Canal Street Chronicles
New Orleans will hit the field in pads on Monday.
After having Saturday off, the New Orleans Saints were back at it for their fourth day of training camp on Sunday.
Head coach Kellen Moore started Sunday’s practice by addressing Saints fans, alerting them that the practice will be more focused on the red zone and how the team is using the hot Louisiana heat to help them prepare for the season.
Lastly, Moore shows his appreciation for the fans and shouts, “We’re excited to see you guys at the dome shortly,” before the crowd erupts with cheers.
Moore has been a fan favorite since arriving in New Orleans. Despite not having prior experience as a head coach in the NFL, the former Super Bowl-winning coordinator has been a breath of fresh air after a failed Dennis Allen tenure.
The quarterback battle is now at full strength. With four days under the young signal callers’ belts, it has become clear what their biggest weaknesses and strengths are. Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler resumed first-team duties on Sunday. Rattler was perfect for passing in 2/3 prior practices, but showed more struggles on day four.
Rattler threw an interception to the Saints’ fourth-round rookie Danny Stutsman, who was filling in for an absent Demario Davis.
Day four was rough for all contending quarterbacks, however. Jake Haener would reportedly throw an interception during the team’s closed practice to newly signed safety Julian Blackman, and Tyler Shough missed his wideouts a few times.
The quarterback battle has been close, and no one has solidified the job yet. With pads coming on tomorrow, it would likely take a bit longer for the group of young quarterbacks to get back to their mechanics, but as the first week of preseason approaches, we should start to get an early indication of who the starter will be.
The Saints brought in tight end Noah Fant for a visit on Friday. The team still feels like there are holes to fill in the offense and some additions they would like to make, but tight end may not be as big a need as some would believe.
Juwan Johnson has been every quarterback’s best friend during the early portions of training camp. His name has been called on every day, and he continues to make plays. Kellen Moore sat down with Johnson during free agency and sold him his vision of how the wide receiver-turned-tight end would fit in his offense, and Moore kept that promise.
Johnson is making play after play and looks to have a large role in the Saints’ offense for the 2025 season.
Second-year kicker Charlie Smyth struggled during day two of training camp, making just two of his five field goal attempts. The Irish kicker was called upon on Sunday but fell short again. Smith finished the day making 3/5 of his attempts, missing from 41 and 46 yards.
Smyth’s camp...
