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By Adam Maya | NFL.com

Sean Payton once gifted his Tasmanian tailback Alvin Kamara with a fidget spinner. Apparently, because Kamara can do so many things on the football field, he gets restless sometimes if he's not doing enough off it.

"He has real, real, exceptionally high football IQ, so he can get bored with it," Payton explained, per the team's official website. "That is why we give him one of those little fidget things you twist when you can't pay attention."

Kamara will surely be tasked to do more for the Saints in Year 3 now that former running mate Mark Ingram is with the Ravens. What exactly his workload entails should be one of the league's more interesting storylines this season. Payton said he had sort of an epiphany earlier this week when Kamara switched practices jerseys with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater...

By Matt Infield | WSAW

As Ryan Ramczyk returns home to Stevens Point to get ready to host his first ever lineman camp at the end of the month, his accomplishments are well known: First-Team All-American at Wisconsin, first round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2017, and second-team All-Pro in his second season in the league. Life is good.

"It's been everything I've ever dreamed of,” says Ramczyk. “Running out on that field for the first time was just so surreal.

What many aren't familiar with is Ramczyk walking away from football at his original college, Winona State, then going to two tech schools, before getting his career back on track at hometown UW-Stevens Point, using that as a springboard to Madison.

“Once I took myself out of the game, you know it made me realize what I was missing out on, and what I really loved to do,” said Ramczyk.

Full Story - WSAW

By Mike Detillier / Sports Correspondent

EARLY VIEWS FROM SAINTS WORKOUT DAYS

Training Camp is right around the corner for the New Orleans Saints, but here are a few of my looks at the early offseason workouts.

Tight end Jared Cook is a superb fit player in the New Orleans Saints offense. The 32-year-old Cook’s size, length, his ability to stretch the field and playmaking skills after the reception are exactly what this team needs to upgrade their offensive firepower.

Rookie safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has mentally picked up the Saints defense in short order. Johnson played across the board at Florida at free and strong safety and as a slot cornerback and he has done the same with the Black and Gold and gotten high praise from his teammates and coaches. This Gator has some real “bite” in his play.

Watch for two wide receivers during the training camp period and in preseason games in Simmie Cobbs and newly signed veteran wide receiver Rishard Matthews.

Full Story - houmatoday.com

There’s a wide range of possibilities for the veteran.

By Chris Dunnels | Canal Street Chronicles

When we’re talking about “X factors” for the Saints in 2019, we’re not talking about the player who lines up in the “X” position as a pass catcher. No, instead we’re talking about the player who steps up for the team in a big way to make a difference at the position from the year before. Think Baker Mayfield for the Browns, George Kittle for the 49ers, or Jason McCourty for the New England Patriots in 2018.

When Bleacher Report named the biggest X-factor type player for the Saints in 2019, they went with veteran tight end Jared Cook:

Jimmy Graham last played for the New Orleans Saints in...

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By John Sigler | Saintswire

New Orleans Saints players just recently broke for the summer, taking time away from the field to rest and prepare for training camp in late July. But a big move by the neighboring New Orleans Pelicans caught their attention when superstar Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade agreement was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The agreement brought a king’s ransom to the Pelicans, including multiple Lakers players (Lonzo ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart) and three first-round picks over the next few years, including this year’s No. 4 overall selection. Combining that haul with the Pelicans’ own No. 1 overall pick — which will be used on surefire top prospect Zion Williamson — and the future is bright for New Orleans basketball.

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By Dean Mullen | Last Word On Sports

First of all, this offseason feels like the longest wait ever. July cannot get here fast enough. The preseason Las Vegas pundits have solidly put the New Orleans Saints as one of the favorites to come out of the NFC this year. While the desert doesn’t give a Saints record prediction, they do give New Orleans 10/1 odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Last year the Saints were thought to be contenders. Ironically, the Atlanta Falcons had about the same odds before the season. Other teams listed above the Saints were the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Minnesota Vikings.

Studying the NFL Records Over Time

None of those three teams listed made the playoffs in 2018-19′ season. Obviously, looking into the crystal ball isn’t exactly a perfect science. On the other hand, two of the four listed did come through. Although we know one team shouldn’t have been there. We all know who that is. The...

The Saints drafted Texas A&M center/guard Erik McCoy in the 2019 NFL Draft, trading up from pick 62 to pick 48 so as to ensure the prize. He’s got a lot on his plate in the upcoming season.

