New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore walked into camp sounding energized, and for good reason. In his second season, he’s got a new franchise quarterback, fresh offensive pieces, and a roster outlook that looks a lot different than it did a year ago.
Moore said the early part of camp won’t be about reinventing the wheel. The acclimation period, he explained, will look a lot like last year’s approach because the staff has to be smart about how it brings players along after the long break. That means handling the ramp-up carefully at both the team and individual levels before the group gets into the harder part of camp - the padded practices, the situational work, and the push that comes with that phase.
From there, the Saints will hit what Moore called a major evaluation stretch: three joint practices and two preseason games in roughly a 10-day span. After that, the focus shifts toward the regular season.
One of the biggest developments heading into camp is the restructured deal with Alvin Kamara, and Moore made it clear how much that means to the organization. He called Kamara important to the Saints and to the community, and said he was pleased with how the process played out. Moore said Kamara handled the situation well, communication stayed strong throughout, and the conversation over the summer helped put everyone in a good spot.
He also pointed to the depth in the backfield as a real strength. Moore said the running back room has “a ton of talent” and described it as a really talented group. He’s looking forward to letting camp sort out the roles and opportunities.
The offense itself could also open up in a few new directions. Moore said there are more variables in a positive way, and he’s already felt that during OTAs with the tight end room and the running backs. He said the staff is excited to keep building as camp goes on, with some concepts already in place and others still developing.
For Moore, that’s part of the fun. OTAs gave the Saints a chance to improve, but he stressed that it still wasn’t real football. Training camp, with pads on and competition ramping up, is where the offense starts to take shape for real.
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