Dennis Allen speaks with the media following Thursday's Saints training camp practice.
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00:00 >> All right guys, Kendrick Miller left practice came back out,
00:04 he had a little laceration on his face or nose, all good there.
00:09 So I thought it was a really good practice today, highly competitive,
00:13 highly spirited, guys worked hard, competing against each other.
00:16 We're getting better as a team.
00:19 >> Yeah, I know you're just walking out to the field, but
00:21 any impressions on how Mike did today?
00:22 Seemed like a lot of volume, a lot of fun.
00:24 >> Yeah, look, I thought overall, I mean, I thought Mike looked good.
00:27 And I think Mike's looked better and better every time he's come out here.
00:30 So I think he's probably getting more comfortable with where he's at.
00:35 And I think we kinda knew that at some point,
00:41 we'd start seeing what we'd kinda expect out of him.
00:46 And I think we're seeing that more and more every day he's out here, so
00:50 it's been good.
00:51 >> Hey, not practicing related, but Steve said well done, good call.
00:56 >> Yeah, look, number one, I'd say our thoughts and
01:01 prayers go out to his family.
01:03 He was a tremendous defensive coach in our league,
01:10 a ton of success, led the Dome Patrol defense,
01:16 which is really the standard of defense for the New Orleans Saints.
01:19 It's what we kinda aspire to be defensively.
01:21 So it's a sad day for our organization.
01:27 And again, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
01:31 >> Dennis, what was the situation on the pick by Allante?
01:35 Was that like a touchdown only situation or anything?
01:39 >> No, it was just a normal move the ball situation.
01:43 And I couldn't see everything that happened on that play.
01:49 It looked like he made a pretty nice play.
01:50 So kind of a man coverage on a crossing route.
01:54 I thought he did a really good job.
01:55 >> Yeah, Rashid is a little bit closer to getting back it looks like.
01:58 >> Yeah, we got him out here today, went through a little bit of individual.
02:02 I expect him to be out there a little bit more in terms of the dome,
02:06 getting used to the lights and everything.
02:09 I don't know that we'll see him in any real live action or
02:13 anything like that, but he's certainly getting closer to being back.
02:17 >> Yeah, we didn't see Marshawn today, anything to-
02:19 >> No, look, no update.
02:21 There's nothing structurally wrong with his knee.
02:26 And it's really more or less us getting him on a little medication to
02:32 help hopefully calm this thing down.
02:35 Again, it's not a significant injury, but
02:38 it's one that you gotta kind of paddle through a little bit.
02:43 >> I got like tomorrow, I was gonna appreciate work on the move to get back
02:48 to where he needs to be.
02:50 >> Yeah, I think he needs to be out here practicing, which is what he's doing.
02:55 I don't expect to see him in the game.
02:59 I think he'll be ready to go when the season opens up.
03:02 >> With the defensive front, I mean, would it be fair to say that just because of
03:06 the personnel turnover, there's gonna be some uncertainty, not necessarily bad,
03:09 not necessarily bad uncertainty, but just basically one starter back.
03:14 How do you feel like through training camp that's kind of resolved?
03:17 >> Yeah, look, I think the uncertainty
03:20 probably did answer it a little bit in my mind.
03:27 I feel really comfortable with where we're at up front.
03:30 We've got a lot of guys that can play in our league,
03:32 a lot of guys that can play at a high level.
03:34 I expect us to be able to have a pretty good rotation in there.
03:38 And so, yeah, I feel good about where we're at from a defensive front standpoint.
03:43 >> And with Peyton in particular, you may just be able to speak what stood out to me,
03:48 but I noticed his athleticism on some of those stunts, spinning and
03:53 really folding out of the backfield and stuff like that.
03:56 Is he turning a corner?
03:58 >> Look, here's the thing with the player, all right?
04:03 He missed a lot of time due to injury.
