Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
IRVINE, Calif. – The New Orleans Saints will begin training camp practices and preseason Week One game prep in California on Thursday. The shift in practice location is another example of head coach Kellen Moore’s calculated and intentional approach, which has received praise from numerous players already this offseason.
Here is everything you need to know about the West Coast practices and why they continue a focus of team-building for Moore.
Where will practices be held?
For the second year in a row, New Orleans will hold practices at the University of Irvine, California. The team spent its entire preseason at the Anteaters’ campus last year. It is set to sit down in Irvine for roughly a week and a half before heading back to Louisiana on Aug. 15.
Why the West Coast again?
Coming out to California provides the team with at least three comforts.
- A brief escape from the Louisiana heat and humidity.
- Great camaraderie and team-building opportunities with everyone staying at the same place and being around one another away from the football field.
- A reprieve from a long flight before and after their preseason game.
What time will practices be held?
The Saints will shift to an afternoon practice schedule beginning Thursday. The team will begin practice at approximately 6:00 p.m. CT. Both Thursday and Friday’s practices are expected to be padded.
Moore said that this would give the team a chance to practice in cooler weather conditions. But perhaps more importantly, it allows them to scaffold their day in a productive way. Instead of starting with practice and then doing an afternoon walkthrough, the Saints will reverse the day’s schedule. That will allow them to work on install in the morning, transition to a walkthrough and culminate that work with a practice, building through the day’s rhythm.
Will the Saints hold joint practices in California?
While the Saints will be taking on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, there are no current plans for joint practices ahead of the game.
Instead, New Orleans will hold another scrimmage-like practice on Friday to prepare for the game to replicate the level of competitiveness the team would experience in a joint practice setting. Moore said that the scrimmage won’t include another 126-play workload, however.
