2010 New Orleans Saints Minicamp Recap
by Dave Cariello on Jun 7, 2010 6:00 AM CDT
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PrintThe Saints still have some OTAs on the schedule this week and later this month but the heavy-duty minicamp work ended yesterday. Hope you enjoyed it because that was the last real football we'll see them play until training camp starts.
So what did we learn from this weekend? In case you weren't following all the action here on Canal Street Chronicles all weekend, constantly clicking the refresh button for updates, here is a little recap I put together that I think sums everything up nicely and concisely. Just remember: the players weren't hitting or wearing pads.
Attendance Report
Pierre Thomas and Jammal Brown skipped all sessions.
Devery Henderson (sports hernia), Robert Meachem (toe), Jon Stinchcomb (sports hernia) and Heath Evans (knee) were limited.
Clint Ingram (knee), Darren Sharper (knee), Jimmy Wilkerson (knee) and Glenn Sharpe (unknown) did not participate in most or all sessions.
Malcolm Jenkins bruised his knee on Friday and missed the final three sessions.
Jeremy Shockey missed Saturday morning's session with a bad back.
The Jimmy Graham Show
The hype surrounding this kid is ridiculous. We've only had three days of action in the 2010 season and I'm already sick of hearing Jimmy Graham's name. Based on the early reports this week it sounds as if the voting process for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award will be just a mere formality this season. Graham was getting rep's with the first team and his long touchdown catch from Drew Brees on a seam route was one of the best plays of the weekend. But he's not officially a Saint until going through a Saints right of passage: Sports hernia surgery.
Freakin' hot, hot, hot
What else is new? Same story every year.
Quarterback Woes
Other than Drew Brees, who is still awesome by the way, the quarterback play was a little inconsistent. Both Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield had moments of brilliance and moments of...not so much. Which may be why we learned yesterday that the Saints have pretty much completed a deal to acquire veteran QB Patrick Ramsey.
The hype surrounding this kid is ridiculous. We've only had three days of action in the 2010 season and I'm already sick of hearing Jimmy Graham's name. Based on the early reports this week it sounds as if the voting process for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award will be just a mere formality this season. Graham was getting rep's with the first team and his long touchdown catch from Drew Brees on a seam route was one of the best plays of the weekend. But he's not officially a Saint until going through a Saints right of passage: Sports hernia surgery.
Freakin' hot, hot, hot
What else is new? Same story every year.
Secondary...Woah!
I've noted this more than once but it's amazing how far the Saints have come the last two years with respect to their pass defense; from laughing stock to no laughing matter. Jabari Greer reportedly looked very solid, not being hampered by that groin injury anymore. And now with first round pick Patrick Robinson, who impressed during early practices this weekend, they've got depth to weather that unexpected mid-season injury storm. I heard both Jeff Duncan and Bobby Hebert this weekend posit that this could be the best secondary in the 44 year history of the Saints. What do you guys think?
Top 3 plays not made by Jimmy Graham
1. Colston makes a grab over Jabari Greer's blanket coverage and comes down with the ball.
2. Sean Canfield hits Larry Beavers on a slant route, and Beavers kicks it up a gear for 60 yards.
3. Usama Young clotheslines Reggie Bush, nearly taking his head off.
Conflicting Stories
What are we to make of second year safety Chip Vaughn? In his V-log yesterday, Jeff Duncan said he liked the way Vaughn looked this weekend. Bradley Handwerger, however, didn't think Vaughn stood out. Who are we to believe? I'll choose to be optimistic on this one; I'm going with Duncan.
Not to be forgotten...
A couple of sources this weekend noted that Lance Moore looked really good. Nice to see him returning to form as camp stud.
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“The hype surrounding this kid is ridiculous. We’ve only had three days of action in the 2010 season and I’m already sick of hearing Jimmy Graham’s name.”
This happens every off-season. If it’s not Chad Morton or Onome Ojo, it’s Zach Hilton or Adrian McPherson.
"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper
Zach Hilton GAAA!!! He even made my Saints photo calendar that year.
Well the good ol' days may not return
And the rocks might melt and the sea may burn
McPherson's biggest play was getting injured after he was run over by the Titans mascot (who was driving a golf cart I think) during a preseason game's warmup exrecises
We've got 27 ways to add up to 11 (players on the field). I came up with another one last night. -- GW
remember Mike Hass from 2006?
He was going to make us forget Joe Horn (and Horn was still on the roster at that time), but he never made the final roster that year. OOPS
We've got 27 ways to add up to 11 (players on the field). I came up with another one last night. -- GW
LOL good one. He even had his own rap song, coming out of Oregon State. I remember years ago when Allen Pinkett came over from the Oilers and got hurt in training camp. Never played a down for the Saints. The same thing happened with Germane Crowell from the Lions several years later. Then there was Chase Lyman.
And Walter Thomas …
METAIRIE — After signing a free-agent contract with the Saints, the legend of Walter Thomas had reached Bunyan-esque proportions.
And on paper, that’s about what the 6-4, 374-pound defensive tackle looked like entering the team’s weekend rookie mini-camp.
A recruit of LSU coach Les Miles while he was at Oklahoma State, Thomas burst onto the draft scene in early April. During a phenomal workout at Mississippi State’s pro day, he reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds, bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times and displayed a vertical leap of over 30 inches.
Thomas was even pictured doing a front flip in a New York Times pre-draft story of little-known prospects.
But the one thing Thomas — who failed out of Oklahoma State and lasted just two games into his career at Northwest Mississippi Community College — never had to display before the draft was his physical conditioning. That came during the first day of mini-camp on Saturday morning, and it didn’t take Saints coach Sean Payton long to separate fact from fiction.
“He had a brief career,” Payton said with a chuckle on Sunday.
Exactly 12 minutes into his first workout, Thomas surrendered to the heat and went to the trainer’s room for treatment. That’s when Payton made the call and cut him.
“As a free agent signed after the draft, there’s no way of measuring where he was conditioning-wise,” Payton said. “It was a wait-and-see situation, and we saw it when we saw it.”
It was a long shot for Thomas to make the team, or even be among the 83 players the Saints take to training camp, but he was an interesting name to watch. Now it’s back to reality as Thomas prepares to face a trial this summer in Senatobia, Miss., for conspiracy to commit robbery.
“I believe he was the quickest cut that I’ve been associated with,” Payton said. “But the reality is, this isn’t easy and it isn’t for everybody. I think he fits into that.”
"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper
Was he that dude that weighed 456 pounds and could do a standing back flip? and we watched it on youtube a bunch and drooled over his agility until he couldn't finish the conditioning run?
We've got 27 ways to add up to 11 (players on the field). I came up with another one last night. -- GW
Geez, Dave,
But he’s not officially a Saint until going through a Saints right of passage: Sports hernia surgery.
We already have the Madden Curse going against us, why do you try to anger the football gods in such a manner?
Hernia surgery is no joke. I had it done in February, after experiencing it I will never joke about it. But seriously you are onto something. What the hell is the deal with the amount of sports hernia’s on this team? Is the rate higher than the overall league rate?
Hernia vs Sports Hernia
Keep in mind that while a Hernia is quite serious and can keep one out of action for many months, a sports hernia is quite different. A normal hernia generally occurs to when a tear in cavity walls opens up allowing protrusions of an organ to seep in causing extraordinary pain. This is most common in the abdomen.
A sports hernia, is not actually a hernia at all and calling it one is actually a misnomer. Sports hernias are generally little more than a more severe groin pull. However, because they can be fixed through similar surgical means as a normal hernia, the name remains. Though the time frame of recovery is remarkably quicker.
Well I thought the line was funny as hell.
I havent been following you guys as deeply as I do in season but every time i read about the Saints its hernia surgery. I thought it was the same guy because no team has this many.
Ability is a poor mans wealth.
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
Talent is God given, Be humble. Fame is man given, Be grateful. Conceit is self-given, Be careful.
-John Wooden-
Hmmmmm
3. Usama Young clotheslines Reggie Bush, nearly taking his head off.
I have had a similar image of this happening to him except it was Brian Urlacher delivering the clothesline.
Underestimate No One, Take Nothing For Granted
Usama better be careful...
he’s dangerously close to missing the roster and taking out one of Payton’s favorite toys is not the best way to endear yourself to the man responsible for filling up the roster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qais_eGMnWk
Actually
the person who’ll most likely grant the roster spot won’t be Payton but the person in charge of the defense. I imagine Greg Williams was giggling like a school girl when he saw a guy trying to get a roster spot go full out and try to decapitate a guy.
Can't wait to see me some Jimmy Graham & Jeremy Shockey in 2 TE sets...
…for goal-to-go situations this season!!! Defenses will be crapping their pants trying to cover everyone with Colston and Henderson (or Meachem) out wide too!
That would be too many players on the field
"We've got 27 ways to add up to 11 (players on the field). I came up with another one last night." -- Greg Williams
not if some of them line up as offensive line. technically, as long as you have 3 guys on the LOS on either side of the ball, you’re fine
"Hey, the offensive linemen are the biggest guys on the field, they're bigger than everybody else, and that's what makes them the biggest guys on the field."-John Madden
so it could look like this
Colston Meachem Shockey Nicks Goodwin Evans Graham Henderson
Bush Brees PT
"Hey, the offensive linemen are the biggest guys on the field, they're bigger than everybody else, and that's what makes them the biggest guys on the field."-John Madden
As long as Bush Brees and PT are the only ones off the line. But then Shockey and Graham are ineligible
"Hey, the offensive linemen are the biggest guys on the field, they're bigger than everybody else, and that's what makes them the biggest guys on the field."-John Madden
What, is there a penalty or something for 12 men in the huddle?
snicker…
Oh that’s right…not supposed to rub salt in the Purple wounds.
Thats 11.
Ability is a poor mans wealth.
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
Talent is God given, Be humble. Fame is man given, Be grateful. Conceit is self-given, Be careful.
-John Wooden-
My bad, You will have to lose either Meachum or Henderson and put in a OL.
I was thinking Graham was a T and Henderson was Graham(TE)
Ability is a poor mans wealth.
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
Talent is God given, Be humble. Fame is man given, Be grateful. Conceit is self-given, Be careful.
-John Wooden-
No, you wouldn’t. You can run 11 eligible receivers, if you want to. As long as seven players are lined up on the LOS at the snap of the ball, anything goes. Of course, Brees would have to make his reads even quicker with only four true linemen blocking in front of him.
"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper
It's not like this secondary has a lot of competition...
since when has the saints secondary ever been very good? We have two pretty good cover corners now and some decent safeties. The only way it isn’t the best ever is if we have injuries again.
To early to tell
Been watching all the 2009 games with my grand son born (4-1-2010) If Robinson comes along as good as Jenkins then yes they will be the best we ever have had.
0
What wonderful little gifts April Fools Day brings.
~D's Pappy
If Robinson comes along as good as Jenkins
Jenkins was repeatedly burned last year.
"We've got 27 ways to add up to 11 (players on the field). I came up with another one last night." -- Greg Williams
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