Payton suggests “bubble;” Saints continue install

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NEW ORLEANS -- With the NBA, WNBA, NHL and professional soccer leagues continuing their seasons in the “bubble,” and having very positive results, the NFL may now be considering isolation policies for the playoffs, thanks in part to New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Payton.
In a conference call on Wednesday, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent talked about Payton’s idea for putting teams in an isolated situation for the post-season. Even though there has not been official talk of making that happen, Vincent did say not squelch the concept.
“We didn’t use the term ‘bubble,’ but that ‘secure environment’ to make sure that there is no risk from the outside as teams start making that [playoff] drive,” Vincent said, according to an ESPN report. “... We did tell Coach Payton that it was something that both (chief medical officer Allen) Sills and the teams would explore. These are things that we just have to be flexible on.”
Like Major League Baseball, the NFL has not required its players to “quarantine” while training camp is ongoing or if and when the season begins. However, some teams, including the Saints, have offered players and personnel voluntary housing in hotels.
What the NFL has done to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst its players is to have a very strict testing policy, safety protocols and very decisive discipline for those that engage in “risky behavior.”
Meanwhile, the Saints continue their training camp regimen as they get ready for the season opener on September 13 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On Thursday, New Orleans went through offensive installs, trying to get used to moving around in full pads rather than just visualizing their plays.
Payton knows that his team is not as far along as they would be in a normal training camp, but they are not far off the pace.
“I don’t know that we’re all the way in where we practice goal line full pads where we’ve done some of these other things, they’re coming,” Payton said. “But I’d say we’d be a tick off from where we would be in a normal training camp environment.”
The Saints will definitely have some weapons this coming season on the offensive side of the football. Aside from the usual suspects such as Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, New Orleans has added depth to both the skill and interior line positions.
Additions to the roster, including Emmanuel Sanders, Ty Montgomery, Adam Trautman, Tommy Stevens and Ceasar Ruiz, will help bring stability to an all ready outstanding offense. Both Sanders and Montgomery also bring some much needed experience to the talented offensive line-up.
The former Green Bay Packer, Montgomery, will definitely bring a ton of versatility to the Saints. The wide receiver turned running back has appeared in 58 games carrying 224 times for 1,035 yards and has caught and catching 120 passes for 982 yards in his six year career.