It happened, somebody finally hit somebody at New Orleans Saints training camp.
That's because the full pads came on for the first time, and that means we got a much better look at the action in the trenches. We also got our first camp fight -- more on that later.
But the biggest news of the day came in the form of Chase Young, who worked into team reps for the first time since joining the Saints this offseason. Young underwent neck surgery and has been ramping up through the first week of camp, but got on the field for three reps on Monday.
The power was apparent from the start. On one rep he was chipped by TE Dallin Holker, then shedded Taliese Fuaga before getting an arm to Derek Carr and appearing to impact a throw that fell incomplete.
Head coach Dennis Allen said he's excited about what he's seen from Young, particularly as it comes to how he attacked his rehab. The plan was always to bring him back slowly, but after meetings with doctors they were able to accelerate his timeline somewhat. We'll have to wait and see where things go from here.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
The Saints have shuffled a few pieces on their offensive line with the signings of Chandler Brewer, Jesse Davis and Tremayne Anchrum Jr., while sending Justin Herron to IR and waiving Mark Evans.
All three of the new Saints linemen were in action this week, but there were a handful of players we didn't see:
- CB Marshon Lattimore
- RB Kendre Miller
- DL Trajan Jeffcoat
- FB Zander Horvath
- DT Bryan Bresee
The Horvath absence was puzzling. He didn't appear to be dealing with an injury and the Saints were returning from a day off. If he missed another day we'll start asking questions.
Lattimore's absence has officially entered concerning territory. He's missed three consecutive practices over four days. Now, he's a veteran and these reps aren't as important for him as they would be for others, but his recent injury history certainly doesn't help.
The most concerning new injury came late in Monday's session with Nick Saldiveri hobbling off with an injury to his left calf. He was moving under his own power but wasn't extending his foot at all as he stepped and his availability will certainly be in question for the short term. It's also the second in as many seasons he's dealt with a calf injury. Saldiveri has gotten all the first-string reps at left guard, so replacing him would mark the first shift for that group this offseason.
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SO ... WHO IS IT?
The Saints have a few options if they have to replace Saldiveri at left guard for Tuesday's practice and beyond. My money would be on Lucas Patrick, a veteran player who has gotten the majority of work to this point as the backup center, but has also rotated in at guard.
Another option would be Shane Lemieux, though he's been battling an ankle injury of his own and that's been an issue for him throughout his career. The recently signed Davis also played guard earlier in his career before shifting to tackle.
What I can say with confidence is that the Saints are unlikely to turn to a young, untested player in that spot if they can avoid it. I always felt like Saldiveri would get overtaken by a veteran at some point with the Saints already navigating a pair of wild cards at right and left tackle. While frustrating, I think this just moves up that timeline.
FIGHT!
It's like clockwork. Put the pads on, ramp up the contact. FIGHT. It's only a question of who and when. In this case it was Cedrick Wilson and Alontae Taylor, with the pair going at it after the whistle on a run play. It appeared that the DB may have taken some exception to Wilson's aggressive blocking and they went at it. It didn't look like any punches were thrown but by the time they separated Taylor's helmet had been pulled off.
No harm, no foul. Until the next time.
TIPTON AGAIN
I go into every training camp telling myself I won't be the reason that we end up with another Emmanuel Butler, IE a player who gets hyped up in the media because of standout practice performances but ultimately never makes an impact at the NFL level.
Whether Tipton follows that same path remains to be seen, but all we can do as a media group is react to what we're seeing and relay it back accurately. The fact is that Tipton continues to stand out, and not just with his blazing speed (which he absolutely does have). He showcased that speed on a 1-on-1 rep today against Rico Payton where he got a clean outside release and jetted off for would've been a 40-plus-yard touchdown. On another rep he set up Alontae Taylor on the fade but broke it off with a comeback that created yards of space for the easy pitch and catch. Even Taylor complimented the effort afterwards.
There's probably a roster spot or two to be handed out at WR. Would you consider holding onto Tipton over some other young players? That remains to be seen, but he's absolutely one of the camp standouts to this point.
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DOOR OPEN
Blake Grupe made his first 21 kicks of training camp -- but he missed his final two on Monday. Both kicks were from 55 yards and definitely weren't getting any help from the wind. That said, if you wanted to make a case for Charlie Smyth to beat him out, it'd be distance. Smyth went a perfect 7-for-7 in his last session, which included a kick from 58.
It's worth noting that this is Grupe's first stumble of the offseason and Smyth has had his share of inconsistency. We also saw Grupe hit 6 of 9 from 50-plus in his rookie season, so the length is there. Regardless, the misses add some intrigue to this conversation. The question is how much.
LAGNIAPPE
Kool-Aid McKinstry got a bit of extra work today, adding third-team reps in the slot to his first-team work outside. He's a young player who is going to be asked to wear a lot of different hats. ... Pete Werner just keeps making plays, and he's doing it with speed. Several times in today's practice we watched him get all the way to the edge of the field to snuff out a misdirection run play. If he can have this type of impact when the games arrive we'll be having a very interesting contract extension conversation. ... I thought Trevor Penning had a nice day. He looks like he's gaining confidence and held up well in some pass pro reps against Cam Jordan today.