The Saints offense showed out on Day 8 of training camp.
After a day off, the team returned to the field in pads with a noticeable boost in involvement for some key players. Quarterback Tyler Shough had a nearly perfect day while rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson looked to be much more involved than usual. Meanwhile injuries continue to set in as the training camp bumps and bruises piled up.
Shough’s Excellent Day
The second-year quarterback was on the attack on Saturday afternoon. He completed eight of his nine passes including a strike to wide receiver Chris Olave during a 4-minute drill that would have picked up a pivotal first down.
He also connected with Tyson over the middle on what the team’s social media account considered a touchdown. Catch and run opportunities are always hard to gauge in non-contact environments, but the ball found Tyson at a time that he would have had a real opportunity to pick up some considerable yards after the catch.
Tyson’s Best Practice Yet
It appears the gloves are officially off for Tyson. The first-round pick was very involved during this practice session.
He had a great toe-tapping catch on the right sideline for a nice gain in team drills, the aforementioned potential catch-and-run touchdown and another snag on fourth and six that looked like it might have gained a first down.
After slowly being built up in the slot, Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore said that he’ll soon begin to see more exposure on the outside, which should open up even more opportunities for the rookie to show off his playmaking prowess.
Injury Scares
The Saints had a couple of players leave practice early and a high profile name had to be checked for injury on the sideline.
Offensive lineman Dillon Radunz and safety Julian Blackmon both left the field with injury. Moore said after practice that both were due to knee injuries. The severity of both has not yet been announced.
Olave had his right hand or forearm checked by a trainer on the sideline during team drills. He left the field after a diving incompletion (Shough’s only of the day) was generated due to tight coverage by cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Olave’s glove was removed, his hand and forearm were taped and he returned to practice in the next set of team drills. The Ohio State product caught a strike from Shough before his day was over which was a good sign for the Saints and their top wideout.
Offensive Line Shuffle
Before Radunz left with injury, he was lined up as the team’s first-team right guard to start the day. The usual starter in that position, Cesar Ruiz, was instead taking snaps as the second-team center for the day.
Moore said after practice that this was a part of the offseason plan for Ruiz after not getting him much work at the position last year. That worked out last season thanks to the trade for veteran offensive lineman Luke Fortner.
With no veteran backup center now, as Fortner signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, the Saints are holding an open competition for the spot behind Eric McCoy. This is an important battle considering five players having taken snaps at the position for the Saints in the regular season over the last two years.
When Radunz left, the Saints stuck with their plan for Ruiz at center while moving offensive lineman William Sherman in at the top right guard spot.
Attendance
- Not Seen: Running backs Kendre Miller (back), Devin Neal (hamstring) and Alvin Kamara (at the Hall of Fame induction). Cornerback Rejzohn Wright (undisclosed), long snapper Zach Wood (at the Hall of Fame induction), defensive tackle Christen Miller (toe), linebacker Chris Rumph III (ankle) and edge rusher Cameron Jordan (at the Hall of Fame induction).
- Observing: Wide receiver Mason Tipton (leg) and offensive lineman Jeremiah Wright (shoulder).
- New Arrivals: Linebacker Deion Jones (No. 45), EDGE Malaki WIlliams (No. 56), EDGE Garrett Nelson (No. 59) and DL Brien Taylor Jr. (No. 60).
- Linebacker Jackson Sirmon is now in jersey No. 47.
WR/CB One-On-One Drills (Red Zone)
- Olave vs. McKinstry – Incomplete on the slant.
- WR Kevin Austin Jr. vs. S Jonas Sanker – Incomplete fade
- WR Devaughn Vele vs. CB Quincy Riley – Endzone pass breakup
- WR Barion Brown vs. CB Martin Emerson Jr. – Brown catch in endzone.
- WR Ronnie Bell vs. CB Jayden Price – Price with the pass breakup.
- WR Bub Means vs. CB Isaac Yiadom – Catch by Means on the quick pass.
- WR Trey Palmer vs. CB TJ Hall – Hall interception on the fade ball.
- WR Brock Rechsteiner vs. S Lorenzo Styles Jr. – Rechsteiner with a great move to get open.
- WR Bryce Lance vs. CB Dalys Beanum – Beanum with the pass breakup at the front pylon.
- WR Jalen Cropper vs. Hall – Bell with the catch on a fade ball.
- Austin vs. Sanker – Incomplete in endzone
- Rechsteiner vs. Beanum – Caught by Rechsteiner after another good move to get open.
- Olave vs. McKinstry – McKinstry with the pass breakup.
- Bell vs. Price – Bell with the catch on a dig.
- Vele vs. Yiadom – Vele won inside position on the slant and reeled it in.
- Brown vs. Emerson – Incomplete on a slant.
- Rechsteiner vs. Styles – Styles with the pass breakup in the back corner.
- Means vs. Riley – Incomplete
- Palmer vs. Hall – Hall with the pass breakup, shot the hands of Palmer.
- Austin vs. Sanker – Sanker with the pass breakup, shot the hands of Austin.
- Lance vs. Beanum – Beanum won this rep with sticky coverage.
- Cropper vs. Hall – Another win for Hall on the pass breakup.
