New Orleans Saints training camp entered Day 9 with a group of roaring fans from the stands – much deserved by several standouts. There’s an air of excitement that comes with packed bleachers, particularly when the offense is winning the day. Today’s practice with Michael Thomas returning for team drills saw fans remain energetic through a brief torrential downpour. As are summers in New Orleans.
While last year’s training camp hyper-focused on the competition under center, I found myself frankly forgetting to watch who was taking reps. It felt nice. A sense of normalcy returned with stability at quarterback; Jameis Winston is still finding a rhythm, but his command of the offense is palpable. Today, his tempo in the passing game was quicker, his short throws to Alvin Kamara in the flat had touch, and his rhythm and accuracy improved from one day prior. Among individual observations, team trends are equally starting to emerge through training camp.