By Roy Anderson | WhoDatDish

We’ve already discussed former Saints center Max Unger’s retirement several times in presenting the 90-man roster with which the Saints will go into training camp in 2019. His was an unexpected loss from which the Saints appear to have recovered from quite nicely. Untested at this point, however, rookie center/guard Eric McCoy will have an immediate opportunity to prove himself and directly influence this season’s outcome.

We’re breaking down the entire 90-man roster the Saints will be taking into training camp this year, first with an overview by position group and then by individual players. We started the series with a breakdown of the receivers, followed by the tight ends, then the...

By Ed Daniels | Crescent City Sports

Here’s some black and gold fat to chew as the New Orleans Saints head to the summer break.

In OTA’s and minicamp, tight end Jared Cook received a lot of hype for his ball-catching skills.

The hype is well deserved.

If you are looking for a fantasy football tight end, Cook would seem to be an excellent choice. He has pieced together an excellent NFL career on mostly bad teams.

In four years in Tennessee, Cook played on just one winning team that went just 9-7. After three losing years in St. Louis, he went to Green Bay where he was a solid contributor on a 10-win team.

During the last two seasons with Oakland, Cook shined. No need to elaborate on the quality of the teams there.

So, my guess is he will flourish in one of the best offenses in football. Cook has not had great players around him. On a Super Bowl contender in New Orleans, he will.

Full Story - CCS

By Rene Nadeau | Crescent City Sports

Saints offensive line coach Dan Roushar is a 33-year veteran in the coaching profession, having spent seven seasons with New Orleans. He originally tutored the Saints tight ends but moved over to handle the offensive line coaching duties in 2016.

Roushar’s unit has consistently been at or near the top in NFL in key measurements since then, allowing the least amount of sacks for example.

In 2018, the 20 sacks allowed by New Orleans paced the NFC and ranked second lowest in the NFL. The Saints gave up 20 sacks in the previous season as well. Roushar stresses that it is a total team achievement.

“You’ve got to give a lot of credit to our guys,” Roushar deflected any credit. “Brendan Nugent (Saints offensive line assistant) does a great job with those guys. They all understand how the system functions. Drew (Brees) is so good about getting the ball out quickly. Our receivers are working to get themselves open. Our guys understand the protection pattern. Also the guys who played for us are good football players and they’ve done a good job.”

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By Mike Triplett | ESPN Staff Writer

METAIRIE, La. -- Teddy Bridgewater was just having some fun when he switched jerseys and positions with Alvin Kamara for the start of Thursday’s final minicamp practice.

But the New Orleans Saints' backup quarterback turned serious when he talked about his skills as a pass-catcher.

“I’ve probably got the best hands in the NFL,” Bridgewater insisted. “Well, first Michael Thomas. But then Teddy Bridgewater.”

Make no mistake: Although Bridgewater decided that it was the best career move for him to spend another year behind Drew Brees and under the tutelage of coach Sean Payton in New Orleans -- calling himself a “businessman” -- his competitive fire is alive and well.

Even when he was running the scout team during practices last year, Bridgewater loved talking trash to the Saints’ starting defensive backs. And they readily admit that he was torching them early in the season, before he forced them to step up their game.
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By Glenn Guilbeau, USA TODAY Network

METAIRIE — If newly acquired Saints running back Latavius Murray, formerly of Minnesota and Oakland, did not know that Alvin Kamara was one of the kings of New Orleans, he found out on Wednesday during mini-camp.

Kamara was surrounded by cameras and reporters at his locker when Murray went to the shower after practice, and Kamara was still surrounded by cameras and reporters when Murray returned from the shower and found his way to his nearby locker.

Murray, a free agent signing last March to replace Saints veteran back Mark Ingram now with Baltimore, looked on in amazement and said, "This a podcast?"

As a crowd of reporters and players laughed, Kamara just kept talking.

This illustrated how comfortable Kamara, who will be entering his third season in 2020 after two spectacularly versatile campaigns, is in his skin, in his role, and in his adopted city of New Orleans.

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By Rod Walker | The Advocate

Kaden Elliss talks to his dad on the phone every single day after practice.

It was their routine during rookie minicamp.

It continued in OTAs.

And it was part of the schedule during Saints minicamp that wrapped up Thursday.

"He's asking me how things went and wanting to go over things," Elliss said. "It's awesome being able to fall back on him."

Luther Elliss spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive lineman, including two seasons as a Pro Bowler.

So now the elder Elliss is hoping to see his son, a seventh round draft pick by the Saints, make his mark in the league too.

Full Story - The Advocate