Tag: practices

Laiatu Latu helping his draft stock at Senior Bowl practices

UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu is helping his draft stock at Senior Bowl practices. It’d be hard for the Saints to pass him up — if he makes it to their pick:

The New Orleans Saints are getting a good look at one of the top defensive ends in the draft this week at the Senior Bowl. UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu has been off to a very hot start in Mobile, Ala.

Latu was once medically retired from football after a neck injury while playing at Washington. He then transferred to UCLA where he was cleared to play and has dominated ever since. He finished with 34 tackles for a loss and 23.5 sacks in his two seasons as a Bruin, as well as five forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus charting credited him with 127 quarterback pressures during that span.

The Saints have always gone after their archetype at defensive end, and college scouting director Jeff Ireland reiterated that importance earlier this week when talking about pass rushers with the media.

He also opened up about thinking outside of that box: “I still think you have to play with power, but they come in all shapes and sizes and you have to be ready to have a really clear vision for how are you going to utilize that player.”

Latu has the size that the Saints like — having weighed in at 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds, with 32.5-inch arms giving him an impressive 79-inch wingspan– as well as looking like a faster defensive end as well at times. He’s seen as a first-round lock in this year’s draft class but he could lift his stock into top-10 territory if he keeps up this strong week of practice in Mobile.

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Notes and observations from 2024 Senior Bowl National Team practice Day 2

Notes and observations from 2024 Senior Bowl National Team practice Day 2

With the 2024 NFL draft just months away, the NFL world has gathered in Mobile, Ala. this week for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Teams will be watching how some of the top draft-eligible players across the country perform as they compete against each other in practices leading up to the all-star game.

The team’s took the field for a second time as units on Wednesday. Here is our notebook for the second day from the National Team practices:

How to watch the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl practices and all-star game

How to watch the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl practices and all-star game

It is time for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Some of the best draft-eligible players in the country will gather for a week of practices and an all-star game at the end. The New Orleans Saints will be well-represented with scouts and coaches on hand evaluating this year’s top prospects.

Here is the practice schedule and how you can watch the game on Saturday:

What we learned from two days of Saints-Chargers joint practices

The Saints and Chargers wrapped up joint practices on Friday. We learned the receiving corps is in great shape, and the defense is meeting high expectations | @southexclusives

The Saints have wrapped up their joint practices with the Chargers. Due to weather, we may or may not see a preseason game between these two. In a situation like this, at least you have the two days of joint practices to fall back on for evaluation. It isn’t a perfect game substitute, but it does include individual, team and situational drills against another team. The two days have featured some ups and downs on both sides of the ball for both squads. Overall, here’s what we learned:

Chiefs training camp: Stock up and stock down after Day 9

Check out all of Kansas City’s risers and fallers on this training camp edition of #Chiefs stock watch.

The Kansas City Chiefs will need contributions from every player they carry into the 2023 regular season as they endeavor to defend their Super Bowl LVII title. Several Chiefs have seen their stock rise over the course of nine days of practices in St. Joseph, while others have yet to prove that they belong on Kansas City’s championship-caliber roster.

With the preseason just a week away, now is the time for players on both sides of the ball to show coaches exactly what they can bring to the field next season.

Check out all the risers and fallers from Kansas City’s training camp on our first training camp stock watch:

New Orleans Saints announce training camp schedule with 7 practices open to fans

The New Orleans Saints announced their training camp schedule with seven practices open to fans — here’s how you can attend:

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There we go: the New Orleans Saints announced their training camp schedule on Wednesday, with seven practice dates open to fans. These practice sessions are free to attend but limited by space, so fans must reserve tickets online (which can be done at the team’s website here).

Here are the open practice dates at the Ochsner Sports Performance Facility, with gates opening at 8:15 a.m. CT and players hitting the field at 9 a.m. CT each day:

  • Friday, July 28
  • Saturday, July 29
  • Monday, July 31
  • Friday, Aug. 4
  • Saturday, Aug. 5
  • Sunday, Aug. 6
  • Thursday, Aug. 10

Saints season ticket holders will get first access to open practice reservations beginning July 17, with waitlist members receiving access on July 18. The general public will have access on July 19 at 10 a.m. CT.

Unlike in years past, the Saints have not yet announced plans to end training camp in front of a larger crowd at the Caesars Superdome or Tulane’s Yulman Stadium. That’s usually a big draw and the only opportunity for many fans who can’t afford pricey game tickets to see their team in person, so hopefully that decision hasn’t yet been finalized rather than shelved altogether.

