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Quarterbacks: Drew Brees was the best player in the NFL last year, capping a stellar four-year run in New Orleans with the Super Bowl MVP honor. Both on the field and off, Brees is a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback in the prime of his career, which is why the Saints are optimistic that they can make another Super Bowl run.

The pickings are slim behind Brees, but it should make for a compelling preseason battle for the No. 2 job. The Saints added veteran journeyman Patrick Ramsey to give them an experienced option, but second-year pro Chase Daniel will fight for the job after getting a feel for Sean Payton's offense over the last year.
Rookie lefty Sean Canfield needs to shine this summer if he wants a shot at the No. 3 job or a practice squad invite.
Depth chart:

No. Player Ht. Wt. Exp.
9 Drew Brees 6-0 209 10
11 Patrick Ramsey 6-2 225 9
10 Chase Daniel 6-0 225 2
4 Sean Canfield 6-4 223 R
FIRST DOWN:


New Orleans Saints wide receiver Larry Beavers, left, and rookie defensive back Patrick Robinson get tangled during the first day of training camp Friday.

Rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson figured he got about two hours of sleep - from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. - before he woke up Friday to board a plane in Atlanta, landed in New Orleans around 8 a.m., signed his five-year contract with the Saints and suited up for his first training camp practice.
The Saints' first-round draft pick wound up missing about 40 minutes of practice, but he quickly made up for lost time once he hit the field.
He showed great timing while batting away a fluttering deep ball by quarterback Chase Daniel in 1-on-1 drills, which was intended for receiver Adrian Arrington. Then on his next matchup in 1-on-1 drills, Robinson flashed his speed while recovering to bat away a pass to receiver Larry Beavers on a comeback route. Both plays took place right in front of the fans, leading to some of the more raucous cheers of the day.
Robinson later allowed two short completions on out-passes in his area during team drills, but the ball didn't come his way too often. Most importantly, he made it through the whole practice without succumbing to the heat - though the weather was slightly more comfortable Friday than it was for Malcolm Jenkins' infamous first practice last summer.
"I think it was pretty smooth today," said Robinson, who said it was "very important" for him to get into camp early. "I don't think I was as good as I want to be, but for the first day it was good for me."
Terms of Robinson's deal haven't been released, but sources and reports have indicated it's worth between $9 and $12 million.

WHO'S HOT:

Lance Moore

The shifty receiver was quarterback Drew Brees' go-to guy on Friday, catching five passes during the morning practice and one more in the afternoon. He provided the most thrilling highlight for the fans in attendance during the A.M. practice when he leaped up to catch a ball from Brees, then held onto it after being completely upended by safety Malcolm Jenkins and landing on his back.

Moore became a forgotten weapon in the Saints' offense last year because of a series of nagging injuries that derailed his season. But all summer long, he's been looking a lot like the breakout star of 2008, who caught 79 passes for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns.

It will be interesting to see how the Saints spread the ball around when they have all four of their top receivers healthy at the same time (Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Moore and Robert Meachem). Meachem had a breakout season last year while Moore was hurt, but don't expect Moore to fade into the background now that he's healthy.
The Saints like to use Moore like the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys use fellow shifty receivers Wes Welker and Miles Austin, respectively.

PLAY OF THE DAY:
Rookie tight end Jimmy Graham made a spectacular one-handed catch on a deep ball from Brees during afternoon team drills, adding to his growing reputation as a big-play threat. Graham was pretty well-covered by safety Roman Harper on the play, but he reached out with his left arm to reel in the ball behind Harper's body.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"I thought (Sean Payton) said you can't pick up where you left off."
- local media member Les East after the Saints ran a kneel-down play to practice running out the clock on their first snap of team drills Friday morning.

INJURY REPORT:
Player Injury Status
WR Marques Colston knee out
WR Robert Meachem toe out
S Darren Sharper knee out
LB Clint Ingram knee out
FB Heath Evans knee limited
DT DeMario Pressley back limited

ATTENDANCE

A.M.: 86 degrees on the field at 8:50 a.m.; heat index 98 degrees. ... Attendance estimated at 3,000 fans but no official total.
P.M.: indoors.