04:06 This was really the first offseason that he's had where he's been able to participate
04:11 fully in everything that we're doing, both from a physical standpoint and
04:16 from a mental standpoint.
04:18 And I think you're seeing some of the fruits of that labor.
04:20 It's hard on a young guy when a young guy misses a lot of time.
04:25 He's got a lot of catching up to do.
04:27 And I think he's had a real good camp.
04:32 I like where he's at.
04:33 And I think he'll be a player that we're gonna be able to count on this season.
04:39 >> How much better leadership has Jimmy Graham shown,
04:43 has he shown as a guy that's been around a long time?
04:46 >> Yeah, I think he provides a lot of leadership for us.
04:50 We've got some fairly young players in that tight end room.
04:55 Jimmy's a guy that's been around a long time,
04:57 been a part of some really good football teams.
05:00 >> Good.
05:01 >> And played the position at a high level for a long time.
05:04 So he understands the game.
05:07 He understands what it takes to be both a competitive team and
05:13 play that position at a high level.
05:15 So I think that's been important for us.
05:17 >> That seems like it's been a long season for you all.
05:19 What have you seen from him?
05:21 >> Well, I think he's a big, long corner.
05:28 And I think this game a lot of times is kind of a matchup game.
05:35 And some of the smaller players maybe don't have as much length.
05:39 They can get exposed and coverage.
05:41 I like the way he's been able to play with his back to the ball down the field.
05:46 It's been pretty good.
05:48 >> Dennis, with the new cut down day rule, do you guys have to decide
05:53 by next Wednesday if you wanna put players on the IR list
05:58 that won't play in the first four weeks or whatever?
06:01 >> Yeah, that'll happen.
06:05 Yeah, really most of that all happens on Tuesday.
06:07 Without getting into all the specifics of everything,
06:12 we'll make most of our roster moves on Tuesday.
06:16 >> But that doesn't, I mean, it used to be that you put a guy on IR heading into
06:21 week one and you'd know he had a four week, so with some of these guys,
06:24 Trae Quonson, you have to know early.
06:28 >> Nothing's really changed.
06:29 >> Yeah. >> For a guy to be on IR and
06:33 return, he's gotta be on your initial 53 man roster before you can place him on IR.
06:40 If you place him on IR before that point in time,
06:43 then he's not eligible to return.
06:45 >> But if you put him on next Wednesday,
06:47 he's out till four weeks into the season still.
06:52 >> Yeah, how would you compare maybe, I guess,
06:56 different personalities with like Colin Saunders compared to Nathan Shepard?
07:02 Maybe they haven't heard much of Nathan Shepard.
07:04 He's kind of that quiet assassin.
07:06 >> He doesn't talk a lot.
07:08 He doesn't talk a lot.
07:09 He just goes about his business and does his job.
07:12 Colin's a little more entertaining.
07:13 >> Yeah.
07:13 >> So a lot of different personalities in that room, but it's been a good mix.
07:20 >> Is there any update on Trae Quonson, the last time I saw him?
07:23 >> No, he's rehabbing.
07:25 >> I mean, with that pass blocking,
07:28 it's obviously one of his strongest shots of his club.
07:32 Coming in from A.T. Perry and some of these other guys,
07:36 the wider team response, what would you say about that?
07:40 >> Well, I wouldn't say pass blocking was more, I'd say more the run blocking stuff.
07:46 It's kind of been something that Trae Quonson has done pretty well for us.
07:51 We've got a number of guys that can fill that role.
07:54 Obviously, Keith Kirkwood's a guy that's kind of gone in there and done that.
07:57 A.T.'s done a nice job in that area, so it's not really a concern of mine.
08:03 >> Yeah, when a guy has missed an extended period of time like Trae has,
08:06 does that factor in the evaluation, or is he just a guy you know enough about him?
08:09 >> Yeah, well, I think it probably factors in a lot more when you're talking
08:15 about a young guy or a new guy that you don't really have a lot of experience with.
