The Saints held their longest practice of camp Wednesday morning, and the most notable moment came as things got feisty in the final set of team drills.
That moment was when rookie Trevor Penning and DT Malcolm Roach appeared to get into a fight at the tail-end of a interior battle. Teammates quickly swarmed in but the skirmish rose above the minor dust-ups we've seen, both involving Penning.
Penning and Roach were both sent off the field while the team wrapped up drills, and head coach Dennis Allen could be heard laying into his team before ending the day's session.
"We don’t have time for that," Allen said. "I sent two guys in today and we’ve got to get our work done. We’ve got to learn as a team how compete and how to play and how to practice and push ourselves to the limit, and yet not take it over the edge.”
It was the third consecutive day Penning had drawn the ire of a defensive teammate. This time is was closer to a benches-clearing brawl than anything else. Bradley Roby even jumped on a player's back, though it looked more like a joke than anything else as he just clung there for a moment before returning to the ground. When the dust cleared and the big bodies separated, Penning was walking toward the exit while Roach trailed about 10 yards behind, both with helmets in hand.
On Monday it was Payton Turner exchanging blows with the rookie. On Tuesday it was J.T. Gray, who took exception to some of the action and appeared ready to fight, though it fizzled quickly.
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Penning had previously said there was no "bad blood" between he and Turner. Gray had a similar sentiment when asked after Wednesday's practice.
"Just two competitive guys going at it," Gray said. "Just giving extreme effort and going out there and holding the standard of Saints football.”
It's unclear exactly what Penning has been doing beyond playing to the echo of the echo of the whistle, but it'll be something to watch going forward. As Allen notes, it's not unusual to see such skirmishes at a camp practice, but it's clearly begun to be something of a distraction.
Of note: I've seen a fair number of folks asking for the video of today's skirmish, but that'll be hard to find. The Saints limit cell phone usage in the indoor facility, and broadcast cameras are only allowed to shoot certain portions of practice. The cameras were all pointed elsewhere at the time, so unless it leaked from the Saints' internal video or someone was taking video surreptitiously from somewhere in the facility, you'll have to rely on the written accounts.
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TAKING ATTENDANCE
The most notable absence was Payton Turner, who now missed back-to-back practices since that dust-up with Turner. It's unclear what's caused the absences, but his injury history makes it worth watching.
Tyrann Mathieu made his return from an extended, excused absence to begin camp, and he'll be ramped back into the action over the next several days. Pete Werner and Michael Thomas also worked into team drills as they ramp into things as well. Werner is recovering from a groin issue, while Thomas is working back from the ankle issue that cost him the entirety of the 2021 season.
Taysom Hill (ribs) and Marcus Davenport (finger/shoulder) were absent again, as were defensive backs Dylan Maybin and Smoke Monday. Allen confirmed that Monday suffered a significant knee injury in the previous day's practice. TE Lucas Krull was also absent for the first time of this year's camp.
Ryan Ramczyk was at practice but appeared to get a veteran's day off and was replaced in drills by Landon Young. Jarvis Landry also appeared to get the day off. C.J. Gardner-Johnson appeared to get in limited work, which was by design as he works toward a new deal, according to a report from NewOrleans.football.
MIKE THOMAS TAKES STEP FORWARD
Getting on the field for the first day of Saints training camp was a major positive for Saints star WR Michael Thomas, but it's been a slow ramp-up after missing the entirety of the 2021 season with an ankle injury and surgery.
That process took a major step forward on Wednesday, with Thomas worked into 7-on-7 drills for the first time and immediately making a pair of connections with Jameis Winston. Thomas also caught a ball from backup Andy Dalton, and was still working late into the day after a week of short practices.
Late in the day Thomas was catching endzone balls from Winston with Dalton playing novelty coverage. It wasn't real defense, but moving from routes against air to routes against people is significant.
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OLAVE BATTLING PHYSICALITY
There's no question that Chris Olave has the speed, agility and route-running ability to make big plays, but it's clear what the book is on him thus far: Make him feel you.
Olave ran four 1-on-1 reps by my count. The first came against Alontae Taylor, the pair got caught up and there likely would've been a flag one way or the other. His next rep came against Taylor again, and Olave won on a comeback route. The next came against Paulson Adebo, who won with his physicality and knocked the ball away. His final rep came against Bradley Roby, likely the least physical of the Saints corners, and Olave made the grab. All the passes came from Jameis Winston.
There's a lot to like about Olave's work thus far, but he'll have to deal with physicality all season. These reps will be invaluable as he gets down the road.
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TRE'QUAN HAS BEEN SNEAKY GOOD
Tre'Quan Smith has said his biggest goal for this training camp is to get through it healthy. He's done that so far, and he's low-key been one of the more consistent players in the passing game.
He won two out of his three 1-on-1 reps, including a pretty ball over the top. With his blocking and downfield ability, Tre'Quan could be a valuable piece if he can stay on the field. When it comes down to it, this is a man who has shown up in big moments. Think Week 4 of the 2020 season, the Divisional Round loss to the Bucs, a must-win Week 18 matchup last season. He works as hard as anyone, if he can get lucky with health I think he's got a safe place on this year's roster.
HERNDON MAKES DEBUT
Chris Herndon IV made his first appearance at Saints practice after his reported signing earlier this week. He's wearing No. 86, which previously had been worn by Brandon Dillon, who appears to no longer be on the roster.