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Rookies arriving for first minicamp - NewsFlash - NOLA.com

Payton said the practices will be conducted at a slower pace than training camp to allow the rookies an opportunity to learn and be prepared when they are joined by veterans in the full mini-camp at the end of May. Payton said the pace will pick up in the full squad minicamp and training camp, which begins in late July.

Players will speak with the media Saturday, their first in-person interviews locally since being acquired. That includes the Saints No. 1 draft choice, Southern Cal defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who was picked seventh overall, as well as defensive back Tracy Porter, who played at Indiana but grew up in a family of Saints fans in Port Allen, La.

Payton will also speak with reporters on Saturday.

Payton has often said that where a player was drafted, or whether they were drafted at all, has no bearing on their ability to make the team. He said everyone is judged on how they perform after arriving.

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