08:18 I don't know that it factors in quite as much when you have a veteran guy.
08:24 And look, obviously, there's a lot of guys that are out here trying to make
08:28 the roster, and we have to take all those things into consideration when we get to
08:32 our final 53.
08:35 >> With the current rule on the cut down timing,
08:37 have you learned to prefer that compared to the old way where it was in stages?
08:43 >> Yeah, it's much better this way, I believe.
08:50 A lot of teams have rested starters in the last preseason game.
08:56 And so when you cut down and you're at 75 and also you're resting starters,
09:02 it's not a lot of guys that are available to play in the last preseason game,
09:04 but that's what you do.
09:07 So having the roster still at 90 gives you a lot more
09:12 availability on game day if you're resting.
09:16 >> Dennis, what have you seen if you've watched any film on CJ Stroud,
09:20 considering it's like he's gonna play Sunday and also he's gonna play in the regular
09:24 season, does that help game planning in the future maybe,
09:28 what you might see as an individual this Sunday?
09:30 >> Yeah, I think some of that will be beneficial just in terms of
09:36 being able to watch the player and how he operates.
09:42 How does he see the defense, how does he see coverages?
09:48 Some of that I think can be beneficial for
09:50 us knowing that we're gonna play those guys in the regular season.
09:54 Again, like most preseason games, there's not a ton of game planning that goes into
10:00 it, so we're not necessarily trying to attack
10:05 Houston's offense or attack Houston's defense.
10:09 There's a few, I mean, obviously we look at the tape and
10:12 we'll make a few little adjustments and tweaks to what we do, but
10:16 a lot of it will be based off.
10:18 >> So you mentioned practical reasons for
10:22 liking the 90 through the last exhibition.
10:25 I just thought it was interesting that you mentioned that and
10:27 not the extended evaluation period for some of the guys.
10:32 Is that just not as big of a deal in this case?
10:35 >> Well, yeah, I mean, look, you're getting another opportunity to
10:41 watch these guys play, and those are gonna be the guys that are primarily playing in
10:45 the final preseason game.
10:48 So yeah, there's an extended evaluation that goes along with that.
10:51 It gives us a little extra time to try to figure out exactly who we want on our 53.
10:56 And so, look, we'll go through this game, see where we're at from a health
11:02 standpoint, we'll see where we're at from a number standpoint, and
11:06 then we'll pick the best 53 for our team.
11:08 >> He was asking about you guys seeing CJ Stroud.
11:13 You don't have a ton of history of playing preseason games against teams you play in
11:18 the regular season.
11:19 I think this was gonna be the first time you did joint practices against the team.
11:22 Do you weigh that?
11:24 Like, are they gathering too much information if we do that?
11:27 >> It's always a consideration.
11:30 Both teams are in the same boat.
11:32 >> Right.
11:33 >> So they're gonna get an evaluation of us,
11:37 we're gonna get an evaluation of them.
11:39 I don't know that there's a significant advantage gained either way.
11:42 So we just go play the games how they come out.
11:47 >> Was that sort of just like an old school rule not to do it, and
11:50 then you think about it and it's not really that big of a deal?
11:53 Or some people really like to avoid that.
11:55 >> When D'Amico and I talked about practicing together,
11:58 that was one of the things that we kinda talked about.
12:02 Both of us were comfortable with potentially working against each other.
12:05 So I don't see it as a big issue.
12:07 >> Would, had you done two teams practicing joint practices that had been
12:14 in here because of the heat as opposed to two fields outside,
12:17 would that have been difficult?
12:19 >> Yeah, well, we would have had to change a few things up.
12:22 But our intention was to practice outside today against those guys.
12:28 And then tomorrow we'd be in the dome against them.
12:30 So, but you have contingency plans here in New Orleans.
12:35 You never know when you're gonna get one of these thunderstorms.
12:38 So we had a plan either way.
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