Another story from Gus K !
The Saints wrapped up their morning workout and perhaps the combination of the heat, and having gone now through a full week of camp, practice at times was sluggish. The referees in camp through Saturday’s Black and Gold Scrimmage at times were littering the field with yellow hankies.
The afternoon practice was just a walkthrough as the team worked without pads. Practice lasted just an hour and ended with a bit of fun. Head coach Sean Payton had a pair of ball boys race, with players forming two lines on either side siding with who they thought would win. The winning bunch would get an extra half hour of bed check time at a later date.
BLACK AND GOLD SCRIMMAGE
The scrimmage will be held at the training facility and is closed to the public. It essentially is a similar training camp practice with a few more team drills involved.
Payton said the following players will be held out of the scrimmage: RB Reggie Bush, S Darren Sharper, WR Lance Moore, WR Adrian Arrington, TE Dave Campbell, and CB Randall Gay
BUMPS AND BRUISES
Safety Darren Shaper did not practice due to a bruise behind his left knee.
Linebacker Scott Fujita was absent on Friday due to a funeral
Left tackle Jammal Brown walked off the field with a trainer just prior to the end of the morning practice. Brown according to Payton was suffering from a stomach ailment, he did workout in the afternoon.
RB Reggie Bush did not practice although he was in full pads like the rest of the team. Bush observed team and individual position drill in his gear. Since the start of camp, head coach Sean Payton has said that on days where two practices were scheduled, Bush likely would only go once. The Saints running back is coming back from season ending knee surgery last season. Bush did work in the afternoon.
HARRINGTON CATCHING ON
Quarterback Joey Harrington said when the Saints signed him mid season a year ago, that his number one goal was to come in and be a student of the game. Harrington was the 3rd overall pick of the first round by the Detroit Lions in 2002. During his tenure in Detroit Harrington started 55 games with a record of 18 wins and 37 losses. A trade to Miami in 2006, then a year later a trade to the Falcons and Harrington had turned from high draft pick to journeyman.
Perhaps the pressures of being selected at the top or the bouncing around from team to team, whatever the reason, Harrington has said he’d like to just be a back up for a while and learn how to play quarterback in the NFL. Something Head coach Sean Payton has always prided himself in is in grooming quarterbacks.
Harrington has started to pick it up as far as this training camp goes. This morning was perhaps his best practice, looking sharp, delivering the ball crisply and accurately. Harrington worked some with the second unit and in seven on seven drills threw three touchdown passes.
“I felt good. There is a lot of stuff in this offense that I need to learn I mean to be frank,” Harrington said Friday morning. “There’s a lot of detail in this offense, a lot of checks, a lot of things you need to be comfortable with pre-snap before you can even get the ball down the field.
Harrington, who is 6’4 210 pounds, does have the size and arm strength. At times the problem is putting the mental aspect of the game together with his physical abilities.
“I finally feel like I’m starting to get to that point where I’m understanding the stuff that’s going on prior to the snap there for I’m able to really focus on making my reads and making my throws and I feel a lot more comfortable with that,” says Harrington.
“You need to be confident number one and then you need to be comfortable. People talk about when the game slows down, that’s when the game slows down. It’s when you feel totally comfortable out there, and I’m not saying I’m feeling totally comfortable but I’m getting to the point where I’m starting to understand the intricate details that they’ve installed.”
Mark Brunell backed up Brees this season and Payton has said the back up role is open heading into training camp. Does Harrington feel he can make enough strides to secure the back up role?
“Not worried about it. Not worried about, I’m worried about learning the offense. When you worry about the result you stop focusing on what it takes to get there,” Harrington says. “If I sit there and worry about you know whether or not I’m going to be number I’m not going to take care of what I need to do in order to get to that position.
The things I need to do are go home and study, watch the film, come out there and apply what I’ve learned on the practice field and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”
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