New Orleans Saints news: Newcomers making an impression at OTAs

The media got another look at the New Orleans Saints at OTAs on Thursday, and some of the newer players shined.

Underhill added that Ryan Ramczyk will have a delay because of his hip (physical). He also pointed out the Jairus Byrd post-June 1 release money will be used to sign the picks. Some of the signings have trickled in like Marcus Williams and Al-Quadin Muhammad.

Practice observations: Ted Ginn, Marcus Williams look good during Saints' OTA | theadvocate.com
Progress: Linebacker Manti Te’o (Achilles) and offensive tackle Terron Armstead (knee) got some action in team drills. That’s progress for both players. Te’o, once he gets up to speed, should be a contender for a starting linebacker spot. The importance of Armstead doesn’t need to be spelled out. Bryce Harris took some reps at left tackle with the first team. Josh LeRibeus again got some snaps at starting center with Max Unger out.

Marcus Williams shines: It was a good day for rookie safety Marcus Williams. On the first play of 7-on-7 drills he read a deep pass to Brandon Coleman and broke it up. He later had another breakup on a curl route to Corey Fuller. The second-round pick appears to be picking up the defense quickly and is handling it all in stride. He also looked good during the first practice open to the media last week.

Why you should root for the New Orleans Saints - NFL.com
This is a little early for such proclamations -- with the Saints being my second entry in this series -- but if I had to choose a team right now, the Saints would be my leader in the clubhouse. With the Saints having posted three straight 7-9 seasons, you won't be called a bandwagon fan. Which is huge for me. The yearly trip to New Orleans would be a huge bonus. For instance, the Bears play at New Orleans this year. I'm likely going to that game. (Also, WrestleMania returns to NOLA in 2018. And again, I don't want to miss that.) So, the visiting the city thing is great. Plus, Saints Swag looks pretty cool. Seriously, this series is over. The Saints are your winner.

What? Oh, my editor says this will not be the case. Let's talk about the Panthers tomorrow.

Heath Evans reminded of '09 Saints with 'unstoppable' Brees-Peterson combo - ESPN
"Every team's gonna try to make you one-dimensional. That's nearly impossible with a healthy AD. … You don't get both. You can't stop AD and limit Drew. And you can't play Drew and then limit AD. Our business just doesn't work that way. So very rarely have we seen one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game and the second best quarterback in the game right now, in my opinion, have a running back like AD."

Steve Gleason makes an appearance at Saints' OTA to make pitch for Celebrity Black & Gold softball game | theadvocate.com
"I'm excited for next week, to be working with Sunny and the Son of a Saint organization for the Celebrity Black & Gold softball game next Wednesday," Gleason said. "Thank you to Chase Daniel, and Delvin Breaux, all the other players and celebrities who will be out there. We're excited and hope to see you all out at Tulane next week."

Drew Brees 'feels great,' continues to find new ways to train | theadvocate.com
"I've noticed a few new things, just during our strength and conditioning time, that guys can incorporate on their own," Brees said. "Different things work for different people, and I've found what works for me, but I'm always looking for little tweaks here and there."