The Saints were forced inside for the first time this training camp on Tuesday, and it coincided with a clear uptick in execution for the offense and Jameis Winston.
There was a 50-yard bomb to Deonte Harty, a dart on the run to Chris Olave, and on-target deliveries to Adam Trautman, Jarvis Landry and multiple backs on a day that should foster a lot of optimism after an opening week dominated by the defense.
The pads come off for Wednesday's practice, which is not open to fans, but they'll be back on for the remainder of the week.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
There was only one major change in terms of absences, and that was in the form of Payton Turner. The second-year DE was not in attendance a day after he was spotted getting into a fracas with rookie OT Trevor Penning, and could be seen swinging at Penning's helmet. It's unclear what's ailing Turner, or whether it was simply a day off for rest, but given his injury track record it'll be something to watch closely.
TE Taysom Hill, DE Marcus Davenport and WR/KR Rashid Shaheed were the other continued absences. We've seen both Davenport and Shaheed working off to the side, indicating they're likely close to a return. Hill has not been spotted since suffering what Dennis Allen described as a rib injury on Day 2 of camp.
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TE Juwan Johnson and LB Pete Werner are both ramping up their work after returning to practice in recent days. Werner wouldn't go into specifics about his injury, but indicated it was a groin issue and that he is nearing 100%. Michael Thomas was again working in individual drills but was not part of the team session.
Tyrann Mathieu remains away from the team dealing with personal issues and there is no official timetable for his expected return.
CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT ADEBO
I swear I'm not just bringing up Paulson Adebo's name every day because I like saying his name, he's simply making it impossible not to. After a day with four plays made on balls sent his way, he logged another two on Tuesday.
The first came in 7-on-7 drills as Easop Winston worked up the sideline and looked like he might've had a step. But as he does so well, the second-year DB tracked the ball and made a leaping play to knock it down for one of the few incompletions of the day. He logged another pass defended in 11-on-11 drills.
Adebo has been asked about extensively in interview sessions, and the words that come up most often: Confidence and physicality. Those are two words I'd want to have said to describe me if I was a DB.
DEONTE HARTY BOMBS LOOK EASY
He might not be the highest-volume TD scorer in the world, but the ones that Deonte Harty does get always seem to look way-too-easy for what they are.
He's not going to win many leaping matches downfield, but Harty's quick-twitch speed is tough to match. And when he gets a step, he's gone. He's a perfect fit with Jameis, who is as adept at delivering the deep ball as anyone in the NFL.
That was showcased twice in the 2021 season, with a 55-yard bomb for a score against the Packers in Week 1 and a 72-yard TD against Washington in Week 5. Harty also added a 70-yard TD from the arm of Taysom Hill in Week 13 against the Cowboys.
It was the same type of play on Tuesday, with Harty coming out of the slot and leaving nickel Justin Evans in the dust, with PJ Williams unable to get over the top. The ball was delivered in stride and Harty didn't even have to adjust as he hauled in the ball for an easy TD. And it was no surprise. Harty said Jameis had told him exactly what to do in the huddle, and it worked.
It's the type of play that can change a game, and I expect will be seeing a good amount of it this season.
JARVIS LANDRY IS ALWAYS WORKING
I'm not sure there's a receiver in the league more dedicated to working hard than Jarvis Landry. He took a spill in Monday's practice but finished the session anyway, then shared a photo of an intense cupping session later on in the day.
I was half expecting not to see Landry on Tuesday, thinking he might've been feeling the action from the previous day. I was wrong. He was out there and looked full-speed. I'm not sure I can think of a better effort role model than Mr. Juice.
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MEAN PENNING BACK AT IT
A day after getting into it a bit with Payton Turner, rookie OT Trevor Penning drew the ire of another Saints defender in veteran and special teams ace JT Gray.
Penning picked up the safety on a blitz and finished by delivering him to the turf. Gray appeared to take exception and shoved the rookie, but he made the smart decision of backing away without any blows traded. It was probably the smart decision, as tough as the 6-foot, 202-pound Gray is ... it only goes so far against 6-7, 332.
The rookie is still having some rookie moments. He false started on one team rep and was replaced by Jerald Hawkins, and he didn't exactly win a rep against Scott Patchan, though he held up long enough that it probably would've gotten the job done in front of Andy Dalton. Earlier in the practice he did a bit of bullying of the UDFA. That said, I think the bullying reputation we've heard about with Penning (and I say that in a good way) has finally started to come out in the last couple days. Veteran James Hurst is still ahead in the race for the Week 1 starting job, but Penning is starting to move the needle a bit.
JUSTIN EVANS WORKING AT NICKEL
The Saints love a safety that can play strong, free and man the nickel in a pinch, and it's looking more and more like the former Tampa Bay Buc Justin Evans might be that guy.
He was getting reps at nickel in team drills today, and while he was victimized a bit by Harty, he's held up a lot more often than he hasn't in coverage thus far.
TJJ'S HANDS ARE WORKING
It can be tough to erase the memories of a pair of ugly drops like Tony Jones Jr. had in the first week of camp, but he's done a decent job of that since. He's displayed good awareness and burst in run-game drills in the few days since, and he made a nifty-looking hands catch working across the middle out of the backfield today. I still think he's on the wrong end of the battle for the 4th (and I'd guess final) RB spot available on the final roster, but he's getting closer.
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SO WHO IS THE RB TO KEEP?
Obviously Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram are locks to make the roster, and Dwayne Washington feels safe as a key special teams contributor. As I said above, I'd put TJJ at the bottom of the list of the others contending for a 4th RB slot, and that battle is currently comprised of veteran Malcolm Brown, UDFA Abram Smith, and 4th-year pro Devine Ozigbo.
Each has something interesting to offer. Brown is probably the easiest to trust. He's done it at the NFL level for a long time, he's sturdy and can catch. He's just not particularly dynamic and I'm not sure what he offers on special teams.
Smith is intriguing. He's a wrecking ball, his hands are coming along and he might be just what the Saints need as an early-down bruiser between the tackles. But he's young, and with any rookie back you have to wonder about his pass-pro chops.
Ozibgo splits the difference. He's now been in the NFL for three seasons, though with limited usage. I still think he's got the best hands of any back not named Kamara, and he's bigger than he gets credit for (6-0, 225).
If I had to make the pick today, I'm still going with Ozigbo. He's just been the most consistent, and I want depth RB options to be weapons in the passing game. That said, I understand why the Saints would opt for either of the other two, and there might be too much upside to ignore with Smith.
IS THE BOOK CLOSING?
It's not the most important roster decision in the world, but I'm just having a hard time finding a roster spot for Ian Book when all is said and done. With Taysom Hill on the roster as a built-in emergency QB, there's really no need to keep a third unless you like his long-term upside, and the second-year pro really just doesn't look confident. There are few decisive throws, there are too many wait, wait, wait then scramble in a scenario where the defense can't hit you anyway. I could see him landing on the practice squad, but otherwise it's a tough sell.