The New Orleans Saints waited until Day 6 of camp to break out their first true "situational" segment of practice, and we had a bit more info than usual.
This year at camp the Saints have invested in the fan experience, and they actually had a PA announcer explaining what was going on when they launched into the drill -- the final one of practice. The situation:
- Score 17-14 (defense protecting the lead
- Time: 1:40 remaining, end of first half
- Situation: Offense starts at their own 35, 1 timeout remaining
Coverage brought to you by Trane: It's Hard To Stop A TraneTrane: It's Hard To Stop A TraneNot the highest stakes of situations, but still an important one. The Saints offense gets the ball in a tight game wanting to grab points before halftime. A touchdown would be ideal, but three points is still a win. The opposite is true for the defense. Each of Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler led their own series, here's how they went.
SHOUGH'S SERIES
- 1st & 10: Shough to Jordyn Tyson quick out, +7 (high ball, Tysom takes a hit) ... clock running
- 2nd & 3: Shough scrambles middle, +5 (first down) ... clock running
- 1st & 10: Shough incomplete targeting Chris Olave (high ball) ... clock stops, 0:58 remaining
- 2nd & 10: Shough to Kevin Austin deep left, +20 (first down) ... clock running
- 1st & 10: Shough incomplete middle to Travis Etienne ... clock stops, 35 seconds remaining at 33 yard line
- 2nd & 10: Shough to Juwan Johnson middle, +7 ... timeout, 31 seconds from 29
- 3rd & 3: Shough sacked, -5
- 4th & 8: Tanner Brown good from 52 yards
This was a positive result and the big gain to Austin was the key play. We're still yet to see Chris Olave put his stamp on this year's camp. Both of the first two passes were high, dangerous balls, but Shough settled in and drove for points. The sack prior to the field goal was a tough result, but the pocket collapsed around him and turning the ball over would've been a worse outcome. There was enough time for a fire drill field goal and that unit delivered.
Not perfect, but points are points.
RATTLER'S SERIES
- 1st & 10: Rattler to Audric Estime left flat, +6 ... out of bounds 1:34 remaining
- 2nd & 4: Rattler to Barion Brown right sideline, +23 ... Brown broke a tackle for big gain (Martin Emerson in coverage)
- 1st & 10: Rattler to Estime, +6
- 2nd & 4: Rattler to Estime, +3
- 3rd & 1: penalty, delay of game ... -5 ... 37 seconds remaining from 18
- 3rd & 6: Rattler incomplete to Bub means left sideline ... close play but couldn't keep feet inbounds as he slid to ground
- 4th & 6: Brown good from 36 yards
Again, a drive for points, but a frustrating finish. The error here is a bit more frustrating because you simply can't get a delay of game penalty on a key 3rd and 1. We'll never know what the result would've been, but there's a whole lot more of the offense at your disposal in 3rd and 1 as opposed to 3rd and 6. Otherwise it was an excellent showing conducting the offense, and while it was a tough catch, I did think Means could've come up with the final ball.
Either way, the offense went 2-for-2 with a bit to be desired. The defense bent but didn't break in either instance. Good way to start the competitive phase of the offseason.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
There weren't any new full absences to note on Wednesday, but the list got shorter. The only players I didn't see in uniform were WR Mason Tipton, DT Xzavian Harris and DT Bryan Bresee. There were two players getting back into the action in RG Cesar Ruiz and DL Keeshawn Silver. Ruiz had missed the last two days of practice for the birth of his first son.
There are a few players nursing injuries, though, including Kendre Miller (back), who hasn't been active in team drills for the past two practices. That's a bummer, considering he's in a competition for a roster spot, but it's at least not related to the knee injury that ended his 2025 season after seven games. Kellen Moore downplayed the issue, but given Miller's injury history, it'll be one to monitor.
We also saw rookie DT Christen Miller (toe) and OG Jeremiah Wright (shoulder) leave early with minor issues. Olave was led off by a trainer at one point for a heat related issue.
