Which Saints players weren’t spotted at voluntary workouts during OTAs? Several star players and starters along the offensive line weren’t reported to be in attendance:
The New Orleans Saints will report for a three-day mandatory minicamp this week, beginning Tuesday, June 13, and it’s going to be the first opportunity for local media to put eyes on some players who weren’t available for voluntary workouts earlier this offseason during organized team activities.
Now, it’s possible some of these players were around for practices that weren’t open to the media — reporters were only allowed to observe three of the Saints’ ten workouts at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, so maybe some players just happened to miss those days. But between injury concerns, personal responsibilities, and, frankly, star player status, some guys haven’t been in the building yet.
84 of the 90 players currently under contract participated in at least one of those three practice dates. Here are the six players who were not reported to be in attendance for any of the voluntary organized team activities open to the media ahead of mandatory minicamp:
The Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson isn’t at OTAs, but should they be concerned? @jzulgad breaks it down.
The Minnesota Vikings’ Organized Team Activity practice on Tuesday marked the second consecutive week a session was open to the media. It also marked the second consecutive OTA at which star wide receiver Justin Jefferson was absent.
Jefferson, who according to fellow wide receiver K.J. Osborn has been working out in Florida, isn’t obligated to attend OTAs, but it is noteworthy when a top player is absent for multiple workouts. Defensive end Danielle Hunter and running back Dalvin Cook fall into this category, but Hunter is looking for a contract extension and Cook is waiting to be traded, released or return to Minnesota on a pay cut.
So what’s going on with Jefferson?
“For me, I hope to see him as soon as possible,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday. “I think our participation amongst the whole team (at OTAs) has been so good that we’re able to get great work in. Would love to have him here, obviously. But I think as we work towards minicamp we’ll have a real clean-cut plan of what that looks like, hopefully get him some work, and I know a lot of the guys will be excited to see him.”
Jefferson has two years remaining on his rookie deal, but that doesn’t mean this doesn’t have something to do with his contract. Jefferson is due a base salary of $2.399 million this season and $19.7 million on his fifth-year option in 2024.
The 24-year-old is eligible for a contract extension this offseason that promises to be one of the NFL’s richest. Jefferson deserves it. The 22nd pick in the 2020 draft, Jefferson led the league in receptions (128) and yards (1,809) last season and has 324 catches for 4,825 yards with 25 touchdowns in 50 games and 48 starts over his first three seasons.
Jefferson isn’t just one of the NFL’s best receivers, he is one of the league’s most dynamic players. It wouldn’t be surprising if Jefferson’s representatives are looking to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald currently is the highest-paid non-QB with an average annual salary of $31.7 million per season. Miami’s Tyreek Hill is the highest-paid wide receiver at $30 million a year.
Discussions between Jefferson’s reps and the Vikings have been ongoing, but working out a contract this big often takes time and back-and-forth negotiations as each side tries to get the best deal. Jefferson could have decided he isn’t going to take any risks running through offseason workouts.
The ideal situation would be for an agreement to be done by the Vikings’ two-day mandatory minicamp on June 13 and 14. The Vikings would have the right to fine him, if he elects not to attend. That would make this one of the NFL’s big offseason stories. Right now, it’s only one worth monitoring, both inside and outside of TCO Performance Center.
The good news is that the lines of communication remain open between the Vikings best player and head coach.
“It’s one of those things that, we’ve had great dialogue throughout the offseason,” O’Connell said. “A lot of that will stay between Justin and I, but I just know he’s getting good work wherever he’s spending his offseason. (I) look forward to having him here when he decides to come up, and I know his teammates will be excited about that.”
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com
The Kansas City Chiefs defense stepped up in a big way to help the team secure their second Super Bowl of the Patrick Mahomes era, and linebacker Nick Bolton played a major part in the unit’s effort to sink the Philadelphia Eagles back in February.
Though the spotlight shone brightly on the former Mizzou linebacker at Chiefs OTAs, perhaps most telling were his comments on second-year safety Bryan Cook. Expected to step up in place of Juan Thornhill, Bolton told reporters that Cook is primed for a standout 2023 season.
“Ever since he was a rookie I could tell he has a confidence about him, (the) ability just to talk,” Bolton explained jokingly. “[Even] if he’s 100% wrong, he makes you believe he’s 100% right. So, that’s the confidence you need to have in the back end and we’re loving that. So, he’s growing. You can tell he’s put a lot of work in the offseason, Phase 1, Phase 2 and now leading into this Phase 3. Being able to echo calls, get guys lined up and even if we’re trying to show something, we’re doing wrong, he’ll make sure we know about it. So, we love that. Willie’s (Gay) liking that too. We love the competition he brings.”
Preparation is key for any team in the NFL, but with the massive target that Kansas City will have on its back in its effort to defend its championship in 2023, the Chiefs can’t afford to leave any stone unturned in their pursuit of excellence next season.
To hear Bolton tell it, Cook has done his part to become a high-level playmaker through this point of the team’s offseason program. With a year of experience under his belt, he should blossom into a key starter when the regular season starts in September.
Moore has turned heads at #Chiefs OTAs after a standout offseason where he participated in throwing sessions with Patrick Mahomes. | from @TheJohnDillon
Expectations are bound to be sky-high for any receiver in an offense quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes, and some Kansas City Chiefs fans were irked when 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore didn’t explode as a rookie last season.
Perhaps it was the typical Andy Reid tendency to de-emphasize contributions from rookies. It could have been the jump in competition from playing in the MAC collegiately to the fiercely competitive NFL. It could have been a lack of opportunities behind veterans such as Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Moore seemed to take some time to adapt to life in the Chiefs’ offense.