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Brandon Staley says rookies ‘proved themselves’ at Chargers’ offseason program

Brandon Staley said that the Chargers’ rookie class “proved themselves” during offseason practices.

The Chargers’ 2023 rookie class looks particularly strong heading into the new season.

With multiple players in the group expected to take on important roles during the team’s 17-game schedule, head coach Brandon Staley will rely on his younger talent to buoy the team over the course of the coming season.

Asked about which players stood out to him during offseason workouts in a press conference after practice, Staley made it clear that Los Angeles’ first-year players have impressed and seem poised for a great season.

“I think all of the rookies that we drafted, I’m really excited to work with,” Staley explained. “I think they all proved themselves in one shape or form. Certainly, with the linemen, you’re not getting to see them in that way of the physicality and the pads and stuff.

“I think the guys that we drafted, and there are going to be some undrafted guys that I know that are going to make an impression on you guys in the training camp, I’m confident in that. The rookies, I think, really showed a lot of professionalism. They showed the ability that they’re going to be a factor come training camp.”

Particularly for the undrafted players in the rookie class, the training camp and preseason will determine their use in the Chargers’ game plans. Still, Staley’s words of praise are a sure sign that the up-and-comers will factor into the equation.

With a little over a month between the NFL hopefuls and their dress rehearsal for action in the league, the hype surrounding their potential seems to have reached a fever pitch.

New Orleans Saints schedule rookie minicamp tryouts

The New Orleans Saints scheduled their rookie minicamp tryouts for May 12-14, creating opportunity for many young players competing for roster spots:

There we go: the New Orleans Saints have scheduled their rookie minicamp practices for May 12, 13, and 14. This is a good opportunity for their 2023 draft class — both players who were picked and those who signed as undrafted free agents — to get on the field, go through drills, and begin to pick up the playbook.

It’s also an opportunity for dozens of other players to try out alongside their peers. Teams usually bring in a mix of first- and second-year free agents as well as a handful of NFL veterans, all of whom will be competing for a roster spot during the summer.

New Orleans currently has five vacancies on their 90-man offseason roster, having waived reserve quarterback Jake Luton and running back Derrick Gore after selecting other players at their positions during the 2023 draft (TCU running back Kendre Miller and Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener). So it’s a safe bet that some of those open roster spots will be filled by players trying out at these minicamp practices next weekend.

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Highlights from Jaguars joint practices vs. Falcons

If the #Jaguars play how they’ve been practicing against the #Falcons they could lock up their first win on Saturday.

With the last week of preseason halfway gone, the Jacksonville Jaguars flashed some serious skill with some impressive highlights against the Atlanta Falcons in joint practices on Wednesday. The teams are gaining familiarity with each other at the combined practice sessions, and from the looks of it, the Jaguars are taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Several clips of the team’s dominant play surfaced on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, showing just how exciting this Jacksonville team might be in the regular season.

Take a look at these plays, and try not to get too excited about what is to come this year:

With a few more weeks of quality practices like they had on Wednesday, the Jaguars should be in a position to play much more competitive football than they did at this point last season. They have a competent roster chock-full of rising stars on both sides of the ball, and a with a win against the Falcons could take a full head of steam into the regular season in September.

Jacksonville has managed to avoid the injury bug in the preseason, and as the old adage goes, the best ability in the NFL is availability. If they can escape the intense joint practices this week with the top-end of their roster remaining injury-free, they should have a good chance to surprise some teams who underestimate the squad they’ve put together in head coach Doug Pederson’s first season.

It’ll take time to see how the Jaguars convert on the promise of their 2022 season, but for now, especially with the excellent videos coming out of practices, the future looks as bright as ever in Duval County. Given how excellent the team has looked in these preseason opportunities to shine, fans should expect nothing less than marked improvement over their 2021 campaign this year.

3 players to watch in the Saints-Packers joint practice on Aug. 16

3 players to watch in the Saints-Packers joint practice on Aug. 16, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Joint practices between the New Orleans Saint and Green Bay Packers kick off at 10:30 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Aug. 16, providing players an opportunity to get a couple days’ work in with unfamiliar opponents after competing against teammates over the last few weeks. These shared practices will get underway across the NFL this week, but Saints fans will be keenly focused on those taking place in Green Bay. Here are three players we’re watching during the first Saints and Packers joint practice: