Here is a collection of quotes from Thursday nights game and also regarding the Saints plans to evacuate. Sorry I can't hook you guys up with some meaningful, thought provoking post or in-depth analysis. My mind is elsewhere. I will keep you updated later today and let you know what you might expect from CSC. I will be making a decision today on whether I will be evacuating or staying based on the the latest Gustav path. The rest of the day will be spent preparing.

Adrian Arrington

"These preseason games that I'm missing are huge in my point," Arrington said earlier in camp. "I just wanted to really get out there and show those coaches what I can do out there. In my opinion, I think this is definitely hurting me."

-Sun Herald

Sean Payton

“I thought there were some things that were sloppy that bothered me a little bit tonight,” Head Coach Sean Payton said following the game.

“I am excited, though, about the team that we have and am looking forward to the season,”

- New Orleans Saints official website

Sean Payton

“I am encouraged,” said Payton of Ellis’ play. “He’s what we thought he was when we selected him (in the draft). He’s going to play a lot for us. He’s active, he’s strong, he has a nose for the ball and he’s smart.”

- New Orleans Saints official website

Deuce McAllister

“Obviously I’ll start with the negative and wish I could have punched it in on the goal line. Miami did a good job and showed us a different look,” McAllister said. “I am fine (health-wise). As I continue to get stronger, that’s what I am drawing on and I am looking forward to going out there and making plays."

- New Orleans Saints official website

Mike McKenzie

"It is preseason, but more than anything else it's just actually an opportunity to get out there in game-like plays and just really getting in the whole motion of getting back on the field in game-like speed,"

-Sun Herald

Sean Payton

"I thought (McAllister) looked pretty good," Payton said. "I don't know if he had 11 or 12 carries, but he was right there at that number, which is what we wanted. We're trying to gather as much information as we can."

-Sun Herald

Sean Payton

"We came out of the game relatively healthy," said Saints Coach Sean Payton. "Guys played a lot more than normally for preseason, it's because of how we approached it."

-Times-Pic

Sean Payton, on Jason David

"I was excited he competed," Payton said. "It ws good to watch him specifically for a whole half. What you saw tonight, we've been seeing in practice."

-Times-Pic

Jason David

“I had to convince the coaches and my teammates that I’m a good player with a good heart,” said David, who was beaten repeatedly in a 31-27 loss to Houston two weeks ago. “One thing I kind of live by is before there’s a resurrection, there’s a crucifixion, so I just had to go out there and make plays.

“I think it was my time, I was due. I just kept playing hard and just tried to do what I do out there and have fun while I was out there. It’s a boost whenever you make plays, whether it’s in practice or a game.”

-The Advocate

Sean Payton

“Without looking at the tape, in my mind it appeared to be poor,” coach Sean Payton said of Palko’s performance. “But you have to be given a chance. You’d like to see some things done better, but on some plays he just didn’t have a chance.

“Some of these young linemen are a play or two away from blocking for Drew Brees, so we have to do a better job there.”

-The Advocate

Sean Payton

"We have a great hotel space set up with meeting room space," Payton said. "We've got a great facility that's brand new that is not being used at all next week."

-Sun Herald

Mike McKenzie

"If we have to go, we have to go," said cornerback Mike McKenzie, who played for the Saints when they evacuated for Katrina three years ago. "We'll just have to take it as it comes.... That's the whole thing. You just don't want to even thin about it. It's going to be what it's going to be so I don't want to put any real thought into that."

-Sun Herald

 

Sean Payton

"What we do is really predicated on when it's supposed to arrive, and the good news with a hurricane is there's advance warning," said Payton, who was not with the Saints when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. "So we'll have a plan. ... And having gone through this once before, we'll be thoroughly prepared."

-WISCTV.com

Sean Payton

“I want them at home taking care of their wives, their families, their girlfriends, their loved ones,” he said. “That’s a priority so (if and) when the relocation takes place, they feel comfortable that those closest to them are taken care of.”

-The Advocate

Sean Payton

“Essentially our players will fly there,” Payton said. “Some of our players are going to be out of town and will fly from where they’re at to Indianapolis and we’ll have a team meeting there on Sunday, if Sunday becomes the day we’re leaving.

“The dynamics for right now are going to be a little complex in that the next 24 to 48 hours in regard to the roster is important and with everything that’s going on with the potential problem, the storm coming. We’ve got to do our best to have a real good plan and possibly put it into place sooner rather than later.”

-The Advocate

Audio clips from WWL's Sports Talk with Bobby Hebert.

Sedrick Ellis
 New Orleans Saints - SEDRIC ELLIS

Mike McKenzie
 New Orleans Saints - MIKE MCKENZIE

Sean Payton
 New Orleans Saints - SEAN PAYTON

Bobby Hebert
 New Orleans Saints - BOBBY HEBERT

Point After - Part 1
 New Orleans Saints - Part One of The Point After

Point After - Part 2
 New Orleans Saints - Part Two of The Point After

Point After - Part 3
 New Orleans Saints - Part Three of The Point After

Point After - Part 4
 New Orleans Saints - Part Four of The Point After

Point After - Part 5
 New Orleans Saints - Part Five of The Point After

Today we will continue what we started last week with CSC's first ever game predictions. Before we get to your predictions, we have some leftover business to take care of. Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what everyone said last week and find out who was closest and who was way off. Join me, wont you?

