While there are NFL franchises set to begin training camp with a new regime, others could be heading into one last camp with their current head coach if their season goes off the rails.
The New Orleans Saints are one such team facing this scenario as they get ready to begin official preparations for the 2024 season.
Unanswered Questions Ahead of New Orleans Saints Training Camp
Head coach Dennis Allen is walking into camp on the hot seat. Since taking over for legendary franchise head coach Sean Payton, Allen has yet to produce a playoff team in the Big Easy.
Allen isn’t the only one dealing with scorching scrutiny. So is the subject of our first major question ahead of Saints camp.
Can Derek Carr Have a Better Second Season in New Orleans?
Derek Carr was supposed to look rejuvenated compared to his final days with the Las Vegas Raiders after signing with the Saints during the 2023 offseason. Some fans believed Carr would finally see the postseason while playing in a winnable division.
None of that happened, as Carr still struggled in his Saints debut campaign and New Orleans missed the playoffs.
While Carr may have improved his passing yardage and touchdowns while also reducing his interception numbers from his final Raiders season, he still got sacked 31 times. That was more than the 27 the Raiders surrendered with him under center in ’22. Carr’s touchdown percentage also dropped to 4.6% in ’23.
Quarterbacks in the NFL, regardless of their Pro Bowl resume, will always be judged by postseason success. Carr is getting one more chance to finally earn a career-first playoff win. But before he embarks on a redemption tour, he has a new offensive coordinator to get used to.
What Does the Offense Look Like Under New OC Klint Kubiak?
Kubiak is one of the prominent additions to Allen’s coaching staff. Kubiak is replacing Pete Carmichael ahead of camp. Ironically, Carmichael was originally slated to get retained by Allen before he joined old boss Payton with the Denver Broncos.
Do Kubiak’s credentials up the chances of significant improvements across the offense?
Kubiak hails from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, having spent 2023 as the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator. However, before April’s NFL Draft, Kubiak shared his big-picture vision of installing a run-first approach featuring play action and misdirection plays.
But what this really means is Kubiak’s system aims to take better advantage of Carr’s trademark prowess running play-action plays. Plus Saint fans shouldn’t be surprised if Kubiak brings in the misdirection runs that have turned the 49ers’s ground attack into one of the league’s best.
Is This a Make-or-Break Year for Dennis Allen?
To Allen’s credit, his first two seasons with the Saints have looked nothing like his Oakland Raiders start.
Still, Saints fans are expecting more than a 9-8 mark. Especially in an NFC South where eight or nine regular-season wins can still earn you the division crown. Just look at the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers the last two seasons.
Allen, though, is being perceived across the NFL as more coordinator than head coach. He won no more than four games with the Raiders and his Saints teams have fallen short of the NFC South title twice already.
He’s got a great chance to produce his first-ever postseason run in ’24. Anything less could prompt a regime change for the Saints.
How Much Does Alvin Kamara Have Left in the Tank?
Kubiak installing a run-first approach has to be music to the years of Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara.
However, the longtime RB1 for the Saints is facing Father Time, and he’s already witnessed a production drop-off.
Kamara failed to surpass 700 rushing yards last season and settled for just six touchdowns in 12 starts. Furthermore, the soon-to-be 29-year-old (who’ll celebrate his birthday during the first week of Saints camp) hasn’t totaled more than 10 touchdowns in a season since recording an elite 21 in 2020.
Perhaps this new offense will light a fire in Kamara. But again, he’s not getting any younger and will have to shed his current slump.
How Will Chase Young Impact Saints Defense?
Finally, we cross over to the defense, where a potentially refocused Chase Young enters the picture.
Young has endured too many hot-and-cold moments since his impressive 2020 rookie campaign. Even when the 49ers pulled off the midseason trade for Young, he still struggled until delivering splash plays in Super Bowl 58.
The Saints hope the big-game version of Young shows up in the trenches. Cam Jordan is getting older and top pass rusher Carl Granderson (8.5 sacks last season) needs help opposite him. Young will need to show he can energize this team’s pass rush beginning in training camp.
Saints’ Training Camp Primer
When Does Training Camp Start for the Saints?
Location: Crawford Field of UC Irvine, Irvine, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
How Long is Saints Training Camp?
While the ramp-up period for the NFL can feel like a long time before Week 1, NFL training camps are typically only two weeks long.
This has changed in recent years as the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) focuses on protecting players, which has limited the time for training camp.
Teams will use training camp to prepare for the preseason, install schemes, evaluate position battles, work on conditioning, and more. Once camp ends, there’s a change in tempo and demeanor on the practice field.
Are Training Camps Mandatory?
Yes, there is no way around it — training camp is mandatory. With it signaling the start of the new season for every team, not showing up for training camp would be like not showing up for your first day of work.
Furthermore, the new CBA has made it incredibly difficult for players who are looking to “hold out,” no matter the reason. The fines are hefty, and even though that used to be a negotiating practice by players looking to be paid, those days are all but over now.
Do NFL Players Get Paid For Attending Training Camps?
According to Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to per diem payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the final day. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.
In 2024, veteran players will earn $3,200 per week during training camp. That will increase to $3,500 during the 2025 and 2026 league years.
Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $1,850 in 2023 and 2024. That will jump to $2,000 per week in 2025 and 2026.
How Many NFL Players Are Cut After Training Camp?
Entering training camp, teams can have up to 90 players on their roster. However, they must trim their roster down to 53 players by cutdown day. Teams can carry 16 players on their practice squad, so some of the individuals who get cut will be retained as part of the practice squad.
Teams spend all of training camp and the preseason evaluating their players, and then the front office and coaching staff must make these tough decisions prior to Week 1 of the regular season. During the 2024 season, roster cutdown day is Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. ET.
