New Orleans Saints set for their final week of organized team activities
 

Although the Saints have had a strong showing this offseason, here are a few areas that will be watched closely at Tuesday's OTA.

1. Malcolm Jenkins

A former first-round pick of the Saints, Jenkins is widely viewed as one of the Saints' most promising defensive players. But after being slowed in the early portions of OTAs with a hamstring injury, Jenkins hasn't dazzled in practice.

He appeared to blow coverage on two big plays on back-to-back days during minicamp. It'll be interesting to see if Jenkins corrects his mistakes and shows some of his playmaking ability during practice.

2. The walking wounded

Payton noted that the Saints have been relatively healthy during offseason workouts, but several players did leave practice last week with injuries.

Cornerback Patrick Robinson (knee) and offensive tackle Terron Armstead (midsection) each was sidelined in minicamp, while strong safety Roman Harper (undisclosed) was limited throughout the sessions. And tight end Benjamin Watson and cornerback Ryan Steed both sat out of all the workouts while recovering from undisclosed ailments.

It'll be worth watching which players are able to return to practice Tuesday.

3. Young receivers

The Saints have a bevy of young receivers -- Nick Toon, Andy Tanner, Kenny Stills, Saalim Hakim, Jarred Fayson and Chris Givens -- vying for a roster spot behind Marques Colston, Lance Moore and Joe Morgan.

So far, Toon and Tanner have been good. Stills hasn't shown much. Hakim's sprinter's speed is obvious. Fayson has caught the coaches' eyes. And Givens is trying to work himself into the mix.

Before the team takes its long break before training camp, it wouldn't hurt any of them to turn in a splendid session and leave a lasting impressing on the staff.

4. Backup quarterback

The Saints likely will go into training camp with Luke McCown getting the majority of the second-team reps and Seneca Wallace serving as the No. 3 quarterback behind Drew Brees.

But on the final day that the media will see the quarterbacks work out, McCown and Wallace will be worth watching as they continue what should be one of the top battles in training camp.

Both players have had their moments. Like the battle with the young receivers, a strong showing by the quarterbacks at the end of the OTAs could give the coaching staff something to think about.

5. Left tackle

Nothing here will be decided until the preseason. But it'll still be interesting to see who lines up with the first-team offense.

Throughout the offseason, Charles Brown, Jason Smith and Armstead have been alternating on an almost practice-by practice basis. But Brown, the one holdover from last year's team, took the first-team reps during last week's minicamp.

If Brown can manage to stay healthy, it should be his job to lose.

Full article: New Orleans Saints set for their final week of organized team activities | NOLA.com

Re: New Orleans Saints set for their final week of organized team activities
 

Yawn. Talk to me when these guys start hitting each other.

Although, I've heard "Malcolm Jenkins" and "Blown coverage" in the same sentence too often already

Re: New Orleans Saints set for their final week of organized team activities
 

He needs to take a walk and get lost..........kind of like how he does on the field. :rolleyes:

Re: New Orleans Saints set for their final week of organized team activities
 

Nah. Unlike most, I believe he still has a lot of value to the team. He was better with Willams than Spags, therefore, he should be a better player under Ryan.