Dennis Allen meets with the media following Saturday's Saints practice, giving updates on injuries and more.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Alright, so just two injuries of note, Cota Martin, an ankle, and Lucas Kroll, a tailbone.
00:11 Nothing that I expect to be season ending or anything like that, but we'll see.
00:16 Cota Martin's probably the one we've got to evaluate a little bit more before we know
00:19 for sure.
00:20 And Dennis, is that a way to put pressure on Mutz if he makes it in those sprints and
00:25 if he misses it?
00:26 Yeah, absolutely.
00:27 We did it yesterday with the young guy, and a couple of us in there today.
00:32 And look, that's what this game's about, is being able to operate under pressure.
00:36 You know, you've got 89 other guys expecting you to knock this thing through or else you're
00:42 going to be running some gasser.
00:43 So, it's good to see him knocking through, and from my standpoint, it looked like it
00:47 was pretty much right down the middle, so that's good.
00:49 I figured it was a tactic for you to finally have an excuse to stop running out there practicing.
00:54 Well, I was hoping he made it.
00:56 Did you call a timeout to Issam also?
00:59 Yeah.
01:00 Dennis, do you have any update on DiMario?
01:03 No.
01:04 I mean, he's got a calf.
01:06 We'll monitor him and see how it's going.
01:09 I'm not going to get into any timelines, but again, it's not going to be anything that's
01:15 really significant.
01:16 Did anyone have a veteran rest day?
01:19 I don't remember exactly who it was.
01:22 Tyron Matthew, I know, was one of them that had a vet rest day.
01:26 Taysom Hill.
01:27 There's three guys today that had vet rest days.
01:30 Right.
01:31 Ram check.
01:32 Ram check.
01:33 Come on, you guys are – that's the first thing you do when you get out here is check
01:36 and roll.
01:37 You guys can tell me.
01:38 No, I mean, that was a correct one.
01:39 I didn't know what – I don't care.
01:41 Dennis, where are we at as far as the depth and the safety position?
01:46 There's still something that could come about with Marcus May.
01:50 Who would be that guy alongside Tyron?
01:53 Is it Howard or is it –
01:54 I think it's a good competition.
01:56 I don't think we're at the point where we've made up our mind on any of those spots.
02:02 I think this is the time of camp and as we get into the preseason game where guys
02:08 begin to separate themselves a little bit, I think it's really good competition in
02:13 that room.
02:15 I think it's – the evaluation process takes time, so we're not going to make any
02:20 quick decisions, but I like the room.
02:22 Has Jordan Howden put himself in that mix?
02:26 Maybe even quicker than you'd expect for a day three draft pick.
02:29 Is he showing?
02:30 Yeah, look, I think all those guys are in the mix.
02:35 We're evaluating everything they do on a daily basis.
02:39 He's done some good things.
02:41 There's still some things that you see where he's still a rookie, so he's still
02:45 learning.
02:47 But he's getting better every single day and coming out here and working.
02:53 So we'll just let the evaluation process play out.
02:56 I think Marcus Williams started as a rookie.
02:58 I guess what are some of the challenges in taking the safety position for a rookie
03:02 getting into the NFL level?
03:04 Yeah, I think the biggest thing is operating in the passing game, making sure you're
03:10 putting your eyes in the right spot.
03:13 Because the difference in our league, I think, is there's a lot more intricacy in
03:23 terms of the route combinations that you see, the ability of the quarterbacks to
03:28 throw the football, the receivers that you're going up against.
03:33 So I would say that position, there's a lot of communication that goes on at that
03:39 position.
03:41 And so making sure you're in charge of putting a lot of guys in the right spot
03:46 when you play that position.
03:48 And so that's a challenge.
03:50 And then being disciplined enough to do exactly what you're supposed to do on
03:54 every single play.
03:56 Because in this league, when you don't, the offense takes advantage of it.
04:00 Dennis, when you look at Hugo Armani, would you consider him, I guess,
04:04 obviously the more you could do possibly, even though you're looking from the
04:08 depth of the roster, he's noted as a safety, but a nickel corner and also could
04:13 be --
04:14 Yeah, we've kind of worked him at both roles in terms of safety, nickel corner.
04:19 You guys know I like a lot of versatility in those guys.
04:22 And the more that you can do, the more valuable you are to us on game day.