Reid spoke on the receiver’s progression after practice at OTAs this week. He appeared bullish on the progress that Moore is making heading into his second season in Kansas City. After adding some bulk and attending Mahomes’ throwing sessions in the offseason, Moore is primed to take a step forward judging from his coach’s comments to the media.
“I like what I see,” Reid said of his impression of Moore at the Chiefs’ offseason program. “He’s getting strong (and) you can tell that he’s worked this offseason. He was down there with Pat (Mahomes) the whole time and never missed a day with him, so he’s done a good job. (He has a) better understanding.”
In an offense that is as utterly complex as Reid’s, it isn’t a stretch to say that experience matters, especially on a team that is competing for a Super Bowl every year. Though Moore may have been at a disadvantage as a rookie after playing at Central Michigan, he made strides to become a key playmaker for the Chiefs in the postseason and seemed on the verge of something special after hauling in a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in February.
If Reid’s assessment of his development is to be believed, Moore could be on track to have a breakout season in 2023. He could even become the star that many predicted he could be after his selection by Kansas City last year.
The Chargers began OTAs on Monday and Austin Ekeler was a non-participant.
The Chargers began their 2023 voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday. Nearly all players were in attendance, but there was one notable who was not: running back Austin Ekeler.
Despite being absent, head coach Brandon Staley said he expects Ekeler to participate in mandatory minicamp, which begins on June 13.
Ekeler is seeking a new contract as he is in the final year of his current deal and is set to make $6.2 million this season.
Los Angeles granted Ekeler and his agent permission to seek a trade partner earlier this month after negotiations on a contract extension did not progress.
Ekeler believes the product that he has put on the field is worth garnering a paycheck that puts him near the top of the running back market. He has 38 total touchdowns in the past two seasons, the most among NFL skill players in that timeframe.
Ekeler is an extremely valuable piece, but his positional value might not be considered important enough by Los Angeles or other teams to pay him more.
It will be interesting to see if the Bolts budge and decide to iron out some extension for Ekeler or if he chooses to hold in and threaten to sit out.
Keep an eye on these five things as the #Chiefs begin their organized team activities on Monday.
The Kansas City Chiefs begin Phase 3 of the offseason workout program with organized team activities (OTAs) starting on Monday, May 22. This will be the first of three groups of OTA practice sessions. In total, there will be 10 individual OTA practices during the course of Phase 3.
While the players won’t be putting on pads quite yet, they’ll be getting back to team drills, which is a big step forward in offseason workouts. It’s the most extensive football work for the full team since Super Bowl LVII.
Here are five things to keep an eye on with OTAs about to begin for the Chiefs:
After a successful season in 2022, Kirk Cousins is looking to prove it again after an offseason of uncertainty.
The Minnesota Vikings started phase two of their organized team activities this week and the media got to speak to multiple players during the afternoon.
One of them was starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. The first question that he was asked was about how he interprets what happened with his contract talks and the interest in other quarterbacks.
I think you’re always looking to the future, you’re always thinking about different options, and I think that everybody’s got to do their due diligence and so I’m looking forward to this year and wanting to go out their and prove it again and do it again and play at the highest level I can, and that’s really where my focus is.
You wouldn’t expect any other answer from Cousins. His a consummate professional and exudes that each time he stands behind the podium.
Before his availability finished, Cousins ended with this.
“I want to be in Minnesota. Yeah, that’s kind of a no-brainer, so hopefully we can earn the right to do that. I’ve always said that. When I say I would like to be in Minnesota, there’s a lot of things I would like to have, but you’ve got to go earn it. That’s kind of where I’m at.”
Without a true transition plan at the quarterback position, that reality is more likely now than it was last week.
After breaking his leg in October of 2022, Lewis Cine is back on the practice field and looking better than ever.
After being selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine was in line to be a difference-maker for the defense. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in the fourth game of the season covering a punt against the New Orleans Saints.
During offseason team activities, the defensive players hit the field for the first time and teammates came away forgetting that Cine was even injured.
Look at how fluid he is moving in the video below. He could be a massive addition to the Vikings defense.
The New Orleans Saints announced their 2023 organized team activities schedule, as well as mandatory minicamp dates. It’ll be here before we know it:
Finally: the NFL announced its offseason workout dates for all 32 teams this week, including the New Orleans Saints. Dennis Allen’s team has a few more weeks to enjoy the offseason and prepare for work before they’ll be back on the field at the team headquarters in Metairie.
The first day for Saints players to voluntarily report to the offseason program is April 17, at which point they’ll begin Phase 1: two weeks of position group meetings, strength and conditioning work in the weight room, and physical rehabilitation for players coming off of season-ending injuries.
Phase 2 is made up of organized team activities scheduled for three weeks from May 23-25, May 30-June 1, and June 5-8. This is the first heavy dose of on-field work but even that is limited to individual coaching or small group instruction. The offense and defense cannot go against each other, and both live contact and team drills are prohibited. These are also voluntary.
Participation isn’t mandatory until the minicamp scheduled for June 13-15, at which point the team will break for the summer until training camp begins in late July. That’s Phase 3, at which point teams are allowed to run group drills (7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11), but without any live contact.
This all follows the 2023 NFL draft, though, and the Saints will be busy putting their rookie class through its paces — though exact dates will be announced later. They’ll hold a rookie minicamp the first or second weekend following the draft (either May 5-8 or May 12-15), with a larger rookie developmental program kicking off as soon as May 15.
Things will be getting busier very quickly for the black and gold. Keep an eye on Saints Wire for the latest coverage.
