Saints camp previewBy Matt Williamson
Scouts Inc.


New Orleans Camp
Site: Millsaps College
Location: Jackson, Miss.
Start date: July 28 (rookies, vets)
2005 Record: 3-13

Expanded NFL Training Camp Coverage




Three Burning Questions
In what condition is the Saints' rebuilt offensive line?
It might not be pretty. Wayne Gandy will now line up against the Saints twice a year as a member of the Falcons, while Jammal Brown is moving from right tackle to the left side. Jon Stinchcomb and Jamar Nesbit will fight for the right tackle spot. The Saints traded for Jeff Faine to make him their starting center. Montrae Holland will remain the starting left guard and Jermane Mayberry will remain at right guard. While this doesn't sound terrible at first glance, Holland is the only player who performed well for New Orleans last season at his 2006 position. Brown is a fine young talent, but surely will have growing pains with the switch to the left side. Mayberry has been extremely unreliable since joining the team. Faine is very undersized, struggles to hold weight and got manhandled against more powerful defensive tackles. If Nesbit is forced to start, the line has very poor depth and will lack continuity.

Camp battle to watch
Jon Stinchcomb vs. Jamar Nesbit


Stinchcomb is clearly the more talented player of these two and New Orleans desperately needs him to recover in time from the torn patella tendon that sidelined him for the entire 2005 season. Even if fully recovered, what kind of player will Stinchcomb be? He has athletic ability, but needs strength work and experience. He also isn't a powerful, mauling right tackle. If his mobility suffered, he could be in big trouble. Ideally, the Saints want Nesbit to be the backup right tackle and possibly the sixth offensive lineman, as he has also played all three interior line spots. Nesbit is heavy-footed and would get abused by Julius Peppers and John Abraham if left alone -- Stinchcomb probably would too. Unless Stinchcomb stays healthy and sets the world on fire, this will probably end badly for New Orleans.
What can we expect to see from Drew Brees in training camp?
That is very hard to say at this time of year, but his throwing motion and velocity will be scrutinized. Brees didn't have top arm strength before his injury, but obviously the Saints' medical staff felt strongly that he would fully recover as New Orleans paid big bucks to acquire his services. This is still a major question at this point.


Is Sean Payton the man to succeed in the monumental task of turning around the Saints?
Payton is young, energetic and very bright. He has a strong offensive background. Since his arrival, New Orleans has done a nice job of overhauling its roster and has made more offseason trades than any team in recent memory. Expect Payton to implement an offense predicated on the quarterback getting the ball out of his hands quickly and utilizing the plethora of weapons he has at his disposal. Payton has an awful lot of work to do just to get out of the NFC South cellar and at this point, he simply doesn't have the horses to approach the other three franchises. Until he has more quality offensive linemen, defensive tackles and playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, it will be unfair to tear into Payton for coming in last in this difficult division. If he can bring hope to this franchise, it will have been a successful season.




The player under the microscope
Reggie Bush is now the face of the organization and everything he does will be under extreme scrutiny. Drew Brees could easily have been the selection here -- especially as he is recovering from an shoulder injury, but many fans are going to expect Bush to make big play after big play. Bush is going to be Sean Payton's favorite weapon. He will line up all over the field as a single back, in the slot, out wide, in motion, etc... He will likely receive 10 carries a game, some coming on reverses and end arounds. The Saints will throw him bubble screens, traditional screens, go routes, slants and out routes. Payton will try to move Bush around to get him matched up against a linebacker, much like Marshall Faulk in his prime. There might not be a linebacker in the league who can keep up with this rookie on deep routes. While the expectations are unrealistic, Bush is actually capable of living up to his hype.


Breakout player
It could be said that Will Smith did his breaking out last season when he stepped up his game to become a feared defensive end, despite all the tragedy that surrounded the franchise. This year, expect Smith to take that next step and become a great player. However, Charles Grant has to rebound from a dismal 2.5 sacks last season and become an impact player, or Smith will be double-teamed on virtually every passing play. Smith is a nasty, hard-nosed end who wants to be great. He fights to make every play, is an explosive pass rusher and has a handful of potent moves. He is also strong and stout against the run. He is on the verge of being a regular invitee to Hawaii.


Comeback player of the year
Deuce McAllister is a likely candidate for this honor as well, but expect Joe Horn to mesh very well with Brees and Payton's new West Coast attack. Horn has been plagued by injuries and might not be a top deep-threat anymore, but he is strong, uses his body well to shield defenders and is very competitive. The quick underneath routes that Payton will feature will allow Horn to use these talents quite well. Horn may not make a ton of highlight reel grabs or have monster fantasy football numbers, but he will be the guy Brees looks to in the clutch, and Horn will deliver.



Offensive philosophy
Payton will call the plays and has installed a form of the West Coast offense that will play to Brees' strengths. Few teams possess the skill players to match New Orleans and Payton will utilize every one of these weapons. Assuming Brees recovers from a torn labrum and partially torn rotator cuff, he is a fine option to run a quick-hitting attack, allowing New Orleans' suspect offensive line to pass block for only a short amount of time. Brees will do a nice job of spreading the ball around to all his receiving options and Payton will do a nice job of devising mismatches.


Defensive philosophy
Gary Gibbs has never been an NFL defensive coordinator, but he spent plenty of time in that role at the college level. The Saints will still run the 4-3, which best fits their personnel, but Gibbs will attack from every angle and will not hesitate to bring linebackers and safeties on the blitz. The strength of the defense is an explosive pair of defense ends and a deep group of safeties. There have been major changes with the linebackers and what New Orleans gets out of this array of new players remains to be seen, but the Saints lack a proven player or top prospect in the middle. The Saints should be able to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks, but stopping the inside run looks like it is going to be an uphill battle, which is a terrible sign with the running games that Atlanta, Carolina and Tampa Bay have at their disposal.