Saints final OTA notes: Absences, heat and full-team drills

The Kellen Moore of offseason workouts has been consistent in its approach: Play it safe, prepare for training camp -- there are no games to be won in June and July.

That's been clear in the handling of injuries, the consistent usage of the term "ramp-up" and the persistent absences of several notable players. Still, we saw a bit of added intensity in Wednesday's practice, the third and final set of OTAs before mandatory minicamp. The Saints worked in full, 11-on-11 drills for the first time -- and they held the practice outdoors in the blazing heat.

A year ago the Saints opted to avoid full team drills until the full camp, something that raised eyebrows at the time. Without offensive or defensive lines it's simply a passing camp. Instead this week we saw Tyler Shough work against a pass rush for the first time, as well as the non-walkthrough debut of new RB Travis Etienne.

We'll have to wait until pads come on to fully evaluate the trenches and the RBs, but Etienne looked explosive and flashed a few nice cuts on his two carries. On one rep he executed a jump cut to the outside and would've been off to the races. He's got an extra gear that I think the Saints offense has been lacking in recent years.

Shough continued to look sharp, completing his first two passes before a drop. His best throw was a ball targeting Noah Fant up the seam for what would've been a long gain. He also found Bryce Lance with a ball in stride on a crossing route. Shough has thrown those routes well to this stage.

On the whole I felt like the defense had its best day, and all three quarterbacks were forced to bail and extend plays in both the full team drills and the 7-on-7s. Nothing seemed to come open early. The play of the day came from Isaiah Stalbird, who stepped in front of a Zach Wilson throw targeting Trey Palmer and broke upfield for what could've potentially been a pick-6.

TAKING ATTENDANCE

Attendance was similar, with a few exceptions. Here's who I didn't see at all out on the practice field:

- WR Chris Olave
- WR Bub Means
- CB Dalys Beanum
- RB Alvin Kamara
- DT Christen Miller
- DT Zxavian Harris
- DT Nathan Shepherd

As has been the case for the past three weeks, WR Jordyn Tyson was in attendance but not participating in anything other than stretch, the same was true for TE Oscar Delp. Tyson's status is still a bit of a mystery, and when asked if things could change for veteran minicamp next week for some of the rookies, Kellen Moore said "we'll see."

Both Delp and Miller are navigating hamstring issues, Moore said. At this stage it can be chalked up to an abundance of caution, but it's certainly throwing a spotlight on young players in a less-than-positive way.

The biggest health news of the day came in terms of Chris Olave, who is apparently still being limited as he works back from the blood clot in his lung that cost him Week 18 of last season. Olave had said earlier in the offseason that he was fully past the issue, but clearly there are still some protections being placed on his situation. That'll be something to monitor going forward.

Two other players who were on hand but not fully participating were WR Mason Tipton and RB Kendre Miller. Tipton could be seen working off to the side with a trainer, while Miller participated in walkthroughs for the first time, both good signs that those players are tending toward a return.

Saints RB Devin Neal also left practice early and didn't return. That'll be one to check on at next week's minicamp.

SPECIALISTS

Today was the first time in these three sessions that we were able to see new punter Ryan Wright and returning PK Charlie Smyth get off kicks. Wright had missed the first two sessions for personal reasons, while the first two days of open practices were Mason Shipley days.

Wright looked to have a little rush, which is fair at this stage of the offseason, but he kicked well. There was one shank in the mix, but I'm not concerned at this stage. It did strike me that there's going to be some legitimate pressure on him this season. The Saints said enough was enough and inked him to a hefty deal for a punter. His $3.5M average per year is tied for 6th at his position, and the Saints paid that premium to shore up a position that had been wildly frustrating since they started the rookie kicker cycle three years back.

I don't think there'll be a ton of grace given if he struggles. He'll need to be locked in from Day 1.

As far as the other side of the equation, I think it's similar. Smyth got his grace last season. He made some big kicks, but also had a pair of misses inside 50 yards in his 16 attempts. The feel-good story is fun, but it only lasts as long as the results do.

I thought he had a strong day on Wednesday, though there was some discrepancy on the results. I had him 6-for-6, with his long from 54. He did flirt with the uprights on two of the kicks, and others from different angles had one as a miss. Smyth kicks the ball extraordinarily high, which can make for some difficult interpretations when the ball is close to the edge. It was a windy day and all of his kicks have a tail, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

As far as returners, here's who I saw getting action:

- Punt return: Trey Palmer, Ja'Lynn Polk, Barion Brown, Ronnie Bell
- Kick return: Barion Brown, Ja'Lynn Polk, Ty Chandler, CJ Donaldson, Ronnie Bell, Audric Estime, Bryce Lance, Trey Palmer

LAGNIAPPE

With three DTs not in action, the biggest beneficiary has been Vernon Broughton, who has seen a significant role as he works toward a healthy Year 2. The former third-round pick was in the first-team rotation alongside Bryan Bresee and Davon Godchaux. It'll be interesting to see how that all stacks up once Miller is active and in the mix. ... Trey Palmer was BUSY on Wednesday, with some mixed results. He was targeted six times. He caught four, dropped one and the other was intercepted. Good to see him getting some significant run. He'll be in the mix in the WR depth competition. ... Backup center is a position to watch. Today it was Torricelli Simpkins getting the second team reps, while Will Sherman got the third-team reps. Sherman in that role was a bit of a surprise. Not often do you see a guy who could feasibly play at all five line spots. ... Jeremiah Wright was getting third-team reps. He's a developmental player and the Saints aren't going to push him too hard, too soon. Dillon Radunz and Easton Kilty were getting the second-string reps at guard this week.