Winner: Nobody was dead on this week but I give credit to anyone who said something positive about Meachem and/or Arrington. I think Real Saint was probably the closest however, and so I crown him this weeks winner!

Loser: Xen-Cuts. Meet CSC's resident Debbie Downer. Glad to see he was way off on his prediction for the sake of the team. Maybe we can expect a brighter prediction from Xen today!

Funniest: B-n-G with Walter FTW in a close second.

It's time for round two! Leave your shiny new predictions in the comment section. Last week had a great response, so let's see if we can keep it up or even better, get more!! Kudos to those members who made their CSC debuts with their predictions last week. I encourage you guys to join in the conversation more often. We all want to know what you have to say about the team.

Have fun!!

The team has off today as they make their way back to Metry. Having gotten a clearer picture of just what this team looks like, I thought what better time to throw out another attempt at predicting just who will make this team of 53 and who wont. This, of course, is meant to spark conversation and your input is welcomed and awaited. Where did I go wrong and where did I go oh...so...right? Let us all know what you think about who makes what will inevitably be the greatest Saints team of all-time.

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

Here is my thinking on some of this:

• Brian Young's health concerns me. If it continues to be spotty, the staff may say to hell with it and go with one of the other talented options in Antwan Lake and Orien Harris.
• I went with Reis over Roach at safety.
• Yeah, I went with six receivers. Copper and Moore both contribute on special teams. Skyler Green was so close I practically flipped a coin for this one.
• I only went with one fullback. We should expect better blocking from our tight ends. Maybe keep another fullback on the practice squad in case Karney is injured.
• Jason David is still around. I just don't think the coaches are going to give up on him. I don't really feel we have seen enough from Tracy Porter, but I gave him a shot anyway.

For a good laugh, compare it to my roster prediction back in May. Also check out  how much nicer looking my tables have become. We've come so far.

The floor is now open. Take it away.

Put him out there with Reggie! (Associated Press)

What I Hope to See One thing I noticed in Thursday nights game was that Reggie started the game as the lone running back, pretty much picking up where he left off before his injury late last season. Though I think he looked pretty solid and improved enough to possibly carry the load by himself, I hope this is not the teams backup plan should Deuce have a setback. I think this offense really needs to return to the whole "Thunder and Lightning" dynamic; the combination of a between the tackles power back and a versatile back with speed and pass catching ability. We know Payton likes to get creative and having that dynamic opens up a lot of possibilities and keeps defenses on their toes. We can only assume that when Deuce finally returns they will both be out on the field at the same time and used creatively as they were in 2006, not sharing one spot and alternating carries. So while Deuce is out, why does the team change the offense and revert to Reggie being the single back when they have a fairly capable substitute for Deuce in Pierre Thomas? Even if he's not capable, isn't he worth a look after everything he's done? Pierre looked amazing against Chicago last year, and he is actually quite versatile himself. So why not put Pierre and Reggie out there together? Aren't Payton and the boys even remotely curious what could develop? What blunt object do we need to hit this teams coaching staff over the head with? This is pre-season so why not screw around with personnel combinations! What do we have to lose? I thought Payton was a creative guy. Pierre and Reggie, or Peggie if you will, could be the most wonderfully magical and deadly running combination in the league, sitting right in front of our face, and we would never even know because they never even tried. If we learned anything last season, isn't it the fact that we actually have fairly capable backup RB's and that Reggie needs to be used more creatively and not between the tackles?  The main point is this: Whether its Deuce, Pierre, or a combination of the two, I really think the team needs to stick with this two running back philosophy and I hope we see something like this in the upcoming pre-season games.

Adrian Arrington Bad news for AA, but how bad is it? Arrington is suffering from a grade two turf toe that Payton said was "significant" and would need at least a week of rehab. This is a crucial time during training camp for a player in Arrington's position and missing significant reps could hurt  his progress. Hopefully this really is only a one week rehab. If it is more significant than that, the IR list might be in Arrington's future. Though only a seventh round pick, he has shown too much talent and proven more valuable than his draft position would have you believe. Putting him on IR, though ending his season, would keep him in the fold and protect him from getting picked up by any other teams. When all is said and done, it might not be such an awful situation. He could still practice with the team, work on the weaker aspects of his game and become a better all around player, ready to go for 2009. Certainly wouldn't be surprising given the depth at the receiver position and the fact that some of the other receivers on the bubble are key special teams players. It's still a little early for this type of speculation and it all depends on how much time he misses and the how much time the team is willing to give him, but just thought I should throw it out there.

Jason David Returning Punts? I can't believe it myself, but if you were paying close attention to Sean Payton's press conference, you would have picked up on this little nugget...

