For the first time this training camp for the Saints the pads came on and the most overanalyzed drills came out: The 1V1s.
The Saints have trimmed down the usage of the reps that put a DB on an island against a wide receiver and say, good luck. It's a drill that leaves the DB at a significant disadvantage, considering there are a select few corners in the NFL you'd trust on an island in any circumstance.
That said, there's a place for it. Head coach Dennis Allen says for the DBs, it forces them to play with perfect technique, and if you can get it done in that circumstance, a game setting with safety help should come far more easily. Cornerback Isaac Yiadom told me that as a younger player he wasn't as fond of them, but now he uses them to take advantage of his physical skillset. There's also one helpful element: The DB knows the ball is coming out, regardless. It allows even the best cover corners to work on ball skills, which can be tough to do in team drills if the ball doesn't ever come your way (which means you're doing your job well, generally speaking).
The most frustrating part? Sometimes you play good coverage, and the ball still gets completed. That's what happened on a rep against rookie A.T. Perry, who used his height as a separator and made a nice contested catch. Yiadom came up clapping after the play. Nice work, rookie. Next.
But much like last year, it's the Michael Thomas-Paulson Adebo reps that serve as appointment viewing. On the first pass of team drills Adebo was able to pick off the ball from Carr sent to Thomas, but MT got him back later on, getting inside position and going up for a nice grab on a ball from Jameis Winston. There were also nice plays from Keke Coutee and Chris Olave on deep balls. It was fun to watch, but at the end of the day, it's a sink or swim drill for the DBs.
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TAKING ATTENDANCE
This one will be easy: Everyone was there, or at least everyone who was supposed to be. Trai Turner is still listed on the roster, but he's done for the year with a tendon rupture.
There were still things to note: DE Kyle Phillips was on-hand working off to the side, and he's expected to be signed this week. He was wearing No. 91, the same number worn by Jabari Zuniga, who retired this week.
Andrus Peat left practice early with what head coach Dennis Allen described as a quad injury.
QUICK HITTERS
There's a lot of grief handed to Mike Thomas for his ability to win free yards on quick slant routes, but I'm not sure why. Would you ask Shaq to stop dunking because it's so easy for him? Would you ask Steph Curry to stop shooting threes?
MT might be the best on the planet at creating quick separation and picking up positive yards in the 3-step passing game. That was on full display on Monday multiple times. On one rep, Paulson Adebo played it about as well as you can, breaking immediately and wrapping up Thomas as he secured the ball. Thomas used his momentum to fall forward for what would've been a 5- to 8-yard gain. It's a nearly unstoppable play, and Twitter trolls would have you believe it's the reason MT isn't as good as you think he is. They're wrong.
That quick-hitting ability makes life easier on the QB. It also makes life easier on the OL, as James Hurst told me today, because it allows the linemen to be more aggressive, knowing they only have to hold up for a second or two. They can show different looks that leave the defense guessing. That extra half-second of confusion can be a game-changer later on to slow down an aggressive pass rush.
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DEEP RASHID
The way Rashid Shaheed moves around truly is special. We've seen it a few times this camp, but this is the first time he's cashed in on a bomb. This one came from Jake Haener down the right sideline that dropped into a bucket. It was beautiful, and I expect to see that more than a few times this season.
BIG JIMMY
Jimmy Graham might've slimmed down, but he's still a load to tackle in the open field. Saints fans in attendance were given a treat after he caught a pass, then turned upfield and bulldozed a defender on his way to the ground. It's pretty clear he's still got gas in the tank. He'll be fun to watch.
COUNTING TARGETS
I'm going to exclude 1V1 reps here because there's no decision being made. The ball is coming out either way, so the target doesn't tell us anything.
DEREK CARR
- Michael Thomas: 4 targets, 3 catches
- Rashid Shaheed: 1 target, 0 catches
- Chris Olave: 1 target, 1 catch
- Alvin Kamara: 1 target, 1 catch
JAMEIS WINSTON
- Bryan Edwards: 1 target, 0 catches
- Jimmy Graham: 1 target, 1 catch
- Kawaan Baker: 1 target, 1 catch
- Chris Olave: 1 target, 0 catches
JAKE HAENER
- Rashid Shaheed: 2 target, 2 catches
- A.T. Perry: 1 target, 0 catches
- Lynn Bowden Jr: 1 target, 1 catch
- Kirk Merritt: 1 target, 1 catch
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