When the Patriots traveled to West Virginia to partake in joint practices with the Saints this week, it placed two of the best Eastern Illinois quarterbacks to ever stand behind center – Garoppolo (Class of 2014) and Payton (Class of 1987) – on the same practice fields at the same time. “It was a short-notice thing, and just by seeing the love and hearing the fans out of the state of West Virginia, I think this is a good thing that The Greenbrier is putting on”. “We have to keep working”.
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U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, who’s been asked by the NFL Players Association to void the suspension, warned a league lawyer during oral arguments in the scandal over underinflated footballs that there was precedent for judges to toss out penalties issued by arbitrators. I’m anxious to see us clean up some of the mistakes. “It was great being around the guys”. You get some looks you haven’t seen. We talked about the penalties and some of the adjustments we’re making out here while we’re watching the practice film.
That sentiment was echoed to a man among the Saints.
Back at the Greenbrier Resort, where the Saints hold training camp, Brady could be heard intensely barking instructions at teammates between plays during 11-on-11 drills. “I just think (the long sleeves) gives you a little extra sweat, something I’ve been doing since my first start in the league”. You get a new defense, a new scheme, new personnel, so you’re kind of on high alert.
No. 9 says they don’t spend a lot of time discussing the past. But I thought it was good work with those guys.
“We tried to put ourselves in a bunch of different situations”. I think Jones goes back to the practice squad.
But Sunseri did grab an interception on the final play of practice. Saints and Patriots players never neared skirmish levels, though on a handful of occasions players went a step beyond the “thud” principal and took an opponent to the ground. It’s just inviting fighting.
Said running back Mark Ingram: “We took care of each other, both teams. Bottom line, we can just get better in so many ways”.
Good enough to build some momentum for the second of two joint workouts with the Saints on Thursday? “You have to be able to snap with some pads on against NFL-caliber players”.
The preseason is the time to figure your team out and get most of those questions surrounding your organization answered.
“You have to allow someone to make their case by calling witnesses”, he said. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) tosses a pass during a joint practice between the Patriots and New Orleans Saints at the Saint’s NFL football training camp in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Thursday, August 20, 2015.
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Wide receiver Brandin Cooks added, “I see a team that’s actually playing for each other, that’s sticking together and you don’t have those egos out there going on”.
