The New Orleans Saints have finished their spring program and have gone their separate ways until a reunion in California for training camp.
So what all got done and what big questions remain after the 6-week hiatus? We broke it all down on the latest episode of Inside Black & Gold. Check out the full breakdown in the player below.
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Here's a quick rundown of the topics/questions we discussed.
1. Does a new Alvin Kamara deal get done?
This question is two-fold, both in a scenario where a new contract is agreed to and whether AK will accept a scenario where he's forced to play out his current contract. Using history as a guide, the method of drawing attention to contract negotiations has worked in the players' favor. We saw Mike Thomas in 2019 and Kamara in 2020 both end minor holdouts with lucrative new deals. Still, that was a different era of Saints decision-making and the "all-in" period late in Drew Brees' career. Does anything change now?
Given the importance of Alvin to the new scheme and the pressure on this season to deliver under Dennis Allen, it's hard to imagine the Saints don't try to get something squared away that will make Alvin happy. The bigger question is what is he seeking. If the ask is reasonable and the deal is more in the spirit of the extensions we saw earlier this offseason for other veterans in Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu, I expect it gets done. Either way we'll have to wait and see.
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2. Where's the OL?
This was going to be on here regardless, because you simply can't make a determination high or low on the offensive line until the pads come on. That said, we at least didn't see anything from an injury perspective or performance perspective that forced a change over the first month of workout. Here's how the first-team work started and ended for the Saints at OL:
- RT: Trevor Penning
- RG: Cesar Ruiz
- C: Erik McCoy
- LG: Nick Saldiveri
- LT: Taliese Fuaga
There have been some stumbling blocks for both young tackles, particularly for Penning on the right side, but that's OK right now. We still haven't seen much from Oli Udoh, a veteran who should be in the mix on the whole. Landon Young is a solid/entrenched backup option who can play either side in a pinch. Saldiveri will also have to ward off some veterans in Shane Lemieux and Lucas Patrick.
What I'll say for the youth movement is Klint Kubiak's scheme is one that should be offensive-line friendly and relies on athleticism more often than it relies on pure technique. You'll see these guys pulling and getting out of their stances a lot more often, and for that reason it should help protect some of the younger guys as they grow into their new roles. However many times you'd have asked Penning to pass protect 1-on-1 in the old system will be diminished greatly. With that in mind I think there's a decent chance all three guys hold onto those jobs, with the biggest question being whether you'd prefer to put a veteran next to the rookie in Fuaga.
Again, we'll get a much clearer picture when the pads come on.
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3. What's the depth at the skill positions?
This could potentially be an issue for the Saints all season, because there simply isn't a ton of quality depth along the offensive depth chart. Should you be without Kamara or Juwan Johnson, where do you look for an impact?
The biggest question mark is tight end, with the room behind Johnson now consisting of Foster Moreau, Michael Jacobson, Dallin Holker and Jesper Horsted, a player signed on Friday. Hopefully one of those young players can step up, but we'll have to wait and see. Johnson was expected to have surgery to repair a foot issue, so the start of training camp will likely be featuring those players.
At running back the question is whether the depth can step up, moreso than whether it's there at all. Jamaal Williams will have an opportunity to prove his 2023 season was a mirage, and Kendre Miller will have to prove he can stay on the field and that his ankle issues are a thing of the past. Neither of those questions has a clear answer right now.
WR is a position where the Saints should feel the most confident, but it's still a lot of unproven guys behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Can A.T. Perry take another step forward, or will Cedrick Wilson and/or Equanimeous St. Brown claim a bigger role? Those are the biggest questions, particularly if Olave or Shaheed miss time with injuries.
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4. Does the pre-snap motion ever get dialed back?
To this point in camp we've seen the Saints motion on virtually every play with the except of late-clock situational work. Is that a true sign of what the offense will look like this year, or simply an emphasis early on because by the time the season starts, that will need to be muscle-memory and run without a thought.
Klint Kubiak didn't give much indication when I asked him about that specifically, but he did say that coaches threw a lot at the offense early on and he was happy with what they were able to do with it. One thing I know for sure is that one way to drive Dennis Allen quickly is for the offense to get repeated procedural penalties because they're messing up shifts in big moments.
The offense is going to look a lot different in that regard. The question is exactly how different. That's something we'll get a better idea about in training camp and particularly in the preseason games.
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5. How long does the feel-good mood last?
Last year about this time everyone was excited about how the new quarterback could revitalize the Saints offense. Those good vibes disappeared at some point early in the season.
This year everyone seems to be excited about how the new system can revitalize the Saints offensive attack. Will that be a more lasting vibe?
For now everyone seems to be bought in, but as we saw with Kamara's departure, those vibes can change quickly. If things look sharp throughout camp, that'll help, but we've seen that before. In each of the past two seasons one preseason drive has built optimism that wasn't delivered on in the season, and I think folks will be more hesitant to jump on the train than they were in the past.
Either way it'll be something to watch. Last year it was tough to see the MT-Carr drama coming until it was knocking down the door on social media. Will the Saints be able to avoid that type of issue this time around?
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LAGNIAPPE...
This is more for a position battles conversation, but the battle between Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler for the backup job is still anything but settled. We'll see them continue to trade off 2nd/3rd team reps throughout training camp, but I imagine that's something we won't get a clear answer on until the preseason games. ... I also see slot corner as a position battle between Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry. It'll be on Alontae to show that he's progressed year-over-year, and if he does I think the veteran wins out. If you see a lot of the same issues and Kool-Aid looks ready? Well, then all bets are off. We just don't have the answers right now because both guys missed minicamp with injury.
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