04:29 I think special teams is going to have a lot to do with where we're at.
04:33 With that safety position, I think all of those guys have shown some ability on
04:37 special teams.
04:38 So that's good to see.
04:39 I think it's going to be a tough competition throughout the training camp,
04:43 and there will be some tough moves at the end.
04:47 What do you make of Marshawn Latimer's camp so far?
04:49 He just seems to stand out every day.
04:51 Well, I'd say -- look, the first thing I'd say is I think his mind is in the right
04:57 spot.
04:59 I think he's competing at a very high level.
05:04 I think he's worked extremely hard on his fundamentals and technique,
05:09 and I think he's gotten better throughout camp.
05:12 And so, you know, based on what I'm seeing right now, you know,
05:16 I fully expect that we're going to see a type of player that we've had here in the
05:23 past.
05:24 And that's -- it's encouraging for me as a play caller, you know,
05:28 because it allows us to do a lot of different things.
05:30 And I've said before how valuable he is to our team and to our defense,
05:35 and I like where he's at right now.
05:38 How impactful was that?
05:39 I thought about the decision I had.
05:40 Kirkland, obviously a local guy, butcher, LSU.
05:43 Yeah, well, look, you know, we've had him in on a few workouts on prior occasions.
05:49 He was a guy that we felt like kind of stood out a little bit in the XFL,
05:54 both as a receiver and really probably in particular as a special teams player.
05:59 So that's a value that I think he brings to that group that is going to benefit him.
06:06 So he's a guy that we kind of had our eye on a little bit.
06:09 He was coming back off an injury and is finally healthy.
06:12 So, you know, we'll give him a shot and see what he can do.
06:17 It looks like that battle between Mike and Marshall is starting to get a little
06:20 bit more competitive and animated.
06:22 Like, how does that dynamic help the camp when they're kind of, you know,
06:25 going at it like that for Mike just to get those quality looks?
06:28 I think it's awesome for both those guys.
06:31 You know, both those guys are highly competitive.
06:33 Mike wants to catch every ball.
06:34 Lattimore doesn't want to give up any catches, you know.
06:37 And so, you know, those guys working to get--I've talked a lot about competition
06:42 within position groups, but competition amongst BBs, corners, safeties, tight ends,
06:48 linebackers, running backs, O-line, D-line, you know,
06:51 that competition I think has been good in our camp.
06:56 I've seen some of Landon Young get work at a lot of different positions.
06:58 I think that's something that's been happening a lot.
07:00 What was the--what's the reasoning behind, you know,
07:03 just getting all of these linemen kind of cross training?
07:06 Yeah, well, look, I think it's twofold, right?
07:08 I mean, I think some of it is we've got some guys that are coming back off of
07:12 injury, so they've been limited.
07:14 You know, Ram's kind of, you know, on a little bit of a program where he's going.
07:18 He may be a little limited and then gets an off day.
07:21 So, the depth in the offensive line has kind of forced us to have to maneuver
07:25 some guys around.
07:27 And, you know, you have eight of them on game day, and, you know,
07:32 a guy that can play guard tackle, right and left, center guard,
07:37 those are valuable commodities on a game day, you know,
07:42 because it allows you to potentially, you know,
07:46 maybe add a guy in a different position.
07:49 Yesterday Bradley Robey spoke a bit about the challenge that Derek Hart presents
07:52 with his pre-snap reads and disguising things.
07:55 Does that kind of challenge you as well as a defensive play caller and architect?
08:00 Well, I'd say on Sundays more so than it necessarily does out here.
08:04 I think right now, you know, look, we have an offensive system that allows a lot
08:11 of flexibility to the quarterback at the line of scrimmage.
08:15 And yet, when he's checking, we're not really, you know,
08:18 trying to get to a different defense or anything like that.
08:20 We're playing, you know, the defense calls.
08:22 So probably not as much.
08:25 The challenge really becomes, you know, offensively when we're in one of these
08:32 check with me type of systems, typically he's trying to read the coverage
08:38 and get the best play against that coverage.
08:41 And so now it puts stress on the defense to be able to execute knowing that,
08:46 hey, look, we're going to get some of these plays that are challenging
08:50 for this particular coverage.
08:53 And so if we can cover those, then the easy ones, you know, are no sweat.
09:02 All right, guys, thanks.