Proving grounds: How the Saints' final period of practice is aimed at developing prospects (2024)

IRVINE, Calif. — The final eight minutes of practice are the ones most important to the first- and second-year players on the New Orleans Saints.

That’s when the Saints run what coach Dennis Allen has dubbed a “developmental period,” when those still learning the ins and outs of the NFL get an extended crash course of live reps. Over one last period, the rookies, second-year players and a few veterans on the bubble get a chance to go out and just play.

For the rest of the team, practice is over, but the younger crowd knows the coaches are closely watching.

“You just got to look at it as how you’re going to take advantage of it,” rookie linebacker Jaylan Ford said.

Ford said the session reminded him of college when his coaches at Texas would carve out a portion of practice for something similar.

As it turns out, the concept is new for the Saints. Ahead of training camp, Allen determined that a developmental period was necessary with so many young players on the roster.

Although New Orleans fielded the league’s oldest group last year, the Saints are set to enter 2024 needing big contributions from their recent draft classes. That’s been a challenge for the Saints of late, but the coaching staff is hopeful the tide can change. To make sure they’re ready, Allen started to incorporate a period that him and his staff get an unfiltered look at the group without having to mix in the starters.

Three weeks in, Allen has liked the results.

“That’s critical,” he said. “When you get into training camp, you’ve really got a couple things going. You’re trying to get your football team ready for the regular season, and then you’re trying to develop these young players and see if they’re worthy of being on your team or being on the practice squad.

“That’s an opportunity for them to show, ‘Hey, I’m worthy of being part of this 53.’ It’s your initial proving grounds.”

Allen can often be heard throughout the period. He barks out down and distances, and he yells about how much time is on the clock to set up gamelike situations for the young Saints to play out.

Then, he watches.

Allen, who normally calls the defensive plays during practices and games, said he uses the period to evaluate the action on the field. He hands over defensive play-calling duties to linebackers coach Michael Hodges, and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko takes the play-calling reins from offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

The development in the developmental period doesn’t just extend to just the players.

“It’s an opportunity for our younger coaches to coach up,” Allen said.

Some of the rookies play less than others in the developmental period. Taliese Fuaga, the first-round tackle who's on track to become a starter, takes just one snap or two before jogging off. Others, such as quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, get the chance to lead an entire drive.

Another part of the period involves tasking players to play roles they might not play as often in the earlier parts of practice. Ford, for instance, gets more of an opportunity to be the Mike linebacker, the position responsible for communicating the plays to the rest of the defense.

“They want to see me, see how I’m growing and learning the playbook," said Ford, who has battled injuries on and off during camp. The linebacker got hurt again Wednesday when he suffered a hamstring injury.

The extra reps have paid off even in the short term. Second-year defensive lineman Jack Heflin normally plays inside as a defensive tackle, but in Saturday’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, coaches asked Heflin to play defensive end because of the lack of bodies available.

The move may have caught Heflin by surprise — if he hadn’t done the same during the team’s developmental period last week.

“Football is great when you’re fresh, but the developmental period, you’re going and you have no subs,” Heflin said. “So you’re just going out there and working and seeing how you get when you get tired.

"It’s nice going out there knowing you’re going to play the whole time.”