blacksaint

Nine Saints, including five starters, spinning their wheels during morning workout
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
By Jimmy Smith

JACKSON, MISS. -- The Tour de Millsaps, the stationary bicycle crew of Saints players rehabilitating a variety of injuries, was overflowing Monday with nine players pedaling away during the morning workout and a 10th working inside the training room.

The troubling aspect of Monday's work was that more than half the bike riders, and the one working elsewhere, are starters.

Defensive tackle Brian Young (foot), linebacker Scott Fujita (heel), cornerback Mike McKenzie (ankle), center Jeff Faine (calf) and wide receiver Devery Henderson (hamstring), all front-line players, were working the bikes, along with defensive end Rob Ninkovich (knee), wide receiver Jamal Jones (knee), wide receiver David Patten (toe) and guard Dave Yovanovits (knee).

Offensive tackle Jammal Brown (knee) was working in the training room, Coach Sean Payton said.

"You're always mindful of how many guys are injured and not participating," Payton said. "Fortunately for us, the injuries are ones in which we're not talking long term. That's always more concerning at training camp.

"That being said, the player's ability to rehab and get back and get involved in the practice snaps is important. I think they understand that, and we're working our way through it, much the way other teams are now."

Payton said the biggest concern with Brown, an All-Pro left tackle who went down last week with a bone bruise, is regaining flexibility and absence of soreness in the limb.

"We know exactly what it is," Payton said. "His progress is coming. We dodged a bullet there. With what he's got, a lot of (the rehab) is ice and getting the flexibility back in the joint."

McKenzie is listed day-to-day, Payton said, with an ankle injury he suffered in practice last week and aggravated in an exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills on Friday night at the Superdome. His status for Saturday night's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals is uncertain, though McKenzie did take part in afternoon drills, which were in helmets and shorts.

ADD, SUBTRACT: The Saints signed center Brian Ferentz, who spent last year on the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad, and released place-kicker Brett Bergstrom.

Bergstrom, a free agent, was brought in merely to have an extra leg in camp so Olindo Mare wouldn't tire.

Ferentz, 6 feet 3, 282 pounds, fills a need for extra centers in camp with Faine and Yovanovits out of action. He is the son of Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz.

CINCY WORK: Payton addressed the agenda for Thursday's two practices against the Bengals, saying the routine will be much the same as it is in Jackson, save for the fact that it's against an opponent.

"The morning practice will be in full pads," Payton said. "There'll be a 9-on-7 drill going on with a 1-on-1 going on. But there'll be two sets of 9-on-7s and two sets of 1-on-1s because you're looking at two teams. We'll get some team work, play-action work and go through a period of three or four segments together.

"We'll be separate to begin with when you're stretching and walking through. The afternoon practice will be shoulder pads and helmets with a little two-minute, 7-on-7, red zone. We'll just double the amount of people involved."

Payton said that if the teams played in the regular season this season, it would be unlikely that he'd work against the Bengals.

saint4life
(504)

phatoosdey

i wouldn't mind if they sit mckenzie this week and put usama in to start
it's preseason lets see what he can do

Crusader

Hmmmmm, only lover body injuries. I wonder if that is just a coincident or if it hs something to do with the strength and conditioning the Saints do.

Euphoria

What I have noticed in the past two camps now is that they are constantly bringing in bodies. Taking a look at players constantly, always evaluating and looking at ways to get better.

JOESAM2002

I agree! And I think it's made us a far better team. Payton just seems to be the coach for us. I don't think they could have found a better one, I don't care who it is, or would be. He just works and fits.

saintsrule

Last year we kept hearing about injuries to starter, then the season started and the team did great with the players who were not hurt. Mostly the players on the O-Line.