NFL Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are usually spent introducing a base-level of a team’s offense, defense and special teams architecture; what some would describe as “vanilla” versions of the system.
The New Orleans Saints take a slightly different approach, integrating more nuanced versions of their core concepts and the tenets of their on-field identity. Motion, play action, substitutions and personnel rotations at game tempo and more, head coach Kellen Moore and his coaching staff throw a lot at their young players going back to rookie minicamp.
“Essentially, they’re a week behind our veterans,” Moore said of the rookies going into their minicamp. “And so our whole goal is really to expose them to what they just missed out on with the veterans so that now Monday when they show up, they just hop in there and they’re … with the veterans and they’re at the same pace and speed that those guys are at.”
During those minicamp practices, the value of throwing a lot more at the rookies was already starting to have a positive impact on their confidence. Rookie Oscar Delp shared more about the impact from his perspective after the tight end’s rookie minicamp exposures.
“I learned a lot,” he said. “I’m excited to get out here and compete again tomorrow and just go to these meeting rooms after this and figure out the good, bad, and the ugly and just grow from it.”
Now, a couple of weeks later into OTAs, the accelerated approach already appears to be paying off. For rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, the detail-oriented approach that New Orleans has taken has already proved beneficial for his transition to the pros, especially when coupled with his collegiate experience.
“It’s definitely helped me,” he said after the second week of OTA practices. ”I played all three positions when I was at (Arizona State), so I got a good feel for it there. But them giving me healthy doses of the information, just letting me get it down and then added some more stuff kind of through the installs. I’m getting it down.”
One of the elements that’s helpful in this process for the young players that are just starting to get their feet wet in the NFL environment is having the support of more experienced players that have been in their shoes before.
That’s something that quarterback Tyler Shough is tapping into in the hopes of supporting the young players in this early portion of the offseason.
“I remember being a rookie last year during this time and you’re kind of swimming, you’re trying to do everything that you can to be a part of the unit,” he said. “But you’re also learning a lot of new things. You’re going to eat crawfish, you’re meeting a lot of new people. So, it’s a lot for the guys. and I want to be that ear for them and be able to use me as a resource on and off the field. I think we’re going to have plenty of time, but also, urgency is at a premium.”
Between the rookies getting early opportunities to learn the intricacies of the system, working alongside veterans and a supportive environment to help them comfortably tackle the inundation of new information, it appears the Saints’ unique approach to offseason preparation is already starting to pay off.
