Well, one week in the book for Deuce and I, and it finished on a high note. High temperatures and high humidity. Quote of the day for me cones from C.J. Gardner/Johnson/Ceedy Deuce… “I’m from Florida but damn.”It was hot, but I thought this Saints team did a great job dealing with it as the intensity seemed to build throughout practice. The momentum seemed to swing in the middle of practice with the offense shining early and the defense coming on late. To be fair, the last period was 3rd down and the Saints were in some difficult positions offensively. My observations from today’s practice:My number one takeaway today was that Mike Thomas is still the alpha on offense. He made play after play. It seemed like whenever something bad happened, the Saints would come right back to Mike who would make a play. He really is that good.Jackrabbit (Janoris Jenkins) flashed for the third straight day. He again broke up a ball over the middle intended for Emmanuel Sanders. This one should have been picked, but Jenkins continues to make plays. I was again impressed with Justin Hardee who again got his hand on a couple balls as he continues to develop at the corner position.Demario Davis returned to team drills, after a two-day hiatus, and was a difference maker. He found himself in the backfield twice with sacks; he also assisted on one by a well-played game with Carl Granderson. Games and pick stunts at this point in camp are tough on offensive lineman as you haven’t prepared for them yet, but it was a promising sign to see the defense so effective with them.Dwayne Washington has improved as a pass catcher. It has long been his achilles heel in this offense and you can tell he worked hard to improve that aspect of his game this offseason. I think Washington’s an underrated ball carrier. His prowess on special teams continues to impress.Tre’quan Smith had the play of the day with a one-handed grab in traffic. He has always had a knack for make those tough grabs in traffic. The staff really felt like Tre’quan was playing very well when he got banged up last year. Another year of experience with some injury luck could push Smith into that number 3 role.The punt period was very competitive and that’s indicative of the amount of talent and competition occurring at the bottom of the roster. There were winners on both sides, but highly competitive all over the field. Tommy Stevens, working in the interior of the punt team, lost a rep and was reminded by Coach Payton that he didn’t win. I think he’ll benefit greatly from being pushed and tested by the staff. The transition Stevens is making from QB to swiss army knife is tough and he’ll need as much motivation as he can get. Just like I was told early in my career… never feel bad for being challenged or coached when you mess up. It means the coach sees potential. It’s when you lose, and the coach doesn’t seem to care anymore that you need to start worrying. I think there is a bright future for Stevens.Bobby Hebert and Steve Geller will take over for us over the next few days. There is a rotation throughout the training camp amongst the media, and Saints Radio is sharing two spots. What we will always have is a pro on hand to give you the best first-hand analysis. Check back each day for reports from Bobby, Deuce and myself. WHO DAT!
Strief: What stood out at Friday's Saints practice
By Zach StriefAug 21, 2020
