This is a good sign. The New Orleans Saints kicked off organized team activities on Tuesday, with only ten (really nine) players missing from their 89-man roster. That’s a big shift after 17 players were absent for the start of voluntary practices this time last year. 87% of the team reported for work in Sean Payton’s final year as head coach, dropping to 81% in Dennis Allen’s first year on the job. Now they’re at about 89%, depending on whether you count Demario Davis (more on him in a minute).
Having guys buying in and busy working on improvement this early is important. The Saints have posted back-to-back disappointing seasons and they need to dial in, focus, and put in the work to get this team where they want to go. Respected team leaders like Cameron Jordan and Tyrann Mathieu being at the facility working with first-year rookies means a lot.
Still, these are voluntary workouts, and a lot of guys are still out managing injuries. Others are well-established veterans who don’t really need to be around for non-contact drills in May. Some may have other commitments; Jarvis Landry was absent last year so he could accompany his 5-year-old daughter to her first day of school. Everyone will be there when mandatory practices start in June.
Here are the players who were not spotted at Saints OTAs on Tuesday, May 23: