The New Orleans Saints concluded the first part of their offseason last week, cancelling their final day of mandatory minicamp in favor of a team golf outing.
Most of the team, with the possible exception of rookies and players rehabbing injuries, will now get the next few weeks off before reporting to training camp in late July.
The Saints will begin training camp at their facility in Metairie, La. this year before going to California to practice for nine days in August. New Orleans held its entire training camp in Irvine, Calif. in 2024 while renovating their cafeteria.
Here's what we've learned about the Saints following organized team activities and minicamp this spring.
Health is priority No. 1
The NFL's collective bargaining agreement puts limitations on what teams can do in the offseason, and teams won't even be putting on full pads for the first time until training camp begins.
But Saints coach Kellen Moore has been cautious even within those parameters, choosing to run only 7-on-7 drills in OTAs and minicamp instead of full-speed 11-on-11 drills.
"Seven-on-seven is really the main competitive component of this thing. A lot of our team components were mostly in teaching sessions," Moore said. "We're in a teaching mode where we're showing we're in the same responsibilities, we're all aligned, we understand our job, and so it's been really good. ... Obviously the physical component of that will be applied in training camp."
Moore said they're not trying to overwork the players this early in the offseason.
"We're trying to limit the physicality and put these guys in a really great position to be ready to rock and roll for training camp," Moore said.
Injuries were a big issue for New Orleans in 2024, and the Saints are trying to limit any early problems.
The Saints have mostly gotten out of the first offseason period without any long-term injuries. Only tight ends Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill, both of whom injured their knees last season, remain sidelined long-term. Running more 7-on-7 periods is a chance for the young quarterbacks to build chemistry with the skill position players without any pressure coming from the defense.
Players have had some lighthearted comments about the change -- with opinions varying by position.
"I don't think 7-on-7 is really football," said cornerback Alontae Taylor. "It is good to kind of see the quarterbacks throw the ball, see our skill guys run routes and get open and with no pressure on the quarterback. It's all fun and games, but I'm kind of one of those competitive guys, so once we get 11-on-11 and team activity, I just want to see that same efficiency and that same success that the offense is doing now."
Wide receiver Chris Olave, who missed nine games last season after sustaining multiple concussions, said he's already ready for more and is looking forward to 11-on-11 drills, but he sees the benefit of what they're doing now.
"Just getting the timing down, getting everything down from the first read to the fourth read," Olave said. "Got to keep going through progressions, but ... they're both doing a great job, Tyler and Spencer and when Jake gets back out there, I'm excited to see him too."
The quarterback competition won't be finished quickly...
The Saints aren't in any rush to crown one of their quarterbacks now, and at this point, there hasn't been a reason to do so.
Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler took most of the reps while Jake Haener worked back from an injury, and there will be a lot of focus on those two throughout the summer. But for the young quarterbacks, their focus has been all about putting in one good practice after another.
"Just keep implementing our system. Keep trying to perfect that," Rattler said. "Try to have clean practices, good days, good days of competition with the defense, and just have clean days. That's what it comes down to."
Both quarterbacks have had their ups and downs in the Saints' competition periods, but Moore wants this time to be about learning, not winning a race in June.
Moore said they've spent a lot of time working on the quarterbacks' command of the offense, their ability to call plays and take control at the line of scrimmage. He said all of the quarterbacks have checked those boxes so far, and he wants them to build on that.
"I think that's our big emphasis ... we just keep building all summer long. Even when they leave here, now it's on their own time, but they're still continuing to build and we just roll right into training camp and I think that's the big thing," Moore said.
Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said the idea was to start the offseason with a broad approach for the quarterback room and begin to narrow the focus later in the summer. He said they'll sit down with each quarterback before they break for the summer, analyze their strengths and weaknesses and give them areas to work on before they get back for training camp.
"As we did when they first got here, we're going to sit down with them and say, 'Hey, here's how we view your strengths. Here's ... some things we'd really like you to work at to get better and try and give them kind of their checklist to help them improve their individual physical skill set,'" Nussmeier said.
Shuck said his main goal was to get chemistry down with his new teammates.
"I feel after this whole month, I feel up to speed with everybody. It's been clicking really, really well," Shough said. "I think that was just kind of that growth part where you're trying to learn different speeds. ... The playbook part, I knew I was going to grind and work my butt off to learn that, but got to continue to do that, continue to master it and compete from there."
But the offensive line competition might be over already
No competition will be finalized before training camp even starts, but it's clear the Saints have a strong idea of what they want out of their offensive line.
The Saints have invested a lot in the offensive line in the last four drafts, selecting first rounders Trevor Penning (2022), Taliese Fuaga (2024) and Kelvin Banks Jr. (2025).
They've spent a lot of those years trying to figure out what to do with Penning -- starting him off at left tackle, moving him to right tackle last season and now moving him inside at guard.
"Kellen and [Brendan Nugent], they brought me up and I kind of had an idea," Penning said. "I'm like, 'They're probably going to move me,' which I was excited for. They brought me in, they're like, 'Hey, we're going to try you at guard. We think it's the best for you. And I'm like, 'I couldn't agree more and I'm really excited for it.'"
Penning's move to guard frees up Fuaga to move from left tackle to right tackle, which was his college position at Oregon State. It also means that Banks, who played left tackle at Texas, can get those early reps at the tackle position now.
"I love young Banks. He's a man," said Saints veteran center Erik McCoy. "Super talented, great hands, quick feet, super intelligent. I think he's going to hold down that left side for a long, long time."
The Saints offensive line struggled at times last season due to a variety of factors -- McCoy played only seven games due to injury, multiple players had to fill in at left guard and the team started three different quarterbacks.
The true measure of offensive line success won't happen until the pads come on and they're facing outside competition, but Moore clearly would like to establish cohesiveness with the unit early to prevent a repeat of 2024.