New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees*
2017 Training Camp Presented by Verizon
Sunday, July 30, 2017*
Why did you put your helmet on for the quarterback challenge?
"I put my helmet on for every challenge because I never throw in a game without a helmet. It's harder to throw with a helmet on so you challenge yourself a little bit more."
How much do you hate losing to Coach Payton?
"We hate losing to Coach Payton. He has found a way to win a couple in a row so we have to step it up against him. The whole idea with the snowball was to throw a nice, firm ball that takes the ice off. It just looks better and kind of has an effect, but that's also harder because you've got to be more accurate than the lollipop approach. He took the lollipop approach."
How impressed have you been with Brandon Coleman and Corey Fuller?
"There's really not a guy I have more trust in than Brandon Coleman, honestly. I have played with him for a long time and I feel like he is a guy that can play every position. He can play X, he can play Z and he can play inside. His versatility in this offense is really good, he's a very smart player and he's been a guy who has done whatever we needed him to do over the last few years. Obviously, with Brandin Cooks being a featured guy and with Michael Thomas coming on last year and with Willie Snead getting his touches, Brandon has just had to get in where he could fit in. Yet, there's been those moments where he's come up with some big catches, some big third down conversions, a go route, a vertical. He's a big target that I have a lot of trust in and I think we've had enough time on task together from training camp to time that we spend on our own together where there's a great amount of confidence I have in him."
I guess that means that Corey Fuller has his work cut out for him then?
"I've had more time with Brandon, this is going on four years with Brandon. Just in the short amount of time with Corey, you can tell he's a veteran guy. He came from Detroit where he played a lot and really took the place of Calvin Johnson when he was hurt for that stretch over the last few years. Corey has played in a good system with a really good quarterback in Matthew Stafford. Coming here, I feel like he has some knowledge and some savvy to him from having played the game and having some experience under his belt. I think he fits into our system well and I think there's a lot of things we can do with our system and him to put him in positions to work to his strengths. I think he could be very productive as well.
What allowed Michael Thomas to skip past the time on task and immediately develop that rapport?
"It took time with Mike too. I would say kind of the next level from Mike came around mid-season. It wasn't just an instantaneous thing. I think we slowly began to incorporate him into the offense. For any young receiver when they come in, yes there's raw talent, but then there's the fundamentals of playing the position at this level. You can't just rely on talent; you have to have discipline, your releases vs bump and run, the way you set up routes and the nuances to our system and the concepts within our system. It just takes time to understand those and be confident with them. You're thinking a lot, you're processing a lot as you're playing and it doesn't really allow you to play as fast as you normally would. Now, you're at a point where you know the looks, you know the adjustments and you can play fast."
What are your thoughts on Ryan Ramczyk?
"I think Ramczyk has done well. I like his presence and he seems to be taking it all in stride, just one step at a time. I think he's got some versatility as well. So far, he's been getting better each and every day and has been impressive. I think for any young guy, especially in the beginning of training camp, there's some dog days coming up. So you just focus on the process, focus on getting better each day, building that rapport with Andrus Peat and all the different things you're going to see. The more that our defense installs, the more adjustments are going to be made. It just takes time, but I think so far he's shown the ability to absorb it all and play pretty well."
You ask a lot of your running backs, especially in the two minute offense, how is Alvin Kamara picking things up?
"Alvin Kamara is a really smart guy. He's very talented and very smart so his ability to take in a lot of the information we're giving him (is impressive), especially a nickel back that plays a lot on third down, because not only are you outside the pocket and running routes, but the protections can be complicated at times. His ability to decipher through that stuff has been impressive so far. We haven't gotten to that level of installation yet during camp, but based upon what I saw in OTAs, he did not seem to have an issue with it. That's something where I need to spend a lot of time with him because if he's standing back there with me, I want him to see what I'm seeing. That's just more time on task and here we are. That's the phrase of the day."
On a day like this how much do you miss Max Unger in terms of keeping the flow of practice going with some snap issues?
"We didn't have any snap issues with the first group. Max is so consistent and his ability and his production goes way beyond just what he does snapping the ball. It's his leadership, it's his presence, the way that he sets the huddle and sets the tempo to the ball and all those little things that you take for granted. Josh (LeRibeus) is doing a great job so I think Max being around and being in the room with those guys until he's able to come out and start practicing again (is beneficial). You have got to be able to function when you are missing some key starters. Other guys have to step in, step up and play well. Thus far I've been impressed with what the guys up front have been able to do since we have some guys missing in the lineup."