There are three or four guys that we’re going to look at as punt returners: Reggie Bush, Lance Moore, Skyler Green, and then we’re going to look at Tracy Porter and Jason David.

Really? Jason David? I didn't know he was even being considered for that position. Maybe this is a last ditch effort for David to make this team or the teams last ditch effort not to cut him. I don't care who returns punts as long as they get the job done, so if Jason David needs to make the roster that way, so be it! This team definitely could use a threat in that department.

Like a Gazelle. (Chris Granger/Times-Picayune)

Mehlhaff Needs to Kick it up Rookie kicker Taylor Mehlhaff had a bad day at practice yesterday and continues to be inconsistent. He shanked a kickoff and missed a 53-yarder. This follows a shanked kickoff during Thursday nights game that was not done on purpose. After hearing his confidence early in training camp, are Mehlhaff's nerves finally getting to him? The scales seem to now be tipping slightly in Automatica's favor. I still think the team will only choose one of them to keep on the roster, but here is what Payton said about it.

That’s something that down the road will become one of the tough decisions we will have to make. Right now, it is a competition that is very close that you potentially weigh in. The challenge isn’t keeping two on the 53 (man roster). The challenge is keeping two active when you go from 53 to 46. That’s the trick, because now when you get to that 46, if you’re taking two kickers, which we’ve done before, now you’re taking one less tight end or one less cornerback. That’s the trick.

Not sure it makes too much sense to keep them both on the 53 man roster if you are only planning on activating one for each game. What would determine which kicker suits up on Sunday? The weather? I also think having two kickers wouldn't allow either of them to get into a rhythm. Seems to me you just pick one and stick with him.

Shockey has Arrived I was driving down Prytania Street this morning and saw my first person wearing a Shockey jersey. That was quick.

Brett the Jet I was watching one of my all time favorite shows Big Brother 10 last night. Hey, don't knock it until you've watched it! For those of you who don't know anything about the reality show, they lock a dozen or so people in a house with no contact with the outside world, voting out one person each week. It's basically like Survivor except instead of a remote island its a pimped out luxury compound. One of the competitions last night was called "In the News" where each player was given a recent news story and they had to determine whether it was a real news story or a phony one. Of course the first story was about the whole Brett Favre saga and the contestant fielding the question thought for sure this wasn't true, going so far as to say Favre would never play for any other team other then the Packers. The look of shock on all of the housemates faces when they found out it was actually true was priceless.

This will be the only practice of the day since Coach Payton has canceled this afternoon's practice.

Must Reads

Fox 40's offensive notes form the morning practice.

Fox 40's defensive notes from the morning practice.

New Orleans Saints official website report from the morning practice.

Times-Pic's notes from the morning practice.

Larry Holder's notes from his blog.

Here is the transcript of Coach Payton's press conference today, per the New Orleans Saints official website.

Opening Statement: The afternoon practice today is cancelled. We’ll go two tomorrow. We livened it up a little bit this morning and got some full contact work, which was good. Andy Alleman has a hip contusion; he didn’t go and I think he should be ready tomorrow. Adrian Arrington is still working with the turf toe – it’s pretty serious. Bobby McCray should be ready tomorrow – he didn’t practice. Jeremy Shockey – the same way, did not practice. Brian Young – the same. We signed long snapper Ryan Senser who we had at the beginning of camp and James Reed was placed on reserve/injured with the Achilles injury he had yesterday. Our numbers are still at 80.

Q: Is Adrian Arrington still at camp?

A: Yes. He was in the training room because of the nature of his injury. It’s pretty significant; it’s going to be a little bit here for him. It will be at least a week. We’ll see where we’re at then.

Q: What exactly is Arrington’s injury?

A: It’s a grade two turf toe, which is the ligament below the big toe. He hurt in the game the other night and he’ll have to rehab that.

Q: Terrance Copper had his leg wrapped in practice. Is he alright?

A: He’s fine.

Q: Did Reed tear his Achilles?

A: He tore his Achilles yesterday.

Q: There was a lot of emphasis on the run today in practice. Is that more for the defense?

A: It was for the offense as well. We went in with the idea that we’d back off this afternoon and we wanted to have a physical practice in the running game. You get accustomed to this “full-go up” and then when you go live, it changes things. I wanted to see the backs finish and people on the back end with their run fits, and I think we got good work. Guys stayed healthy and played hard on both sides.

Q: How has Jason David looked? Has he improved since last year?

A: He’s doing well. I think so.

Q: Will there be meetings this afternoon or are the players completely off?

A: There will be a normal meeting schedule this afternoon and evening; that’s the same. They’re just going to be off their feet and we’ll have two practices tomorrow.

Q: Do you think you need to be better in short yardage than you were last year?

A: Our short yardage numbers last year were pretty good. There were goal line situations that concerned me a little bit more that come to mind. One was against Philadelphia at the end of the season where we got stopped on three plays, and it’s definitely an emphasis. It’s hard in training camp to get all the work, but the preseason games give you an opportunity to see where you’re at. But both goal line and short yardage need to be areas that we operate efficiently in; especially the goal line. If you look at last year’s numbers, that’s an area that I think we can do better in – our goal line running game.

