Recap of Day One

I don't think this has been posted, if it has, sorry mods. Anyways, it's a great read and covers pretty much everybody you'd want to hear about. Here are some the things I found most interesting:

- Tailback Deuce McAllister, who is recovering from surgeries on both of his knees, looked "awesome" during his first practice according to quarterback Drew Brees, who joked that Deuce is lighter than he's been since his senior year of college. McAllister, who weighed in at a slender 227 pounds when he reported to camp, participated fully in the morning practice session but will probably take it easy this afternoon.

- Linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) looked great as he went full-speed on Thursday morning. He ran with the second team behind starter Mark Simoneau because Vilma is still playing catch-up after being limited this summer. But that will change sooner than later.

- Defensive tackle Hollis Thomas appeared to have a rough start today. About two hours into practice, he took a knee, and the trainers came to cool him off. He sat out the final 20 minutes or so. I didn't get a chance to talk to him after practice.
I don't think it's necessarily a bad sign. The heat was no joke this morning, and he's a big dude who's always struggled in these kind of conditions. He actually made weight for the first time in his three years with the Saints, and he's always survived these early struggles to come back strong in the regular season.
Thomas lined up with the second string behind Kendrick Clancy today. Those two battled back and forth for the starting job throughout last year's training camp. They might both lose out to first-round draft pick Sedrick Ellis, though, if he ever arrives in camp.

- Of the Saints' remaining contract holdouts, Porter looks a lot closer to getting signed than Ellis. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Porter here by Friday from what I'm hearing.
But nobody seems optimistic that Ellis will arrive any time soon, with the early first-round signings moving at a snail's pace.

- Another guy who stood out to me today was second-year offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod. He lined up at left tackle with the second-string offense, while Zach Strief was at right tackle. Bushrod definitely has the size and athleticism to play left tackle, and the Saints have been excited about his potential since they drafted him out of Towson in the fourth round last year. He was particularly impressive during one head-to-head matchup against defensive end Will Smith in pass-rushing drills.

- Rookie DeMario Pressley had an impressive spin move in that same drill that caught my attention. He was lined up against third-string offensive lineman Isaiah Ross, but his speed and athleticism were evident.

Thursday morning New Orleans Saints practice report - New Orleans Saints Beat - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com

all good news. Watch the development of the OL closely. bushrod at LT and I heard on the Payton interview that Alleman maybe doing some time at center. IMO that would be a perfect development. Brown back to the right with Evans may happen soon.

DeMario Pressley is definitely worth watching. Big addition to the rotation.

I am really pleased with the way Payton and Co. have built the lines for the Saints. Some of the pieces were already here, but on the o-line, we have 2 studs in Brown and Evans, solid starters throughout and a deep and young bench with Bushrod, Strief, Nicks...and maybe Alleman, who you guys know i am not high on.

Defensively, Grant and Smith are better than average DE's...both very good against the run and both have had successfull seasons rushing the passer, although Grant's seemed like a long time ago...and now we have an experienced end coming off the bench who is a pass rush specialist in McCray...on the interior Ellis is a potential stud, Young is very good when healthy, Thomas may be a situational guy at this point in his career, and Clancy and Pressley give the unit the most depth we've had in a long time. For the first time since i can remember, the Saints are actually going to have to cut a decent DT before the season starts.

3 studs, a handfull of solid NFL players and a couple of guys who can provide a breather for the other guys make this line one of our best in years...and i think our o-line is in much better shape than the d-line. Thats where good teams are made and the Saints have what it takes...very exciting.

Read on the TP sports blog that Bushrod has stepped in for Brown at LT. Brown attended a funeral in OK and was not at practice this afternoon. That's somewhat interesting even though it's only TC.

Thursday afternoon New Orleans Saints practice report - New Orleans Saints Beat - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com

- Second-year offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, another guy I highlighted this morning, received a little payback from defensive end Will Smith in afternoon team drills. Smith beat him around the corner and forced quarterback Drew Brees to throw the ball away.

But Bushrod continued to have a decent performance as he stepped in to replace Brown with the first-team offense. These next two practices will be a big chance for Bushrod to prove himself and get to play along with the first-stringers. - Mike Triplett

Originally Posted by hagan714

all good news. Watch the development of the OL closely. bushrod at LT and I heard on the Payton interview that Alleman maybe doing some time at center. IMO that would be a perfect development. Brown back to the right with Evans may happen soon.

DeMario Pressley is definitely worth watching. Big addition to the rotation.

Did you hear that about Alleman??? REALLY??? Ya know I said the same damn thing and I was giving a lot of crap that it wouldn't happen but I thought he would be a back up Center for us!!!