SUMRALL
Practice wasn't open yesterday, and the Wave is not practicing Thursday, but Jon Sumrall confirmed after the workout at the Saints indoor facility that Shaadie Clayton-Johnson was still at running back. I should just trust myself sometimes. I saw him catching a pass out of the backfield in the first week, but multiple people told me later he had been moved to wideout and that he had been listed there by the coaches before preseason camp started. It turns out his listing at wideout on the roster was an oversight by whomever gave the SID department the roster. Here's what Sumrall said Wednesday:
"We're trending in the right direction. In the spring I saw our ability but I didn't know if I felt our toughness or our edge or our grit. I felt it a little bit more. Practice 8 today, We still have some things to be desired and get better out there, but I like the direction we're heading."
On Yulkeith Brown:
"Him sticking though. All the guys that were here, I'm grateful that they remained through all the change and uncertainty. We are replacing some receivers that were big playmakers last year. Yulkeith's a big part of that along with Dontae Fleming and Bryce Bohanon. Bohanon's really quietly the leader of that room. He's the guy the players put on the leadership council from that room because he's just a blue-collar guy that works extremely hard every day. All three of those guys are going to have a really positive impact on this team."
On QB plan:
"I may play both guys in game 1. I'm not saying I am, but I might. I'm not going to lock ourselves into anything. We're trying to figure out what helps us win games. The guy that was the quarterback guru, quarterback whisperer, Steve Spurrier, he had no problem subbing quarterbacks. I'm not saying we're going to do that, but whoever steps in that role, it's about the people around them as much as it is about them. It's about the people around them believing in them, connecting with them, playing for them, being behind them and following their lead. Whoever we get in that saddle is going to be able top perform well because they're going to be prepared, but they also will have people around them to go make plays. It's not going to be all them."
On Vincent Murphy being on leadership council:
"Guys that work really hard every day, people follow. They look at it like, man, he does it the right way every day, he brings it every day. My favorite player is the one I don't have to show up wondering what's he's going to do today. We all like consistent, dependable, reliable, and that's what he is. He's very steady. He loves football, and there's no substitute for that. Some people like it. Some people tolerate it. He loves it. That makes a big difference when your teammates see that. It's not real hard to see. It shines through."
On OL:
"Some of my favorite plays in training camp have been watching Shadre climb to the second level and finish blocks. Landry Cannon had one maybe two days ago where he was pulling and finishing a play like 12 or 14 yards downfield. When you're a back and see a lineman playing with extra effort and strain, that only wants to make you play harder."
On Clayton-Johnson being banged up:
"He practiced today. We don't currently have any new long-term injuries from camp. We've got turf toe man over here (Murphy). Shaadie was just maybe a hyper-extension of a knee, so he missed a couple of days. He practiced today and looked good doing it. ... Pat (Jenkins) went a little today but didn't do everything."
Practice wasn't open yesterday, and the Wave is not practicing Thursday, but Jon Sumrall confirmed after the workout at the Saints indoor facility that Shaadie Clayton-Johnson was still at running back. I should just trust myself sometimes. I saw him catching a pass out of the backfield in the first week, but multiple people told me later he had been moved to wideout and that he had been listed there by the coaches before preseason camp started. It turns out his listing at wideout on the roster was an oversight by whomever gave the SID department the roster. Here's what Sumrall said Wednesday:
"We're trending in the right direction. In the spring I saw our ability but I didn't know if I felt our toughness or our edge or our grit. I felt it a little bit more. Practice 8 today, We still have some things to be desired and get better out there, but I like the direction we're heading."
On Yulkeith Brown:
"Him sticking though. All the guys that were here, I'm grateful that they remained through all the change and uncertainty. We are replacing some receivers that were big playmakers last year. Yulkeith's a big part of that along with Dontae Fleming and Bryce Bohanon. Bohanon's really quietly the leader of that room. He's the guy the players put on the leadership council from that room because he's just a blue-collar guy that works extremely hard every day. All three of those guys are going to have a really positive impact on this team."
On QB plan:
"I may play both guys in game 1. I'm not saying I am, but I might. I'm not going to lock ourselves into anything. We're trying to figure out what helps us win games. The guy that was the quarterback guru, quarterback whisperer, Steve Spurrier, he had no problem subbing quarterbacks. I'm not saying we're going to do that, but whoever steps in that role, it's about the people around them as much as it is about them. It's about the people around them believing in them, connecting with them, playing for them, being behind them and following their lead. Whoever we get in that saddle is going to be able top perform well because they're going to be prepared, but they also will have people around them to go make plays. It's not going to be all them."
On Vincent Murphy being on leadership council:
"Guys that work really hard every day, people follow. They look at it like, man, he does it the right way every day, he brings it every day. My favorite player is the one I don't have to show up wondering what's he's going to do today. We all like consistent, dependable, reliable, and that's what he is. He's very steady. He loves football, and there's no substitute for that. Some people like it. Some people tolerate it. He loves it. That makes a big difference when your teammates see that. It's not real hard to see. It shines through."
On OL:
"Some of my favorite plays in training camp have been watching Shadre climb to the second level and finish blocks. Landry Cannon had one maybe two days ago where he was pulling and finishing a play like 12 or 14 yards downfield. When you're a back and see a lineman playing with extra effort and strain, that only wants to make you play harder."
On Clayton-Johnson being banged up:
"He practiced today. We don't currently have any new long-term injuries from camp. We've got turf toe man over here (Murphy). Shaadie was just maybe a hyper-extension of a knee, so he missed a couple of days. He practiced today and looked good doing it. ... Pat (Jenkins) went a little today but didn't do everything."