Q: In short yardage defense, how much of it depends on the defensive tackles getting push at the point of attack?

A: It’s a push both ways. You’re pushing offensively and defensively you’re having to fit your gap and get penetration. Part of it is the scheme you choose to do with your running game, but part of it is that 1-2 and being physical. It was good to get some of that today. Some of it came up in the script where it just happened to be third-and-one as we moved the ball. Again, getting off the field on third-and-one defensively is critical and being able to convert those downs offensively as well. Knowing that there is a good chance that you’re going to run the football and the defenses know that and still being able to get the yard-and-a-half that you need is important.

Q: Did we see Thursday night just how valuable Mark Campbell can be?

A: He’s coming off of a year without playing, so I was encouraged in that first preseason game to see him make some tough catches, take some hits and get up. I thought he did pretty well for the first preseason game. He’s done a good job.

Q: Was that your high school coach out there today?

A: No, he was here this week and left yesterday. Bill Mallory – who used to be the head coach at Indiana University came in yesterday and will be here for a few days. I think that’s who you saw out there today. Bill’s son is with us as the assistant special teams coach, Mike Mallory. He knows a few of the guys on this staff and he’s come to visit with us, which has been good.

Q: Who has been consistently getting good performance reviews in the offensive line/defensive line areas?

A: I thought Jonathan Goodwin had a good game the other night. Jon Stinchcomb has been solid. Those guys up front have been pretty solid. There are some things that we needed to clean up with the second group. Jammal Brown has had a good camp and he’s healthy. This time last year he had that injury and that kind of set him back a few weeks to the start of the season. He’s healthy now and he’s had his best offseason since we’ve been here and I think that’s carried over to how he’s playing. Defensively, we have some guys that are nicked up in Brian Young and Bobby McCray, but both ends – Will Smith and Charles Grant – are healthy. Sedrick Ellis is getting a lot of work and a lot of reps and Kendrick Clancy is doing a good job. He’s in there battling with Hollis Thomas and he’s been consistent. We have a lot of time still and a lot of practices left. We’ll have two tomorrow and then break camp and the focus then goes to Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices with the Texans as we prepare to play them then on Saturday night.

Q: Do you see Carl Nicks as competing for a starting role?

A: He has a chance to compete. We wanted to get the 1s going and then at some point get Nicks some reps with that group because he also had to go to tackle in the later part of the game. In order to get him some work at guard, we did it a little earlier. He’s big and he’s done some good things. Mentally, there are some things that he has to work on. He had a (mental error) in the game the other night that Reggie Bush turned into a big run. As a rookie, there are some positives but there’s still a lot of work ahead of him to develop. He has size and he’s powerful.

Q: Who do you see as being the key figures in the punt and kick return game at this point?

A: There are three or four guys that we’re going to look at as punt returners: Reggie Bush, Lance Moore, Skyler Green, and then we’re going to look at Tracy Porter and Jason David. In the kick return game, you saw Pierre Thomas the other night with a big play, Aaron Stecker, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson – all of those guys throughout this preseason are going to be called on to get work.

Q: Do you see Green and Moore competing for one spot?

A: I don’t know if it’s just those two competing for one spot. Certainly Skyler is competing for a roster spot and Lance is competing both at the receiver and the returner spot. There’s a lot of competition there and you have to take into account what these guys can do on special teams when it comes to your final 53.

Q: What would set one of the two kickers apart if they’re playing for one spot?

A: One thing about the kickers is that you can really chart every kick in practice and in scrimmages and then in the games and begin to get percentages to understand a) their accuracy when it comes to field goals and PATs, and then b) their kick hang-time and location when it comes to kickoffs. That’s unlike a lot of other positions, so there is a little bit more exactness to their performance and that’s a good thing. Over a period of time – and what’s important is time – through training camp and preseason week one, two and three, you begin to get an idea of who is batting at a higher percentage and that’s important when it comes to evaluating that position.

Q: So it’s a lot more intricate than just missed and made field goals?

A: It’s a confidence level as to what their efficiency is. When it comes to the preseason games, you don’t have the same percentages. Maybe Mehlhaff just had one kick the other night and that’s it. But every kick they kick out here in practice is charted, so I think they understand that not only is it charted but the snap-hold time is charted and you begin to know fairly soon as to who has been more consistent. That being said, I think both of them are in a strong battle. Both of them are competing and the good news is that they have three-and-a-half more weeks still with more games to play and more practices. It might be a little bit easier to evaluate that position than some others that might be a little bit more nebulous.

Q: How much patience do you have with that? It seems that Gramatica has been more consistent but does Mehlhaff being the rookie with potential carry extra weight in the decision?

A: I think it’s really important for us to play the best player. Martín has been consistent. When we brought him in last year, he came in in a tough situation and did a good job. For Taylor’s case, he has a challenge to beat out a player like that. He has to beat him out. I think both of those guys are doing a good job right now, so we’ll see.

