Early impressions from camp

[nolafan33]

We are less than a week from the New Orleans Saints first preseason game and here is my take on training camp. The most impressive offensive players are wide receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem.

Both players have been impressive in the early part of training camp.

This could have easily been given to quarterback Drew Brees, who seems to always be at the top of his game, but the duo of Colston and Meachem have really stood out the past week.

Colston, who is coming off offseason surgery, seemed to not miss a beat from where he left off last season. His use of his size and long arms to snare passes away from defenders is seen in every practice. In the past, Colston has been a bit inconsistent catching the football, but in this training camp, he is catching just about every ball that is in his direction.

Last season, it was obvious that something was physically wrong with Meachem.

Everyone believed that the problem was with his surgically repaired toe, but it turned out to be his ankle. After off-season surgery Meachem looks even better than what he did to start the 2009 season when he caught 45 passes and scored nine touchdowns. Meachem has regained his speed and he has looked quite impressive as a route runner.

I also have to mention something about another Saints wide out, Devery Henderson. Henderson seems to be the odd man out in talking about which receivers will be kept on the roster, but he has been a model of consistency catching the ball. Henderson’s ability to stretch the field with his speed has shown up time after time.

The most impressive defensive players is free safety Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins has emerged as the most talented defensive player on the Saints roster. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma is a very good football player and a tremendous team leader, but Jenkins looks like someone who could be special in this league.

Jenkins, who is becoming a student of the game, is very athletic and has superb instincts.

“I learned a lot from Darren Sharper on studying the tendencies of players and what a quarterback and a receiver like to do in certain down and distance situations,” Jenkins said. “It is all about preparation and having a sense of where the ball will end up. I learned that aspect of the game from Darren, but most of all it was about putting myself in a spot to make a play and then finishing the play off.”

Last year, I felt that Jenkins got robbed when he was not selected to the Pro Bowl, but that won’t happen this season. There is only one NFC free safety better than Jenkins, Green Bay’s Nick Collins, and Jenkins is ready to emerge as one of the elite free safeties in the game.

The Saints didn’t have a host of draft choices in 2011, but the players they selected will make an immediate impact on this football team.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan got into camp late, but you can see that he is very active. Jordan can run the field well and has good football instincts. He is still learning the finer points of using his hands and arms to get off blockers, but he reads and reacts quickly to what is in front of him. Once the games being, Saints fans will get to see how aggressive an open-field tackler Jordan is.

In running back Mark Ingram, the Saints just may have the 2011 Rookie of the Year. The former Heisman Trophy winner runs with a combination of power and quickness and has a knack for breaking away from the initial tackler. There is very little hesitation in hitting the hole and getting into the second level. Ingram is quite a load to bring down in one-on-one situations. This summer I got to speak to Ingram about his workout experiences and he credited working with Colston, Montez Billings and Meachem in helping him learn how to run precise routes.

“They showed me, along with my trainer Wyatt Harris, everything involved with running routes on the wide receiver tree and hitting the right mark on the field for the quarterback to find you,” Ingram said. “In this offense you have to be versatile to excel and that is what I strive to be. I want to be the best in what I do and I want to learn every aspect of this game.”

Ingram looks the part of a star performer at the NFL level.

Saints third round pick Martez Wilson has caught the ire of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams more than once during practice, but there is no denying his talent.

The 6-feet 3-inch, 250 pounder linebacker from Illinois runs the field extremely well and has a huge wingspan with tremendous closing speed. Wilson is making rookie mistakes, but he makes them at full tilt.

What has caught my eye about Wilson is that he looks more comfortable in pass coverage. Wilson credits his month between workouts at Tulane University with other Saints players and Harris, on getting better in dropping back in coverage.

“Wyatt (Harris) worked me exclusively on drills that defensive backs would do, not what linebackers would do and he got me comfortable working back in reverse,” Wilson said. “I did coverage work at Illinois, but I needed extra time with my foot work, my turn and run skills and it has helped. It is about ease of movement in coverage spots. At first, I was uncomfortable with it because I hadn’t done a lot of work in this aspect, but I got much better as the sessions went on. It has really paid off once I hit the practice fields.”

I can’t wait to see when the Saints turn him loose off the edge as a pass rusher.

Cornerback Johnny Patrick doesn’t look like a rookie. He seemingly has gotten better each practice session and this young man has a nose for the football. He is also a good technician as a cover cornerback. While he does not possess great speed, Patrick has a quick initial burst to the ball and he can get his feet out of the turf quickly.

Patrick and Wilson should also be excellent additions to the Saints special teams along with seventh round pick outside linebacker Nate Bussey.

Two free agent wide receivers Joe Morgan from Walsh College in Ohio and Jarred Fayson from Illinois have also impressed me. Fayson, who transferred from Florida to Illinois, is the more physical of the two and the more accomplished route runner at this stage. Morgan, who started out his college career at Illinois before being dismissed due to disciplinary problems, is the more explosive and has better speed. Morgan also has returned punts and kickoffs in college.

