ssmitty

Payton pleased with rookie practices
Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune May 10, 2008 3:34PM
Categories: Saints
Saints Coach Sean Payton seems generally encouraged by what he's seen from the first two days of rookie minicamp practices. He gave positive reviews to the Saints' top two draft picks, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and cornerback Tracy Porter. He also had nice things to say about guard Carl Nicks and receiver Adrian Arrington, among others.


Practices are closed to the public and to the media, but Payton and players were made available between practice sessions on Saturday afternoon.

"It's hard to tell (who's standing out) because you've got such a mixed group," Payton said. "You've got to be mindful of who Porter's covering or who Ellis is beating on a double team, or who Nicks is blocking. I think you'll get a better indication of more specifically how they're doing with the veteran players (in full-squad practice sessions later this month).

"But I think overall I've been encouraged with what I've seen from the class in general. The big guard from Nebraska's done a good job of stepping in, Nicks. I think when you look at Ellis, he's been a pain in the rear for a couple days now, splitting some double teams and getting in the backfield. Porter showed some of the coverage skills that we were anticipating we'd see. And this Arrington has done a good job, the receiver we drafted late, of just handling the assignments. He's a pretty sharp kid."

Among the 64 players on the rookie camp roster are the Saints' draft picks, the undrafted free agents that the team signed last week, some players from last year's practice squad who have not accrued a full year in the league and several players who were invited for a three-day tryout.

Among those tryout players are LSU cornerback Jonathan Zenon and LSU receiver Josh McManus. Another interesting name is running back John David Washington, son of actor Denzel Washington, who spent the last two years on the St. Louis Rams' practice squad.