Q: With Arrington’s injury keeping him out for a while, have you had enough of a chance to evaluate him at this point?

A: Even in the minicamps he had done a lot of things that had encouraged us and again early in this camp. He had a slight hamstring which kind of slowed him down some, but I like the prospect. He’s big and he’s smart and he knows what we’re doing. The key is just getting healthy and that’s tough.

Q: Can you discuss the contributions of Scott Fujita since you acquired him?

A: He is somebody both Gary (Gibbs) and I both had with the Cowboys and he was a free agent when we came here and we signed him. He’s played outside linebacker. He’s somebody that has really had to earn a lot. He was a walk on in college and a late draft pick in Kansas City. He’s been a guy that’s worked hard, detailed his assignments and he’s one of the veteran players on this team. Still, there are certain areas and specifics you’re looking for improvement on, but he does provide veteran leadership and is one of our core players.

Q: Can you discuss how he is so consistent?

A: He keeps himself in shape, he works hard in the offseason. He’s a good athlete who’s big and has range. There are things he’ll give you and things he’ll continue to work on and improve. He’s been a good acquisition for us.

Q: You hear a lot about Fujita, Jonathan Vilma and Mark Simoneua, what about Scott Shanle and his play?

A: He had a good game the other night and he’s playing well. He has good foot speed, he runs well, is athletic and gives you good nickel snaps. He’s had a good camp, he’s stayed healthy, so that’s been encouraging.

Q: Is the kicking competition close and would you consider keeping both on the roster?

A: I think you consider that. But until you get to those final cuts until you look at the comparison at that point you are comparing the second kicker to someone else who will get a certain number of snaps. Right now the competition’s close. That’s something that down the road will become one of the tough decisions we will have to make. Right now, it is a competition that is very close that you potentially weigh in. The challenge isn’t keeping two on the 53 (man roster). The challenging is keeping two active when you go from 53 to 46. That’s the trick, because now when you get to that 46, if you’re taking two kickers, which we’ve done before, now you’re taking one less tight end or one less cornerback. That’s the trick.

Q: Is it impossible to now stash guys on injured reserve due to rules changes?

A: You have your practice squad and you have your active roster. Your practice squad doesn’t secure a player. A player on the practice squad can be claimed by any team. The key is the player receiving enough reps and us receiving enough looks to make the proper evaluation. The thing that keeps you up at night right now is knowing you have some decisions to make and wanting to make the right one.

Q: Dallas gave the kicking job to a rookie last year and other teams like New England have done so in the past. As a head coach, knowing that you play only 16 games and the magnitude of each game, are you a little concerned about going with a rookie?

A: I’m not concerned with giving any job to a rookie if we’ve seen enough, like we did with Marques Colston. You can’t completely compare a receiver to a kicker, but we saw enough from Colston to feel like he was playing better than the starter playing ahead of him. It’s the moment of truth where you make the decision and you that what you have gotten is what you will receive during the season. At some point, and I’m not talking about Taylor (Mehlhaff), these kickers started somewhere. Somebody had to say that he’s going to kick for our team whether they were rookies or maybe they didn’t kick their first year. At some point, a coach said that one of these guys was going to be his kicker and then you go from there. We’re going to try to keep the one who’s most consistent and not factor in that one’s been a draft pick and one hasn’t. That’s been our approach. Those two guys both know that. The key for us is to make the right decision based on what we’ve seen.

Q: Don’t you leave yourself open to second guessing if you keep one and make the wrong decision?

A: Not just with kickers. We signed (Olindo) Mare last year and we had success the year before with (John) Carney and it didn’t work out. There’s reason to criticize and ask if we had done it over again would we have done the same thing? Probably not. You try to make the best decision based on your evaluation and what you think will help the team with these cuts coming.

Q: Do you think about that decision a lot?

A: Yes, everyday. I think about these decisions everyday. That decision is one of these decisions. I think about how the running back position will shape up. I think about how the corners will shape up and how it will sort out at tight end. Within each group, you begin to look at how you see this roster taking place without trying to pre-evaluate and really go by what you see. Fortunately we still have a long way to go here in the preseason. Hopefully the decisions will become clearer.

Q: What is the injury that has kept Jeremy Shockey off the field for much of camp?

A: It’s still his lower leg/ankle. It’s the injury he had in New York. He’s battling through it and just getting himself to where he feels 100 percent. Today we had contact, he’s part of the walk throughs. I think we’re getting to where we’ll have him full go. I don’t know that we’ll have him for the Houston game, but I think after that for those last two preseason games you see him with no limit at all. That’s kind of been the goal with him. He’s doing fine. He’s picking things up and he’s going to give us a boost when he gets in there.

Q: How did Usama Young grade out in the last game?

A: Pretty well.

Q: Is he getting a look because he’s an unknown commodity?

A: He played some nickel for us last year, so he’s in the mix there with those guys. He’s big, he’s physical and he’s in his second year now.

