Demario Davis wasn't showing his cards this week at Saints camp. The veteran linebacker seemed perfectly happy stoking a bit of mystery.
But he had a clear message.
“I just feel like if you believe in the Saints, and you a fan of the Saints or you’re Who Dat Nation, you should be excited right now," Davis said. "That’s all I’ll say. You should be excited.”
Why the excitement? That's a good question. When I asked him if this year's squad had a mantra like the "Juice Boyz" of old, he said "TBD."
Clearly Davis knows something about this year's group, and he's just not ready to tell. But it most likely boils down to a confidence instilled within a veteran-laden group that's studded with playmakers on offense and defense. One other hint involves his head coach in Dennis Allen.
"We’ve got a talented defense. We’ve got a talented offense and it’s for us to be in the right position to make plays. One thing I know, having [Allen] as a defensive coordinator for all these years, when we’re playing good it helps him be more comfortable as a coach," Davis said. "It helps him go deeper into his bag of plays to call and be more calm in situations, and so I think that’s what helps take it to the next level. ... I think it’s a little more swagger on him this year, just because it’s a little more swagger on all of us for reasons that are undisclosed.”
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We'll keep a lookout for when those reasons get disclosed. For now we'll settle for that mystery no longer shrouding Davis' health. The veteran linebacker, who has had a reputation as an ironman throughout his career, missed more than two weeks of practice due to a nagging calf injury.
Davis reportedly went for imaging on the injury and the Saints quickly started working out veteran linebackers. But Davis got back to work shortly before the trip out to L.A. for joint practices with the Chargers and he has gradually ramped back into full drills. He joked that he's used up all his vacation days and now he's ready to work, but not before thanking the training staff for helping him with the added maintenance that comes with playing in the NFL at age 34.
“By Year 12," Davis said, "that plane may need a little more runway before it hits the sky.”
The runway will extend a bit longer yet. Allen said that Davis won't see action in the preseason finale, so the first time he'll get on the field for live reps will be Week 1 against the Titans.
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