Three up, three down for the New Orleans Saints OTA sessions, so what did we learn?
Well, I went in asking for a solid day from Spencer Rattler and we got it. More on that below. There was a lot of good red zone work, but first things first...
TAKING ATTENDANCE
My expectations were that the final set of OTAs would be a good target for some veteran players who could basically turn mandatory minicamp into a two-week program. Not so much, with neither of Marshon Lattimore or Alvin Kamara making their appearance.
Here's who we didn't see on the field for this week's practice that was open to the media:
- WR Stanley Morgan
- CB Marshon Lattimore
- CB Paulson Adebo
- S Tyrann Mathieu
- CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
- RB Alvin Kamara
- LB Nephi Sewell
- DE Nathan Latu
- RT Ryan Ramczyk
- TE Tommy Hudson
- DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
- DT Nathan Shepherd
- DE Chase Young
Saints defensive backs coach said it was disappointing not to have Lattimore in any of these sessions of the past three weeks, but that he's fully expected to be in attendance at next week's minicamp. That session is mandatory and absences could carry financial implications. Saints head coach Dennis Allen said he does not expect any absences for players who are not dealing with injuries.
That group of injured players includes Ryan Ramczyk, Chase Young, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Nephi Sewell, Nathan Latu and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
As far as McKinstry (foot) and Young (neck), both players have been in the building and their rehab is on track. Allen said it's possible that McKinstry returns for drills next week, but it's unlikely he participates in team sessions.
Another rookie who got in limited work for the first time was Jaylan Ford, who was spotted working off to the side with trainers and got in limited work during individual drills.
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RED OLAVE
If you're a Marvel fan you've probably heard of Red Hulk. Without nerding out too much, just know that the red one is stronger.
Maybe that's the case for Olave, too? Probably not. But Olave pulled on a red, non-contact jersey for team drills today and proceeded to have his best day yet. Perhaps it was because other players kept their distance, but he found himself wide open on multiple occasions and Carr found him downfield.
Allen said that Olave hurt his shoulder in the weight room earlier in the training program and the team didn't want him taking any additional hits. Logic will dictate that if it was anything of concern he wouldn't have been in these drills at all. Still, it'll be something to watch.
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RATTLER'S DAY
I went into this session asking for one complete day that we could build on for the 5th round rookie. Rattler obliged.
He completed 2 of 3 attempts in 7-on-7 drills with the incompletion coming on a drop by Kyle Sheets. The incompletion is why context beyond the stats matter. QB Derek Carr made a point to yell great ball and high five the young player. Not all incompletions are created equally.
Rattler only had one more attempt on the day, but it was a memorable one after a hard playaction and rollout to the left he slung a deep ball to Cedrick Wilson for what would've been a long touchdown.
It wasn't a thrilling day by any means, but that's not what we're looking for at this point. It's about consistency and correcting mistakes. That's what we got this week. Onto the next.
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PLAY OF THE DAY
This time of weird is always weird because a good play on one end could be spun as a bad play on the other. In this case it was Derek Carr's first interception of the offseason, but it came off of two tips after the ball was released. Carr appeared to be trying to dump the ball down to a running back but it was deflected up in the air at the line. Alontae Taylor couldn't get there for the interception but he was able to knock the ball in the air, allowing Demario Davis to step under it for an interception in the final set of team drills.
Carr was solid overall. He had an incompletion that looked like a drop from A.T. Perry in 7-on-7s and another that was targeting Cedrick Wilson over the middle (the offense was yelling for a penalty). Otherwise he had completions to Olave, Taysom Hill and Michael Jacobson.
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LAGNIAPPE...
Nathan Peterman got his first chance in team drills today, taking the final rep with the 2s and the 3s in 7-on-7 drills. It wasn't a great experience. The first pass was deep downfield targeting Michael Jacobson but intercepted by a diving Rico Payton. The second rep was a checkdown to Jacob Kibodi. ... Charlie Smyth has plenty of time to make his claim in a kicker competition, but he did himself no favors today. He definitely made 3 of 7 attempts, with another kick possibly sneaking over the bar on the left side. He missed two to the left and one to the right and the contact wasn't clean on multiple kicks. He'll have more chances, but it was a rough start. ... Lou Hedley's leg has been noticeable. He seems to have a bit more pop this year than last, and that'll be a positive thing. His directional kicking and placement was excellent last year in limiting returns. If he can add a bit more hangtime and length, we're talking about a potentially elite option in that role. ... It was a large group of kick returners today, including Mason Tipton, Rashid Shaheed, Alontae Taylor, Kendre Miller, James Robinson, Jermaine Jackson, Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams. It's likely that only a handful of those players end up in the actual rotation behind Rashid Shaheed, but they're giving multiple players the opportunity to show what they can do. ... Juwan Johnson had a solid day today and I'm hoping this time around the hype I put on him will be justified. He should be a piece of this offense that opens up the middle of the field and he looked like that today, catching a pair of balls from Jake Haener.