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'You've got to earn the spot'​

By John DeShazier | Senior Writer - NewOrleansSaints.com

Trevor Penning isn't expecting any handouts.

He wants to start at left tackle for the New Orleans Saints, who selected him in the first round (No. 19 overall) of this year's draft, and the path to that status was aided by the fact that Terron Armstead signed with Miami as an unrestricted free agent.

But even men as mountainous as Penning (6 feet 7, 322 pounds) understand that small steps have to be taken.

"That's the goal, (but) you've got to earn it," said Penning, an All-American at Northern Iowa and the only offensive lineman in Football Championship Subdivision to be a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS national offensive player of the year. "That's really the goal – (but) you've got to earn the spot. Improve every day and go from there."

The first steps were made last weekend, at the Saints' rookie minicamp, where Penning began the process of settling in as an NFL player.

Full Story - NewOrleansSaints.com

by Nick Underhill | neworleans.football

Jameis Winston didn’t go into sales mode because all he had to do was tell his truth.

When Jarvis Landry and Winston spoke this offseason, the wide receiver listened to the Saints’ quarterback as he explained how the team operates and the culture in place. Winston couldn’t say enough good things about the coaching staff. All of this was what Landry wanted to hear.

“I want to walk into a situation where the culture is set, walk into a situation where everybody’s working on one accord,” Landry said. “That’s something that’s very important to me at this stage in my career.”

After their first conversation, Landry wanted to keep talking. So, they talked more about the dynamics of the receiver room and how Landry would fit into the mix. The wide receiver became convinced that he would have opportunities to make plays and that he shared a vision with Winston on how that was going to happen.

“He’s gonna throw, and he’s gonna make plays, and he’s gonna trust his guys to make plays for him,” Landry said. “And as a receiver, that’s all you need, that’s all you want.” ...

Full Story - neworleans.football