The long-awaited Chris Olave contract extension still hasn't arrived, and the same could be said for the star WR's participation in training camp practices.
Olave was in attendance, along with the rest of the healthy roster, when the Saints took the field for the first time Wednesday morning. He went through walkthroughs, individual work and stretch, but when the full team drills began, he stood off to the side, helmet in hand. It was a familiar scene, with Olave held out of such work during OTAs and minicamp as he worked back from a blood clot issue. This time, though, Olave isn't facing restrictions. He's holding himself out until that contract lands, as his head coach Kellen Moore confirmed after practice.
"I think it's just respecting the business side of this thing. I think they're just working through that as we go. ... Everyone has been great about this whole process, so no issues there."
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Trane: It's Hard To Stop A TraneMoore added that Olave and the coaching staff will take things "one day at a time" as the contract situation unfolds. Both Olave and Saints GM Mickey Loomis have spoken positively about the outlook of a deal, though Loomis said on Tuesday that there was still work to do. The Saints picked up Olave's 5th year option, meaning he will be under contract for $15.4 million this upcoming season regardless of what happens.
Hold-ins have become a more common practice under the current collective bargaining agreement, which includes stiff penalties for unexcused camp absences. The hold-in is a way for players to protect themselves from injury while also applying pressure to get a deal done.
Neither side has made things particularly awkward, at least not yet. If things drag out deep into camp, that could change. It's officially something to keep a very close eye on.
YAY, HEALTH
The biggest news of the day is Bryan Bresee, but that's a bummer. Let's start with something good ... and that's the healthy return of two exciting offensive players.
The first was Jordyn Tyson, who was held out of OTAs and minicamp entirely as the team took things very carefully with him. He didn't appear to have any limitations on Wednesday, partaking in individual work and team drills. He only caught one pass, but that's fine by me. I want to get excited about the Saints' new dynamic receiver, and he has to be on the field for that to happen.
The other player that returned to action was Kendre Miller, who missed the earlier offseason sessions as he worked back from a torn ACL. There didn't appear to be any limitations during the opening practice and he was working with the 2s alongside Devin Neal. Miller wasn't wearing a brace or a sleeve and looked sharp. He's got a battle ahead to make the roster and that would've only been a steeper climb if he had to miss the first portion of camp. Let's see if the former third-round pick can make believers out of this staff yet again.
The caveat I have for both guys is while it was great for them to be out there on Wednesday, that positivity will turn into negativity if it's not sustained. Let's see what happens the rest of the week.
BOO, INJURY
We're still waiting for official word from the team, but it's been reported that Bryan Bresee suffered a season-ending ACL tear, just brutal news for a young player entering what felt like a very important season to build toward a second contract. The Saints did pick up his 5th year option, so he'll be back in 2027 with a significant raise, but the pressure will be huge in what will then be a contract year.
The injury news came as a bit of a shock because there was no clear injury moment. I didn't spot Bresee go down hurt and he wasn't seen walking off the field early. It's possible it was simply missed, but definitely odd. The news broke after Kellen Moore spoke to the media following practice, so it'll be interesting to find out whatever details we can.
Regardless, the pressure ramps up on two young players to deliver on their draft investment. Those names are Vernon Broughton (a third-rounder in 2025) and Christen Miller (this year's second-round pick). Both were in the DT rotation in this practice and there will now be a much bigger void to fill. I'm particularly interested to see if Broughton can get off to a fast start, considering he's already had a year in the defense. DT was my already my position of greatest interest on the defensive side of the ball, and that's only become more pronounced.
SLOW START
It definitely wasn't a banner day for the offense, and that goes for all three quarterbacks. It was a simple approach and there was very little action downfield. It was another day with a heavy emphasis on tight ends, and one of the first individual drills we saw the offense working was multi-tight end sets. It's going to be a big part of the attack.
I'm not a huge fan of camp stats in general and I rarely consider them all that notable until the pads come on. I thought the play of the day was a layered ball from Spencer Rattler to Bryce Lance on a crossing route, but I wouldn't say there was a ton to choose from. We also saw a handful of drops. I'm not concerned, but things have to tighten up.
NO CHIP?
Alvin Kamara is back. He took a pay cut. His role will be different. But how different? We'll have to wait and see.
We'll also have to take his word for it that there's "no chip" on his shoulder about how things went down. It kind of seems like there is, even if he won't acknowledge it. Regardless, if Kamara delivers a strong, bounceback season, his motivation won't much matter. But he's going to have to show something.
AK took reps with the 1s, rotating in with Travis Etienne, but he had a drop on his first target of the day. We'll also need to see him be much better than he was a year ago in pass protection, because if you can't trust him on the field in obvious passing situations that aren't designed for him, that role feels very, very limited.
I'm eager to see how things develop.
GOOD START, CHARLIE BOY
The only clear competition in camp is kicker, and the first practice was a Charlie Smyth day. The incumbent went 5-for-5, nailing the first three from short range before flirting with the goalposts on the final two. I wasn't able to log distances, but I don't believe he kicked outside of 50 yards. It's a good start, which is something we couldn't say for him a year ago. It's easy to forget that he and Blake Grupe were supposed to compete for the job last year. Smyth got off to such a slow start that we just stopped talking about it.
Tanner Brown's first kicking day should come on Thursday. Let's see if he can keep pass.
HOUSEKEEPING
Number changes! We've got two of them ... one that feels more notable than the other.
Hunter Dekkers is now wearing No. 7, while Martin Emerson Jr. is now wearing 22. I didn't mind Shaheed in the 22, but to me that's supposed to be a DB number. No waves to be made there.
But Dekkers taking over No. 7 feels a lot more significant. There's been no official end to Taysom Hill's career as of this stage, but his locker and jersey number have been given away. It's long past time we stop asking whether Taysom might be back, and shift to the much more pertinent question: When is the retirement going to be announced?
LAGNIAPPE
Kool-Aid McKinstry had a strong day with multiple PBUs, and multiple veteran defenders went out of their way to praise his performance to this stage. The Saints are banking a lot in him being the CB1. He's definitely not lacking for confidence. Hopefully that spells a breakout in Year 3. ... We talked about Kendre Miller above, but it was also good to see Devin Neal back after missing time due to a hamstring injury. This feels like a very important offseason for him to prove he can stay on the field, because I really do like his all-around game. If the season started today I'd be keeping four RBs, and he'd be on that list. ... The only absences for the day were the four players on PUP or NFI, that's KeeShawn Silver, Zxavian Harris, Cody Hardy and Mason Tipton. We've seen Tipton working consistently and he doesn't appear far off. He's working back from offseason tibia surgery. Harris is working back from foot surgery. ... Cam Jordan's new hairstyle seems to be inspired by Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man, if you were wondering.
