Members of the Whodatsay team attended Saints minicamp this past Saturday and are pleased to bring you this mincamp update. Present for Whodatsay were Vern, Mrs. Vern, Little Vern (the biggest 7-month old Saints fan you will ever meet), Section123, Section123 Girlfriend, and Joseph, the winner of our first annual Take a Fan to Minicamp Contest. Joseph was declared winner when he passed out on my couch the night before, leaving us no other choice than to bring him along. With six sets of eyes hard at work for our readers, we’re fairly certain we took everything in.
We don’t want to brag but….
We’re finally getting some of that well-deserved, hard-earned, respect and admiration from our peers and fans alike. Below, you will see some of the shots we took from our exclusive, roped-off, very VIP, Whodatsay area.
We don’t want to brag but….
We’re finally getting some of that well-deserved, hard-earned, respect and admiration from our peers and fans alike. Below, you will see some of the shots we took from our exclusive, roped-off, very VIP, Whodatsay area.
Jump on board while you still can folks, we’re headed for the big time.
Our exclusive press credentials gave us access to fans and players alike; at one point, we even managed to get up close to this guy:
Although we are still unsure what Panama Jack was doing at Saints mincamp, we at whodatsay have always welcomed Saints fans of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Plus, we’re hoping that he sends us a few pairs of sunglasses so that we can avoid being blinded by the light reflected off Todd Blythe’s legs.
What we saw:
The date was May 31, and because summer typically starts some time in late February around here, it was hot. New Orleanians know to avoid the dark colors in the summer heat, but not today – today was a Saints day, and that meant the Black and Gold had to be proudly displayed, regardless of weather conditions.
We watched with the masses (what appeared to be several thousand) as Devery Henderson caught a simple pass in the flat and was cheered as if he had just completed the Immaculate Reception. We saw Deuce taking handoffs up the middle, a sight that can’t help but bring a sense of normalcy and rightness to the mind of any Saints fan; it was certainly a sight for sore eyes, and one which we hope to see a lot more of. We watched as David Patten abused Usama Young on a deep route, faking him out of his shoes and making a catch in the end zone. All the while, the general, clad in his long sleeves and visor, walked the ranks of his players, looking for something, a well-run route, a vicious block, a well thrown ball from Palko or Brunell.
Vern’s Take:
Vern focused his attention mostly on receivers and defensive backs, and had the following to report: Although it is par for the course, Drew Brees looked good. Really good. He threw with consistent accuracy and velocity. Together, Brees and Colston make even the most difficult routes look effortless.
Tyler Palko… well, pretty much the exact opposite of everything we just said about Brees. He under-whelmed and under-impressed us with his accuracy all morning long.
Deuce Mcallister still has a long way to go. It appeared that every handoff he took was straight up the middle, and it looks like he is a long way from being able to move laterally at full speed. We’re not expecting Deuce to be 100% when training camp opens.
Reggie Bush seemed to show no ill effects from last year’s injury, and moved quickly and confidently with the ball. Early indications are that he will be used in much the same way as last year, despite the entire Who Dat Nation calling for some new looks with Reggie in 2008.
Marques Colston is truly in a class all his own on our team. His routes always looks smooth, and he catches every ball with his hands, even when it looks like it would be easier for him to catch it with his body.
Although there has been a lot of positive talk about Robert Meachem lately, he failed to impress at minicamp. Despite his straight line speed, he still seems to be a little slow in and out of his breaks, and he catches too many balls with his body. Meachem doesn’t drop many balls, but he needs to make more of an effort to extend his arms to the ball and not just let the ball come to him. At times, he almost looks lazy running routes.
Despite running mostly with the third team, Adrian Arrington managed to impress us. Arrington just appears to be a complete receiver, with a quick first step and the ability to get separation, despite what the scouting reports said about him. He catches the ball well with his hands, and with his large frame, he really has the potential to develop into a red-zone threat. If Arrington learns the playbook and continues to improve, he could have a bright future with the Saints.
Tracy Porter looked good. He’s definitely raw, and that showed when he bit on a few moves and got beat a few times. His recovery speed, however, appears to be excellent, and he mostly did a good job of keeping receivers in front of him. We’re looking forward to watching him develop.
With Mike McKenzie walking around pad-less, Randall Gay was the most consistent defensive back on the field. He blanketed Colston on an out-route and covered receivers tight on deep balls. It’s obvious that Gay has been playing under Bill Belichick when you see how impressive his footwork is.
What it all means…
Depending on who you ask, attending minicamp is either a great way to pick up subtle clues regarding the staff’s mindset, or a nice way to get a jumpstart on that farmer’s tan you will be sporting all summer. However, no one will argue that mincamp isn’t a great place to hang out with other Saints fans, support the Boys in Black and Gold, and start getting excited about the 2008 season. We’ll see you in Jackson.
