Saints Minicamp - Saturday afternoon practice notes

Written by Craig Malveux | Saturday, 06 June 2009 18:38 | Saints News

• Saturday morning practice notes

METAIRIE - With fans prohibited from attending the closed practice, the New Orleans Saints focused more on 11-on-11 scrimmage drills for nearly two hours on Saturday afternoon at the team's facilities on Airline Drive.



The warm weather they experienced earlier in the morning workout continued throughout practice with the occasional cool breezes. The Saints will conclude minicamp with a final practice at 10:15 a.m. Sunday. That workout is also closed to the public.

Here are some notes and observations from the Saturday afternoon workout:

--The defense continued to hustle and get after loose balls whether fumbles or incompletions. If the ball hit the ground, all 11 defenders sprinted to make a play and recovery.

-- Running Back Pierre Thomas made quick cuts and looked fluid running the ball after picking up ten to 15 pounds of muscle coming into minicamp. On a handoff, a defender attempted to strip the ball and inadvertently slapped Thomas' hand. After a brief examination of the injury, Thomas returned to practice but favored his left hand the rest of the day.

---A number of players did not participate in practice today including Reggie Bush, Randall Gay, Dan Morgan, Marques Colston, Adrian Arrington, Darnell Dinkins, and Lance Moore.

---The offensive line excelled in pass protection, limiting pressure from the defensive line on Drew Brees.

---Tight end Billy Miller continued to impress, catching five passes in 11-on-11s.

---Newly-acquired veterans Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper along with first round draft pick Malcolm Jenkins each had interceptions for an active defense who forced 5 turnovers. The secondary appears to have a number of potential playmakers for the first time in years.

---In a memorable highlight for the reserves on offense, QB Joey Harrington connected with rookie free agent RB Herb Donaldson on a 25-yard completion down the field.

---Devery Henderson struggled catching the ball early but had a 30-plus yard catch from Drew Brees beating Tracy Porter on a deep route towards the end of practice. That is par for the course for the up-and-down former LSU star.

---Shortly after offensive drills, LT Jamaal Brown limped off the field into the locker room with a team trainer. No word on the severity of the injury.

---Porter and Greer took reps with the first defensive unit due to Randall Gay's limited participation in drills.