By Ross Jackson
The next phase of the NFL calendar is finally here. The New Orleans Saints began OTAs on Tuesday. Different from rookie minicamp, the OTA period allows for teams to have some of their veterans present on a voluntary basis.
While rookie minicamps focused on the incoming class of drafted and undrafted players as well as tryout players and “first-year” Saints, this phase offers the opportunity for fresh and incumbent players to take the field together.
“It’s kind of an opportunity to get out there and coach and spend more time on the field than in the classroom,” head coach Kellen Moore said while discussing OTAs at the annual Saints Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic. “Which is ultimately what we all want to do.”
Even though there may not be many full-speed opportunities for the team, there are a lot of things to expect from the first week of practices.
The Quarterback Competition Starts In Earnest… Kind Of…
It’s still early in the process, but getting rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, second-year passer Spencer Rattler and third-year signal caller Jake Haener started on the field is a big step for New Orleans. Undrafted rookie Hunter Dekkers is sure to make some noise in the opportunities he’s given as well.
After getting an early look at both rookies during rookie minicamp, this will be the first time all of the passers are set to be seen on the field at the same time. It seems logical that Rattler or Haener will get early bites at first-team reps due to seniority. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if they actually rotated those opportunities throughout.
Jobs won’t be decided during this portion of the offseason, but it is an early look at all of the team’s options.
“Most of the decision-making factors, obviously, will come in training camp and preseason football,” Moore said of the competition. “But this is certainly a nice little step for them.”
Don’t Expect Full-Team Drills
The NFL has strict rules and restrictions on what can and cannot happen at this point in the offseason. Live contact, for instance, is prohibited. However, teams are allowed to conduct 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.
Despite that, it doesn’t sound like the Saints are going all-out into 11-on-11’s right away. Teams get a total of 10 days throughout this process, so perhaps the Saints will ramp up to team drills later.
“We will do some 7-on-7,” Moore said. “But a lot of it’s just their understanding. They’re taking the classroom to the field for the first time.”
Offensive Line Shuffle
During rookie minicamp, first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr. moved all up and down the Saints’ offensive line. He appeared to take snaps at both tackle and guard spots. Moore commented that this was all a part of the minicamp process. Now, we’ll see if that carries over to OTAs.
This becomes especially interesting if tackles Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning are also present. Seeing if they move around as well will give a clear indication of what the Saints are interested in trying over the offseason in order to identify and field their top five offensive linemen.
Veteran Attendance and Roles
Again, decisions won’t be made throughout this part of the process, but information gathering does become an important part of it. Where veterans that are present line up and take snaps will be very intriguing. The new defensive scheme in particular will be of great interest.
The veteran presence itself will be a big factor to watch as well. While OTAs are mandatory, having an all-new coaching staff could influence players to attend as a means of getting an early grasp on their approach.
Injury Status
Rookie minicamp highlighted an injury and procedure from which rookie cornerback Quincy Riley was recovering. New Orleans has several players returning from injuries that took place last season. OTAs could provide some clarity on the recovery progress for anyone in attendance.
