What will be the biggest storyline from Saints training camp?

Saints training camp is finally here!

Did you know that everyone has a great camp these days? Everyone. Get ready for the usual storylines. The old veteran still knows how to get it done! The young rookie shows some ability! The free agent who signed from another team is happy for a “fresh start.”

These days everyone has a great camp, because all the players are coached to have a great camp. It’s like a taking a test with someone standing next to you shouting the answers.

The New Orleans Saints are coming off a 7-10 season and brought in new quarterback Derek Carr from the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s an upgrade, but how much? We will soon see.

Let’s look at some of the biggest storylines for Saints training camp 2023.

Injuries, Injuries:

No one likes to say it, or admit it, but football is still a collision sport and players get hurt at training camp. Last year, it was rookie Trevor Penning who got hurt in the last preseason game and missed just about the whole season (he got hurt again in Week 18). Defensive back Paulson Adebo got injured at the end of training camp and missed the first two games.

As a team with most key players on the other side of 30, the fear of injury is real. Pray it doesn’t happen to anyone important for the Saints.

Driving The Carr:

This is now Derek Carr’s team, plain and simple. Saints' fans were spoiled for over a decade with Drew Brees, when anything was possible. The biggest upgrade Carr can provide for the Saints is accuracy. We took it for granted with Brees that every third down pass was on target, every deep throw was perfect. If a throw needed to be back-shoulder-toward-the-sidelines, Brees could do it.

Saints quarterbacks since then? Not so much. Carr fits the leadership mode, but we won’t even probably see him play in the pre-season, but what we want to see during training camp is accuracy.

Bresee Power:

I’ve been rewatching the Saints 2022 season and its obvious from the start that the Saints defensive line just couldn’t stand up at the point of attack. Everyone, especially early in the season — gashes the Saints with the run. Enter defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, the Saints first-round NFL Draft pick out of Clemson.

In training camp, don’t worry about the mental stuff for Bresee (remember, he’s going to have a good camp). Is the dude strong? Does he have the physical power to hold his ground on the defensive line and not get pushed out of the way? If he can, then he will be all right. If he can’t. That’s not good. It’ll also be a good sign if Bresee doesn’t play in the pre-season, because that means he’s stud, and the Saints don’t want him to get hurt.

Other notable Saints training camp storylines:

Michael Thomas’ return. How much does he practice/play?

Alvin Kamara’s looming suspension.

Who will be the UDFA who gets everyone talking?

Is Will Lutz in danger of losing his kicking job?

Will Dennis Allen lower the boom and we see the Saints cut someone early in camp as a message to the team?

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