WRs Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave, two WRs offering vastly different skillsets.
At the end of the day it's still a workout in shorts, but if the rookie and the veteran can make hay against the meat of the Saints' DB room, there's all the more reason to get excited about what the passing game could look like in 2022.
Related
Minicamp is a great time to make a first impression, or reinforce a good one. That'll be the case for down-roster pass-catchers like Dai'Jean Dixon and TE Lucas Krull as well. Stand out here, and that could bode well down the road.
━━
5. DOES KAMARA SPEAK?
There's no mystery as to what the star Saints running back can and will bring to the field. He'll be in shape. He'll be ready to go.
But will we hear from Kamara during minicamp? In other years it'd be no question. Alvin speaks with the media as much as anybody, and he has a good time doing it. But he and everyone else in the room will know exactly which turn the conversation will take.
What is the latest in the arrest from an alleged altercation prior to the Pro Bowl? It's unlikely he shares any details as the case is still ongoing. He won't know yet any more than we will if there's a suspension coming, when or how long. But even with non-answers, it'll have to be addressed at some point. Will that be this week?
Related
LAGNIAPPE: I intentionally have been avoiding the "Jameis Winston limp" narrative on social media so as not to feed into any more loosely sourced fantasy football news feeds. But it'll be yet another week for Winston to show his returning health in that knee. He's still got some ramp-up left, and it's really only when he's walking around between drills that you notice he's wearing a brace at all. That's something you'll want to see continue. ... One more interesting name is Rashid Shaheed. The Weber State return dynamo has been at the three OTA sessions, but he's yet to get into practices as he recovers from an injury. But the Saints brought him in for a reason, and I know I'm sure interested in seeing that reason in action. Their track record of bringing in unknown return specialists is pretty good, after all.