The Saints' California Practice
Tuesday, July 30, marked the second day of the Saints 2024 training camp with pads on, leading to more scrimmages that showcased different situational offenses and defenses. With the offense still getting used to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system, it was the Saints defense that really showed out and dominated throughout today's practice.
By far the standout of Tuesday's practice was free agent pickup Chase Young, who is just starting to get back to form after dealing with a neck injury. While Young stands at 6'5, 265 pounds, a weight comparable to most defensive ends in the league, he is able to stand out in the pack. Young dominated whoever stood in his path throughout practice, whether it was during one on ones with the offensive line at the beginning or full scrimmages at the end. Linebacker Pete Werner, who played alongside Young at Ohio State, is definitely grateful to once again team up with Young, citing his ability to get to the quarterback, making it easier on the defense as a whole.
While the defense set the tone throughout the scrimmage, the offense on the other hand struggled to gain its footing. In the first unit, Derek Carr struggled to find open receivers in the few seconds he had to even get the ball off due to the defense's pressure. That being said, training camp tends to favor the defense, as they are accustomed to seeing the same sets from the offense over and over again each day at camp.
When asked following practice, Kubiak stated that while there is definitely more work to be done, the offense is progressing how he expected. Kubiak also shouted out Derek Carr for his leadership on and off the field, emphasizing his work ethic and ability to lift up his teammates even when they are struggling.
With the practices getting more intense, especially with pads on, injuries are bound to occur. In the middle of the scrimmage, standout receiver Chris Olave walked off the field limping. Coach Dennis Allen said following practice that he landed on his hip, but the severity of the injury remains unknown.
The
Saints hope to keep building in practicing to August 10, where they will travel
from Irvine to Arizona for their first preseason game against the Cardinals.