1V1s
On Day 1 in pads I made sure to watch the WR/DB 1-on-1 reps, but on Day 2 I hustled down to the other end of the field to watch the trench warfare.
It's an interesting dichotomy, because the WR/DB version of the drill is hardly real football. It's the equivalent of 1V1 basketball compared to the actual team sport. There's a lot to gain from it, but not in the analytical sense. The opposite is true for the linemen. These are heads-up matchups that will occur in a game. The intensity is real and technique is vital.
Check out a cutup of a majority of those reps in the player above. I came away impressed with Jeremiah Wright, who I also heard showed well on Monday. He's got some development ahead of him, particularly in pass pro, but there's no question he's got a pro-ready build. He's a tough dude to get by.
I also came away impressed with Asim Richards, a guy who has an important role on this team, presumably as that swing linemen who will jump in if one of Kelvin Banks or Taliese Fuaga go down. The Kelvin Banks-Chase Young matchups continue to be appointment viewing. I also saw Vernon Broughton unleash a heck of a bullrush on Cesar Ruiz, driving him out of the frame. I don't know exactly how things will look without Bryan Bresee, but I think they might have something in Vernon.
PASH RUSH KADEN
One thing we probably haven't talked enough about heading into this season is the impact Kaden Elliss could have in the backfield, where he seems to find himself often. Elliss even worked his way over to the OL-DL reps above and unleashed a nifty spin move on one rep, then turned the corner on Xavier Truss on the next. If you've forgotten, don't let the position fool you, the pass rush ability is there -- and it's elite. I also saw him slice into the backfield to blow up runs multiple times.
He's a smart player. He can line up basically anywhere. He can attack weak spots in the defense. I don't think he'll be rushing the passer all the time, but I do want to see defensive coordinator Brandon Staley get creative in how he utilizes that part of Elliss's game. The Saints only registered 2.5 sacks from their starting inside linebackers last year. Elliss has had at least 3.5 sacks on his own in each of the past four seasons, including a career high 7 in 2022, his last season with the Saints.
KICKING UPDATE
It was another Tanner Brown day and I still have some concerns. The day started with a doinked-in PAT off the left upright, followed by a miss wide right from 39 yards out. Brown settled in with makes on his next four kicks from 44, 49, 54 and 56 and, as noted above, he also made both kicks in the situational setting.
The ability to lock back in after a miss is a good trait, but I'm becoming concerned about the short-range inconsistency. As was the case last year when Charlie Smyth battled Blake Grupe, the long kicks are awesome, but if you're not rocksteady from 49 and in, you're not winning a job. It's still early, but it could get late quickly if those misses continue.
Where things stand after Day 6 of practice:
- Tanner Brown: 16-18 (misses: PAT, 39; long of 56; 2-2 from 50-plus)
- Charlie Smyth: 15-16 (miss: 44; long of 54; 1-1 from 50-plus)
LAGNIAPPE
Barion Brown just keeps making plays. He's an exciting player and I'm eager to see if that continues when we get into the competitive settings against other defenses. I do think, at least to some extent, he's feasting on some winnable matchups down the depth chart. Either way, he's getting opportunities and delivering, in this case setting up a score. He also had a few strong wins in 1V1 reps, which makes sense considering his skillset. ... I thought the run game and backfield efficiency definitely got better in today's practice. There were some really nice reps from Devin Neal with the 2s and it just seemed like there was more space to run. I also like what I've seen from Alvin Kamara in the passing game the past few days. He had a couple drops in camp, but the hands have looked steady the past few practices. If he can be a weapon in passing situations, this tandem could be really exciting to watch. ...Easton Kilty was getting third-team center reps. That's something we saw at rookie minicamp. Probably more about cross-training than anything else. It had been Will Sherman previously. ... Juwan Johnson had a few nice gains today, multiple times in catch-and-run situations. The Saints have so much YAC potential, it's about giving them the opportunities to take advantage of it.
