New Orleans Saints: Top 10 Storylines of 2012 Training Camp
 

NEW ORLEANS -- Finally, mercifully, the most controversial offseason in club history has come to an end and the New Orleans Saints now can begin in earnest their pursuit of NFL history.

The team is scheduled to report Tuesday for physicals, conditioning and meetings, signalling the opening of training camp under acting head coach Joe Vitt.

Players will participate in non-padded practice sessions from 4 p.m. to 6:45 on Thursday and Friday with the first practice in pads set for the same time on Saturday.

With every training camp comes story lines but Camp 2012 is like none other because of the collateral damage caused by the bounty scandal. I'll be curious to see its residual effect and how it serves to motivate this team. Players already seem to have adopted an "us against the world'' mentality and are determined to prove their many naysayers wrong.

Here are my Top 10 story lines on the eve of training camp:

(1) First and foremost, the most compelling issue involves the season-long loss of Coach Sean Payton who has been suspended through Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans for his role in Bounty gate. How will this team respond without its leader and one of the game's most creative offensive minds? (1b) How will the team deal with new day-to-day leadership at the top, beginning first with Vitt through training camp, then a substitute for Vitt while he serves his season-opening 6-game suspension, and finally when Vitt returns for the final 10 games?

(2) How will the loss of Payton impact QB Drew Brees, who recently signed a record five-year, $100 million contract that guarantees him $60 million, including a $37 million signing bonus? Since joining forces in 2006, they have become one of the most successful coach-quarterback tandems in the NFL. It's likely that Brees will have a bigger role in game planning in Payton's absence.

New Orleans Saints: Top 10 Storylines of 2012 Training Camp

I'm surprised at the lack of posts to this article. It broke down the problem areas nicely and addressed the most important concerns that the Saints have going into training camp.

Maybe it's cause we don't know the answers?