The New Orleans Saints are officially back to full force on offense, but they still look a ways off from clicking on all cylinders.
Saints WR Chris Olave and the team agreed Thursday to terms on a 4-year, $132 million extension, and that meant he could end his brief hold-in and participate in team drills. Olave was in high spirits after practice, even if the negotiations dragged longer than he'd hoped. He said his camp and the team "met in the middle," and his goal all along was for things not to become a distraction.
Now the attention can be wholly paid to the field, where the offense still seems to be knocking some rust off. Olave was targeted once downfield but didn't catch a pass. There was one instance in 7s where he looked to be open on a corner route, but QB Tyler Shough looked elsewhere. I think in a few weeks that ball gets thrown for a big gainer, but not in this one. .
Coverage brought to you by Trane: It's Hard To Stop A TraneTrane: It's Hard To Stop A TraneEither way, there's plenty of time to work out the kinks. The important thing was that for the first time we saw the new tandem of Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson in action at the same time. It should only improve from here.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Day 3 marked the first absences of note for players that aren't facing known injuries. Those five players are DT Zxavian Harris, DT Bryan Bresee, DL Keeshawn Silver, WR Mason Tipton and TE Cody Hardy.
There were three other players I didn't spot at all, but none were injury related. RG Cesar Ruiz and WR Ja'Lynn Polk were absent for personal reasons, while DT Davon Godchaux was given a rest day ahead of a scheduled off day on Saturday. Dillon Radunz took over with the 1s for the day.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry participated in walkthrough and stretch but watched the rest of practice from the sidelines. He's navigating a mild ankle injury that he doesn't expect to linger. We also saw WRs Trey Palmer and Ronnie Bell led off by a trainer midway through practice.
The Saints will be back in action on Sunday.
AGGRESSIVE SHOUGH/PHYSICAL DEFENSE
We're still yet to see the offense really pop, but I did like seeing the Saints starting QB get more aggressive downfield. Shough attacked deep a few times, but all fell incomplete. One targeted Devaughn Vele who couldn't secure the ball through double coverage. Another went down the sideline targeting rookie TE Oscar Delp. His two best throws of the day came on a ball rifled in over the middle to Moliki Matavao, and another up the seam to Noah Fant.
It's clear that at this stage Shough is more comfortable targeting TEs than WRs. That's not a terrible thing, considering how involved the TEs will be in this year's attack, but it's still something to watch. My hope was that the second-year QB would hit the ground running in workouts and I just don't think that's been the case to this stage.
All that said, give the defense credit. Even without McKinstry in the mix the secondary was battling and displaying good physicality. Isaac Yiadom got the reps with the 1s, which tells us the pecking order at this stage between him and Martin Emerson Jr. Young DB Jayden Price keeps making plays out of the slot. The team clearly likes him.
There were no picks on the day, but Jordan Howden should've had one when he stepped in front of a Spencer Rattler pass during the first team session.
PUNT RETURNS
It's always good to track the group that goes back to field punts, because someone is going to have to take over the return ace mantle. To this stage it's been all WRs with Barion Brown, Jordyn Tyson and Trey Palmer. Jalen Cropper also joined the mix after Palmer left the session.
Brown is the most likely candidate, but it's no guarantee he makes the roster. If the Saints don't feel like they need to devote a roster spot for a return ace, Tyson's skillset in that part of the game could be very intriguing. If nothing else it shows you that the team isn't babying him in terms of a workload.
STILL KICKING
It was a Charlie Smyth day, and he was perfect again. He went 5-for-5 with a made PAT and kicks from 38, 41, 46 and 49. The Saints haven't yet tried any long kicks, but I'm OK with that. I know Charlie has a monster leg. I need to make sure he's dialed from closer in. After how last year started, 10-for-10 through the first week is a very welcome sight.
One thing Smyth said on Thursday is that he's matured and realized that he doesn't always have to try to show off how much power he has. I think you can see that clearly on the shorter kicks, because he does seem to have dialed back the distance so he can focus on direction. So far, so good.
Next up, Tanner Brown on Sunday.
LAGNIAPPE
WR Mason Tipton was on the sideline watching practice. He's working back from tibia surgery, but it's hard not to see this missed time as significantly hindering his chances to make the roster. In such a crowded room, he'll have to do something to stand out. Looks like he's getting close to returning. ... One guy coming back from injury that we haven't talked much about is Bub Means. He's done a nice job working his way open a few times to camp at this point. I think he's competing for a practice squad role more than anything, but he's got to show up for that to happen. ... I think rookie CB TJ Hall Jr. got his welcome to the NFL moment today, because he got trucked on a play by Ronnie Bell after the WR hauled in a ball. Ronnie is far from a big-bodied WR. TJ, keep your head on a swivel. ...
