It remains unclear whether Jameis Winston's first in-game rep of the season will come in Week 1, but he took several undeniable steps forward the past two days in practice.
Winston made his practice drill return during the second joint practice in Green Bay, but he was held out of team drills and the second preseason game. That was the case for a majority of the Saints starters.
But he got back into 7-on-7 drills in Sunday's work at the Superdome, and he was a full participant on Monday back out at the practice facility with the exception of the final set of the day in 2-minute scenarios.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen noted that his QB was "a bit rusty," but otherwise his return was a more than welcome sign as the team gets ready for a final preseason showdown against the Chargers at the Caesars Superdome before a week off and a trip to Atlanta for Week 1.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
For the second consecutive day the list of absences from Saints practice was extensive. No one who missed Sunday's work returned on Monday. Here are all the players who were not spotted participating in the morning session:
- TE Taysom Hill
- TE Adam Trautman
- WR Michael Thomas
- WR Kevin White
- OG Cesar Ruiz
- OT James Hurst
- OT Landon Young
- LB Pete Werner
- LB Chase Hansen
- CB Marshon Lattimore
- CB Alontae Taylor
- S PJ Williams
- DE Taco Charlton
Allen said this is the time of year where a lot of players will be working through nicks and minor issues, and "we’re dealing with a little of it now."
Werner and Taylor were spotted getting in rehab work off to the side, a positive sign as those two young players appear close to getting back into the main action.
Related
KIRK MERRITT THE RUNNING BACK
This Saints squad is particularly deep at WR, and that's likely a factor in why the coaching staff approached Kirk Merritt over the weekend with the idea of moving him into the running back room. The Destrehan alum is familiar with the position and has a running back build already, and looked natural in the shift.
His first look at the position came on Sunday at the Superdome, with RB Devine Ozigbo cut earlier in the day. He got back out again on Monday, and continued to build his muscle memory at the position. The obvious comparison would be to Ty Montgomery, who played dual RB/WR roles and thrived on special teams during his stint with the Saints.
It'll still be an uphill battle for Merritt to claim a roster spot, but the dual role will undoubtedly be beneficial in his case for the final 53.
PLAY OF THE DAY
This one was pretty obvious, and it made for a rough return to full-team drills for Jameis Winston. Targeting Jarvis Landry toward the boundary, Jameis tossed a ball that looked like it had a chance, but CJ Gardner-Johnson reached up with his right hand and snared it from the air.
It doesn't appear that we'll get a resolution on CJ's contract prior to the season, but he's looked exceptional throughout camp (with the exception of a few 1-on-1 reps). If his play in practice translates to the field, that contract will be a big one when it inevitably comes.
Related
TIME TO TALK ABOUT NEPHI SEWELL
First thing's first: His name is pronounced Nee-fie.
That's an important note, because I'd wager we're not talking about the UDFA out of Utah nearly enough despite a pretty impressive camp performance.
The most notable element is his inclusion in first-team reps each of the past two days. He'll have a tough road to make the roster, but there's certainly an opening there for the young player. He'll be contending with Chase Hansen, Eric Wilson and newcomer Jon Bostic, all of whom have performed well.
It's getting harder and harder to justify Zack Baun as a must-keep. I could very much see one of the names listed above being kept ahead of him, despite his status as a third-round pick from just 2 years ago.
MALCOLM ROACH RESPONDS THE RIGHT WAY
It'd have been easy for a young player to respond to a brutal moment by sulking, getting in his own head and playing himself out of a job. Malcolm Roach has done the opposite. After a roughing the passer penalty against the Packers that got him chewed out as he returned to the sideline, Roach bounced back for what might've been his best preseason performance to day.
He's carried that over into the last few practices, and has found himself in the backfield early and often. Assuming he can wipe out the silly mistakes, I wouldn't be surprised at all the see him starting alongside David Onyemata in Week 1.
Related
I'M STARTING TO UNDERSTAND RASHID SHAHEED
It was fair to wonder about the vision for the Weber State standout as he missed all of OTAs and minicamp and the first week-plus of camp practices. He is still yet to see action in a preseason game.
But now that I've seen him in action, I can definitely say: I get it. He's lightning-quick in the return game, gets in and out of his cuts in the passing game and could be a weapon with the ball in space. I'm not sure if there's a roster spot for him on this year's team, but if there's a way to stash him on the practice squad I could see him being the betting favorite as the starting returner a year from now if the team opts not to pay Deonte Harty.