Both have caught the ball well and shown a knack for separating from defenders. Making the 53-man squad for the Saints will be tough for either, but both have looked impressive early on.

There are several second-year players that are doing well in camp. While 2010 second round pick offensive tackle Charles Brown is still recovering from back surgery and free agent running back Chris Ivory is rehabbing from foot surgery and a sports hernia, the Saints rookie class of 2010 looks to be shaping up as a real good one.

The 2010 first round selection Patrick Robinson has made great strides from last season. The speedy cornerback looks comfortable in the coverage sets and he seems to be reacting more naturally than he was last season. Robinson has the physical tools to excel in the NFL and now it seems as though he is getting the technical and mental part of the game down.

There are very few words to say about tight end Jimmy Graham, other than that we are watching the development of a future star player.

Center Matt Tennant shows the potential to eventually be the starter at a crucial spot offensively for the Saints, even though he lost his starting spot to former Chicago Bears veteran center Olin Kruetz.

It is nothing personal against Tennant as far as the Saints are concerned. It is about the business of winning now.

Tennant has good size, he is intelligent and he is athletic, but Kreutz is the savvy veteran, technically sound, a proven warrior and team leader.

The Saints are not getting a young player in Kruetz, who was one of the elite players at his position in the game. They are getting the 34-year old who is still a good player and someone who is not going to easily relinquish a starting spot.

Free agent defensive end Junior Galette was a fan favorite last preseason due to his potential as a pass rusher, but you could tell that he was a work in progress.

A Saints defensive player referred to him as “the team’s scud missile.” That defensive player went on to say that Galette was very talented, but many times had no clue what to do.

“Junior is like a football scud missile. If he finds the right spot he is going to do some major damage, but many times he is lost and he has to understand the finer points of playing this game. If he ever gets it down mentally watch out because he is a talent.”

In the first week of camp you can see a marked improvement in the technical side for Galette. While he still is a work in progress, he is a talented pass rusher and is more refined on his technique. Also, he is much more aware in run defense than a year ago.

It’s early, but this team is extremely talented and one with the potential to again play on Super Sunday.

NFL analyst Mike Detiller lives in Raceland

[Tom Servo]

Is it wrong for me not to trust an article about the Saints written by someone with a last name that ends with "oix" or "lier"?

[head busta from augusta]

Last season, it was obvious that something was MENTALLY wrong with Meachem.

Sounds about right!

[SuperAINTSfan]

Sounds about right!

we wouldnt disagree lolol

[SyCo]

Is it wrong for me not to trust an article about the Saints written by someone with a last name that ends with "oix" or "lier"?

That's what I was thinking

[Laugher]

Guess I am more confused about where are all these free agents that the Falcons were suppose to sign. I still see the same ole pos pass defense as last season.

[Kevo]

Is it wrong for me not to trust an article about the Saints written by someone with a last name that ends with "oix" or "lier"?

Mike D puts out one of the best and most accurate draft guides on a yearly basis. He and Chris Landry are 2 of the best NFL talent evaluaters out there.

[nolafan33]

Mike D puts out one of the best and most accurate draft guides on a yearly basis. He and Chris Landry are 2 of the best NFL talent evaluaters out there.

He won a award in 06 for being best unknown sports analyst or something, don't remember exactly what it was called.

[SyCo]

He won a award in 06 for being best unknown sports analyst or something, don't remember exactly what it was called.

Maybe there's a reason hes unknown what an honor it is to be the best at being some one nobody knows about

[nolafan33]

Maybe there's a reason hes unknown what an honor it is to be the best at being some one nobody knows about

Or maybe he's unknown because he works in a small market?

FalcolA=

[SuperAINTSfan]

Or maybe he's unknown because he works in a small market?

FalcolA=

[ki46dinah]

Fluff piece for the Saints...cool I guess.

Everyone is optimistic about a new season, but reality is a tough pill to swallow when you are getting run over by a scrub running back and his scrub team on the way to an early playoff bow out...just like its tough to swallow when your team is getting rail roaded by the Packers, whom your team has already beaten once in the season, at your own home after a bye week.

We will all see how this season goes.

[SuperAINTSfan]

Fluff piece for the Saints...cool I guess.

Everyone is optimistic about a new season, but reality is a tough pill to swallow when you are getting run over by a scrub running back and his scrub team on the way to an early playoff bow out...just like its tough to swallow when your team is getting rail roaded by the Packers, whom your team has already beaten once in the season, at your own home after a bye week.

We will all see how this season goes.

im not gonna say hes not a homer but he does say more neg about the saints than most nola beat writers do.

everyones 0-0 and most added more talent to an aldready talented roster. IM SUPER EXCITED aboyut this season