Q: Can you discuss the large number of snaps on defense and special teams he received?

A: He received a lot and when you take out (Mike) McKenzie and (Tracy) Porter out and all of a sudden you look at those numbers. (Jason) Craft received a lot of reps. Aaron Glenn received a lot of reps. There are players injured behind them, like at receiver. Terrance Copper was in the 30’s (reps). That’s a lot for a guy like him. With guys that are injured at some of these positions, it just forces you to play some players maybe more than you normally would.

Q: Is Mike McKenzie still progressing along the lines of where you want him to?

A: Yes, he was full go in the drills today. I don’t know if he made any tackles, but he was in the drills. He’s getting there.

Q: Is he fluid and are you satisfied with his progress?

A: Yes, he’s getting there. I don’t know if he’s 100 percent yet, but he’s getting there.

Yesterday we talked about the not so fine points of the Saints first pre-season game against the Arizona Cardinals. Today we discuss the more positive aspects of the game and what went right. Fortunately, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Receivers You knew I would have to start off with this after Meachem and Arrington led the team in receiving. This is getting really good. With the emergence of Meachington, this has turned into quite a deep squad. When this team added Shockey, the hot topic of conversation was how this would free up Colston from defensive double teams and spread out opposing defenses. I can't even imagine the possibilities now that Meachem is in the mix. Pepper in a little Arrington on top of that and you've got a defensive coordinators nightmare. Mark Campbell also looks like he might very well earn that second spot after missing almost all of last season. The coaching staff will certainly have some tough decisions to make when it comes time to decide who to keep and who to jettison. Fortunately, that is a decision most coaches would love to have to make. Who needs a running game when you've got all of this?

Oh yeaaaah!

Reggie Bush Maybe I've been drinking the Kool Aid here, but I really think this is going to be the year. Try some, its delicious! Anyone who doesn't think Reggie has talent is just plain blind. Sure, he's no human highlight reel like he was at USC, but the kid's got moves. As it stands, Reggie carried 7 times for 22 yards. Take away those two stupid penalties and it becomes 9 carries for 52 yards, one of which looked like a botched play that he turned to the outside for a 12 yard gain. Those are pretty respectable numbers for a first pre-season game. Add to that the poor run blocking by our line and I would say Reggie has shown noticeable improvement. He certainly looked more decisive and hungry. Still don't think he will ever be a back in the style of Deuce, but when he has the ball when he's out on the field, he is always a factor and always dangerous.

Defensive Line Just as touted, we look much improved. They were a lot quicker and more aggressive. To be honest, I don't remember ever seeing a consistent pass rush like last night in recent Saints history. Sedrick Ellis was a little shaky but certainly should be able to start week one. Orien Harris was a big surprise on the night and co-led the team in tackles on Thursday night. The defensive tackle position is similar to the receiver spot in that there seems to be quite a few players stepping up, adding depth and making the battle very interesting. Again, the coaches may have to make a tough decision when the time comes to cut the roster down to 53. 

We Are Holding Back One of the things I think is great about this last game was the fact that we didn't even dress incredibly key players on this team. Colston, Shockey, Deuce, McKenzie and Vilma were all missing. These guys are all arguably the best players on this team at their respective positions. Thursday nights showing was like a "worst case scenario" example of what our team would look like in week 15 after being ravaged an entire season by injury, and it wasn't that bad! We should all be very pleased with the depth on this team and take stock in the fact that, at our healthiest, we will be an even better team.

Here are some initial observations after having watched the game twice (Tivo is a bloggers best friend). All discussion, agreement and disagreement is welcome.

This was the play of the game. (Associate Press)

Wide Receiver Battle Heats Up This will no doubt be what everyone is talking about today. David Patten should feel like a proud pop after Meachem's performance last night. We know the veteran receiver has been Meachem's biggest supporter and last night all their workouts together paid off. Meachem was just plain nasty! The first catch, an over the shoulder grab on an overthrown ball showed us just how much talent he has. The touchdown grab in the fourth quarter displayed his YAC ability after a spin move and a stiff arm helped him gain another 54 yards after the catch.

Meachem's performance last night was promising to say the least. It's his second year so that rookie buzz doesn't surround him anymore but it would be fair to view him as just that, a rookie. Saints fans should count their blessings because not very often do we have the pleasure of seeing two first round draft picks make their NFL debuts in one season. We should expect a lot out of this kid. Coming off a season when the Saints had the  number one offense in the league, Payton <em>still</em> used a first round pick on Meachem, so you better damn well believe he had a reason. That being said, we need to remember that this was just one game and pre-season games should never be used as accurate measuring tools. Meachem faced some pretty weak tackling.

Adrian Arrington also stepped it up last night and showed us why we have been talking about him the last two weeks of training camp. One of his two catches was nice as he came back to the ball and got his body in front of the defender.

That being said, the wide receiver battle has gotten more interesting. Meachem and Arrington both having good games means Copper, Moore, Henderson, Green and Blythe are in trouble.

Pass Rush The pass rush looked much improved. We seemed to be a step quicker and got much more pressure and penetration. Nothing amazing from Sedrick Ellis but I think he will be fine. One thing I am worried about, however, with our new pass rush that I noticed last night. Sending everyone over the line is risky. When you get good penetration in the backfield, you really have to get to the quarterback quickly otherwise the space behind those defensive linemen opens up. If a quarterback can get a short pass off quick enough, they can exploit this gap, dink and dunk, and allow the receiver to pick up lots of extra yardage after the catch. This was the case on several big plays early in the game last night.

Other random notes:

• The Saints got off to a great start, their first drive going for 80 yards. 25 of those were on penalties however.
• Brees of course was solid going 6/7 for 40 yards. The throw to Patten was pure beauty. The new goatee, however, is not. My fiance and I disagree on this point, as she liked Drew's younger new look. What does she know, she has poor taste in men!
• I am pleased with Bush's performance. Reggie tried between the tackles quite a few times but not much was to be gained. In fairness, the line was not doing a great job of blocking. Reggie also showed some promise by breaking two decent size runs, but were both called back due to penalty. Nothing last night said this couldn't be his big year.
• Brunell was pretty good also going 10/12. Good news in the horrific event that Brees goes down. Palko is just too shaky and inconsistent
  
• Lance Moore got a shot with the first team and was fairly unimpressive. His stock may have fallen after last night.
• The first team offensive line didn't look so hot. Reggie didn't have much to work with and as usual the Saints had to get it down through the air. This really needs to be cleaned up. Our running backs can only take so much of the blame.
• Mark Campbell is making a case for the second tight end spot. He had 4 catches for 42 yards. I thought for sure we might see some Billy Miller but he was no where to be seen.
• Mark Simoneau, yet again, refuses to go down without a fight when it comes to the starting spot. Simoneau had a nice sack in the first quarter. Hopefully Vilma will get a chance to show us what he's got and make his own argument.
• Stecker looked pretty solid. More reason why I really don't think we need to even be thinking about bringing in a veteran back. I think we're covered, you just have to have faith.
• Randall Gay was doing his best Jason David impression on the defensive first series, getting beat pretty badly on one play. Usama Young had to come in to make the tackle. Please not again this year...please. Jason David was trying not to do his best Jason David impression. Honestly, I don't feel like the cornerback picture has cleared up any after last night. We did not look much improved on that end. Hopefully this gets addressed or tonights performance was an aberration.
  
• Nothing too special in the return game, certainly not on Skyler Green's part anyhow. In fact, Pierre Thomas had the best run back of the game. Nothing else impressive from Pierre unfortunately.
• Mehlhaff made his field goal but skulled a kickoff. That may have been done on purpose however. The ESPN announcers seemed to think it was Gramatica's job to lose.
• Orien Harris looked pretty good tonight as well. He and Usama led the team with five tackles.
• I am glad the two Saints MNF games are home, meaning I will be in attendance and I won't have to listen to the "fingernails scratching on a chalkboard" sound that is Tony Kornheiser's voice. I do like his Ed Hochuli banter though.

Notes from Day 11:

• Gasp! Drew threw a couple of interceptions this morning. Randall "Blue" Gay and Scott Fujita were the culprits.
• The defense out performed the offense for most of the day, particularly the front seven in the morning
• Meachem and Arrington attempted returning kicks. It wasn't too pretty.
• Billy Miller looked pretty good this morning.
• Sedrick Ellis finally got some reps with the first team.
• Colston was limping today and his knee was wrapped. I am still worried about this one and I doubt Colston will play on Thursday, though Payton says if it was a real game he could go.
  
• Meachem made an awesome one handed catch.
• Marvin Mitchell deflected a Brees pass.
• Deuce participated in both sessions yesterday!
• Will Smith looked good and had what would have been two sacks.
• McKenzie also looked solid, knocking two passes away.
• Arrington made a nice, outstretched catch over Jason David. Ugh.
• Drew usually picks the movies for the teams charter flights. He loves "Caddyshack" while Payton likes "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
• The interception by "Blue" was the play of the day. Credit also goes to McCray who was applying pressure.
  

Continue reading this post »

Monday's two-a-days are over. Here is your essential info from this afternoon's practice session. More to come when it is released!

Must Reads

Fox 40's offensive notes from the afternoon practice.

Fox 40's defensive notes from the afternoon practice.

New Orleans Saints official website afternoon notes.

Times-Pic afternoon notes.

Larry Holder's notes from the afternoon.

Transcript of Coach Payton's press conference.

Transcript of Reggie Bush interview.

Transcript of Adrian Arrington interview.

Skyler Green's latest diary entry for WWL.

Check out today's photos from camp, thanks to the Clarion Ledger. Feel free to post your favorites in the FanShots.

The Times-Pic video wrap up of the days events.

The Associated Press had a story on defensive end Bobby McCray.

"When you start with a new team you have something to prove," McCray said. "You don't want to keep dwelling on what you've done in the past. If you just come in lackadaisical, they're going to feel like you're a bust and you don't want to have that on your shoulders."

"They think I'm probably just a slim defensive end that's just going to try to give you speed, but I'm going to give you variety," McCray said. "I can mix it up. I can beat you inside, beat you outside. I might run through you. You've just got to be ready for it."

"But I guarantee they're going to open their eyes and realize what we've got on that roster and what we've got coming in on Sunday."

Skyler's the Limit <--Pretty clever huh? Skyler Green was the man of the hour yesterday after his performance during the scrimmage. Being a local product, he is already a fan favorite, however it is widely believed that Green's chances of making this team as a wide receiver alone are slim to none and his special teams work will have to be what puts him over the edge. Heck, 52% of you, the majority I might add, chose him as the one receiver who doesn't make the team. Fortunately for Green, he is making a solid case. Was this kickoff return just a flash in the pan or can we expect him to regularly dial in this Devin Hester-like performance? Hester has shown the entire league the importance and power of a good return game, and that is a weapon the Saints have missed since Beer Man rode his beer truck out of town. All of this leads us to the "question of the day" below. Until then, here is your daily linkage.

If you want to hear Bobby Hebert's take on yesterday's scrimmage, check this article that includes an audio interview with the Cajun Cannon.

The usual Cox Sports TV Saints Minute video with Mike Nabors. This one features Marques Colston. Colston says Arrington is ahead of where Colston was at that point in his career. Awesome!

The Advocate's latest story offers quotes from Doug Marrone about an improved Saints offense.

“There really is room for improvement,” said Doug Marrone, the Saints’ offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. “Every year is a different year. We want to see our players that did well the year before do even better. It all comes down to making sure we’re putting them in the best position to make plays. That’s what we try to do.”

“This game is ever-evolving, you go back and you look at what you did last year and you want to build on it,” he said. “Then, you look back on what you didn’t do well and then you start doing some research. You’re always trying to stay ahead or catch up to what the defense is going.”

“We’re looking forward to having all those guys for the offense,” Marrone said. “It always goes down to the same thing: how the defense is going to perceive those players, how they’re going to try to defend those players.

“If they’re the ones they’re trying to defend, the other players have to get open. So everything really complements itself. The good thing is that we have a quarterback that can find the open target.”

Sedrick Ellis is starting to look good and here is what he had to say about his performance yesterday via this Times-Pic story.

"I think we did really well, especially on the D-line, " Ellis said. "We made some plays and got after the quarterback. We've got some wrinkles to iron out, but it was a pretty good day.

"It feels good to make any plays out here. You're in the NFL now, not in college anymore. Whenever you get a chance to make a play to help your team, it always feels good. I think I personally had two sacks. I don't think they gave me one, but it was obviously a sack in my opinion."

The kicking battle is starting to heat up and its neck and neck. WWLTV.com gets a little deeper into the conflict.

This is the third year in a row that it's happened to me," said Gramatica, who played six seasons with Tampa Bay before splitting the 2006 season at Indianapolis and Dallas.

 

"I don't put any extra pressure on myself. I've put enough on myself to do the best that I can, it doesn't matter who they bring in."

"I've been fortunate enough to get shots," he said. "I've been out of football a couple of times and got opportunities. That's pretty much it, getting second chances."

Mehlhaff, on the other hand, is pretty cocky for a rook.

"You line me up against anyone on kickoffs and I can outperform them," Mehlhaff said. "I have so much confidence in my kickoffs, whether it's hang time or distance. I've got a big leg."

The Times-Pic had an article about Mark Simoneau and Skyler Green, who both had good days yesterday during the scrimmage.

Mark Simoneau

"I mean every time you go out there, it's an opportunity, " said Simoneau, who last season beat back a challenge by free-agent acquisition Brian Simmons and spent time on the sideline Saturday conversing with his latest challenger. "We've still got four preseason games left and a lot of training camp. I'm just looking to improve every play and get better.

"Jon and I get along fine. Playing the same position, we talk things over, how you see something. If you can help each other on a certain key you see and work that back and forth, it's only going to make you a better player.

"I knew he wasn't going to go. You know it's the 10th or 11th day out here, more like a game situation. It's still not like a game. You get a little simulation. But it's good to come out and try to make plays and execute what you've been learning."

Skyler Green

"I cut to the middle of the field, and whenever I see a crease I take it, " Green said of the kick return. "I saw the open field and I saw the green grass, and I took it."

"I think I went out and did everything I could do to show the coaches I've improved since I've been with the New Orleans Saints, and I'm ready to play some football. I can be a guy they can depend on to make some plays. I made the plays when they were there to be made. The return meant a lot to me. It showed the coaches I'm going to be a return guy, but I think I also showed them I can play wide receiver."

The Sun Herald says Reggie wants to prove himself this year. Where have I heard that before?

Reggie ignores Kim at training camp?

Question of the Day: Does Skyler Green make this team? Does yesterday's kickoff return change your feelings about Green in any way? Okay, that's two questions but whatever.