Kicker Competition
Kicker Tanner Brown was up again on Saturday with a chance to create some distance between he and incumbent leg Charlie Smyth who missed three consecutive kicks on Thursday. However, Brown did not capitalize on the opportunity.
The door now remains open for Smyth to right the ship and retain his role with a bit less stress after Brown missed a pair of kicks himself.
Brown missed from both 45 and 54 yards out, going 4/6 on kicking opportunities for the day. His makes were from extra point distance, 49 yards, 51 yards and 45 yards on a re-kick.
Running Totals
Smyth: 18/22 with misses from 39, 44, 45 and 51.
Brown: 21/25 with misses from extra point distance, 39, 45 and 54.
Team Drill Session 1 (Early Downs)
- 1st-and-10
- 2nd-and-3
- 1st-and-10
- 2nd-and-3
Shough
- RB Travis Etienne Jr. run up the middle.
- Eteinne run right.
- Shough complete to Tyson (Riley in coverage) on the right sideline, toe-tapping catch by Tyson
- Shough complete to TE Treyton Welch (S Jordan Howden coverage) on the left side.
Rattler
- RB Audric Estime run left.
- Estime run middle
- QB Spencer Rattler intercepted by LB Isaiah Stalbird on a target to TE Juwan Johnson.
- Rattler complete to Austin (Yiadom in coverage) in the short-right area.
Wilson
- RB Ty Chandler run middle
- Chandler run right, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden leading the way.
- Wilson complete to Mitchell-Paden (Stalbird in coverage) short-middle area.
- False Start, re-huddle
- Wilson incomplete to Bell (CB Mike Reid in coverage) over the middle, pass breakup by Reid.
Team Drill Session 2 (Drive Progression)
- 1st-and-10
- 2nd-and-9
- 3rd-and-7
- 4th-and-6
Shough
- Shough complete to Etienne in the flats.
- Etienne run middle, stuffed by DL Davon Godchaux
- Shough complete to Tyson (S Justin Reid a near defender) big catch and run by Tyson.
- Shough complete to Tyson, looked like enough for a first down.
Rattler
- Estime run left.
- Rattler incomplete on a throwaway to the right.
- Estime run right.
- Rattler incomplete to Lance (Price in coverage) defended well down the left sideline on a deep pass. Price with the pass breakup.
Wilson
- Chandler run mid-left.
- RB CJ Donaldson run left.
- Wilson complete to Donaldson (LB Jackson Sirmon in coverage) to the right side.
- Wilson complete to Rechsteiner (LB Jaylan Ford in coverage) over the middle, looked good for a first down.
Team Drill Session 3 (Backed Up)
Shough
- Shough complete to Vele (Riley in coverage) on a nice throw and catch. (1st-and-10)
- Eteinne run up the middle, EDGE Carl Granderson with the stop. (1st-and-10)
- Shough incomplete to Olave (McKinstry in coverage) on a sliding attempt in the short-right area. After this play is when Olave went to the sideline to get checked. (2nd-and-10)
- Shough complete to Vele (McKinstry in coverage) on a in the short-right area. (3rd-and-10)
Rattler
- Estime run middle (1st-and-10)
- Rattler complete to TE Moliki Matavao (Sirmon in coverage) over the middle, a strong hands catch here with Sirmon draped all over him. (2nd-and-6)
- Estime run left. (3rd-and-2)
- Rattler incomplete to Palmer (Beanum in coverage) on the right sideline.
Wilson
- Chandler right middle (2nd-and-10)
- Wilson complete to Johnson (1st-and-10)
- Chandler run mid-left, DL Ja’viar Suggs with the stop.
- Donaldson run middle (3rd-and-10)
Team Drill Session 4 (4-Minute Drill, Offense Up 20-23, Defense with 2 Timeouts)
Shough
- 2:30, 1st-and-10 from the minus-35: Etienne run right for three yards, timeout defense.
- 2:23, 2nd-and-7 from the minus-38: Shough complete to Olave (McKisntry in coverage) over the middle for a first down, gain of eight.
- 2:00, 1st-and-10 from the plus-44: Etienne run up the middle for two yards, timeout defense.
- 1:52, 2nd-and-8 from the plus-42: Etienne run middle for a loss of two yards, Ford with the tackle.
- 1:10, 3rd-and-10 from the plus-44: Offense lets play clock run to 1 before calling a timeout.
- 1:10, 3rd-and-10 from the plus-44: Eteinne run right on a pitch for a gain of five yards.
Rattler
- 2:30, 1st-and-10 from the minus-35: Estime run left for what looked like a nice gain before being called a tackle for a loss of one.
- 2:23, 3rd-and-11 from the minus-34: Rattler sacked by DL John Ridgeway III.
At this point, practice was called due to lightning in the area.
Lagniappe
- With Wood in Canton, Ohio for former quarterback Drew Brees’s Hall of Fame enshrinement, Ridgeway filled in as the long snapper for punts and field goals.
- Punt returners: Tyson, McKinstry, Palmer, Olave, Brown, Price and Cropper.
- The entire coaching and training staff were outfitted in No. 9 shirts in honor of Brees’s enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