What we saw:
The date was May 31, and because summer typically starts some time in late February around here, it was hot. New Orleanians know to avoid the dark colors in the summer heat, but not today – today was a Saints day, and that meant the Black and Gold had to be proudly displayed, regardless of weather conditions.
We watched with the masses (what appeared to be several thousand) as Devery Henderson caught a simple pass in the flat and was cheered as if he had just completed the Immaculate Reception. We saw Deuce taking handoffs up the middle, a sight that can’t help but bring a sense of normalcy and rightness to the mind of any Saints fan; it was certainly a sight for sore eyes, and one which we hope to see a lot more of. We watched as David Patten abused Usama Young on a deep route, faking him out of his shoes and making a catch in the end zone. All the while, the general, clad in his long sleeves and visor, walked the ranks of his players, looking for something, a well-run route, a vicious block, a well thrown ball from Palko or Brunell.
Vern’s Take:
Vern focused his attention mostly on receivers and defensive backs, and had the following to report: Although it is par for the course, Drew Brees looked good. Really good. He threw with consistent accuracy and velocity. Together, Brees and Colston make even the most difficult routes look effortless.
Tyler Palko… well, pretty much the exact opposite of everything we just said about Brees. He under-whelmed and under-impressed us with his accuracy all morning long.
Deuce Mcallister still has a long way to go. It appeared that every handoff he took was straight up the middle, and it looks like he is a long way from being able to move laterally at full speed. We’re not expecting Deuce to be 100% when training camp opens.
Reggie Bush seemed to show no ill effects from last year’s injury, and moved quickly and confidently with the ball. Early indications are that he will be used in much the same way as last year, despite the entire Who Dat Nation calling for some new looks with Reggie in 2008.
Marques Colston is truly in a class all his own on our team. His routes always looks smooth, and he catches every ball with his hands, even when it looks like it would be easier for him to catch it with his body.
Although there has been a lot of positive talk about Robert Meachem lately, he failed to impress at minicamp. Despite his straight line speed, he still seems to be a little slow in and out of his breaks, and he catches too many balls with his body. Meachem doesn’t drop many balls, but he needs to make more of an effort to extend his arms to the ball and not just let the ball come to him. At times, he almost looks lazy running routes.
Despite running mostly with the third team, Adrian Arrington managed to impress us. Arrington just appears to be a complete receiver, with a quick first step and the ability to get separation, despite what the scouting reports said about him. He catches the ball well with his hands, and with his large frame, he really has the potential to develop into a red-zone threat. If Arrington learns the playbook and continues to improve, he could have a bright future with the Saints.
Tracy Porter looked good. He’s definitely raw, and that showed when he bit on a few moves and got beat a few times. His recovery speed, however, appears to be excellent, and he mostly did a good job of keeping receivers in front of him. We’re looking forward to watching him develop.
With Mike McKenzie walking around pad-less, Randall Gay was the most consistent defensive back on the field. He blanketed Colston on an out-route and covered receivers tight on deep balls. It’s obvious that Gay has been playing under Bill Belichick when you see how impressive his footwork is.
What it all means…
Depending on who you ask, attending minicamp is either a great way to pick up subtle clues regarding the staff’s mindset, or a nice way to get a jumpstart on that farmer’s tan you will be sporting all summer. However, no one will argue that mincamp isn’t a great place to hang out with other Saints fans, support the Boys in Black and Gold, and start getting excited about the 2008 season. We’ll see you in Jackson.
5 comments:
Living up here in Canada, I only dream of sporting a farmers tan at training camp every year.
Keep up the good work reporting on them so I can get my fix until they come to detroit in December :/ till then I get to read all of your eye witness accounts.
Who is "Little Vern?"
Is that Buddon's kid?
what was section 123's take?? what about some other positions? did you guys check that out? if so, what's the skinny?
I think Larry said it best:
"Evaluating football players while they're wearing jerseys and shorts is like testing a NASCAR driver speeding around on an empty track."
http://www.sunherald.com/251/story/600148.html
I kinda go with that mentality. In other words, I don't read too much into what I see at a minicamp.
section 123....come on brother, give me something more than a nascar analogy. I mean, you were out there for something. Give me an observation (even if it's only one). Maybe something about Juan Kincaid's mustache or Lee Zurich's eyebrows. Anything. Were there any Hornets players there? I live out of town, and I am dying for some eyewitness news (no pun intended). How about this: Most physically impressive player? I don't know...anything.
Post a Comment