METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints open 2023 NFL training camp on Wednesday at their practice facility in Metairie, Louisiana. Here's a closer look at a few storylines:
Biggest question: Can Saints second-year coach Dennis Allen prove he's the right man for the job?
When Allen took over for Sean Payton after the 2021 season, he and the Saints intended to keep things mostly the same, including most of the coaching staff. The Saints also re-signed quarterback Jameis Winston last offseason after trying and failing to acquire Deshaun Watson, but they ended up starting backup Andy Dalton most of the season instead.
This season seems to have more of Allen's fingerprints on it after he got his hand-picked quarterback in Derek Carr and made changes to the staff, including new defensive coordinator Joe Woods. Allen is hoping to turn things around in his second stint as a head coach, but right now, he holds a combined record of 15-38 after going 7-10 in New Orleans last season.
The player with the most to prove: Michael Thomas, WR
Defensive end Payton Turner, a 2021 first-round pick, is one potential candidate for this category, but all eyes will be on Thomas. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year is looking to regain his form as he's only played in 10 regular season games since the beginning of the 2020 season.
He also restructured his contract to stay with the Saints this season, and a healthy Thomas could become Carr's favorite target and elevate the offense to levels it hasn't seen since quarterback Drew Brees retired in after the 2020 season. But it's hard to know what to expect considering he's spent the offseason rehabbing and recovering from an injury. The 30-year-old Thomas is out to prove he's still on the same level as he was in 2019, when he caught a record-setting 149 passes at age 26.
Most impactful offseason addition: Derek Carr, QB
The Saints were clearly serious about fixing their quarterback situation in 2023. They have started five quarterbacks in the two seasons post-Brees, and Carr, who was guaranteed at least $60 million by the Saints in March, could be their long-term solution to that problem. There's already trust between Car and Allen, who drafted him while he was the coach of the Raiders in 2014.
Both men have something to prove this season, and Carr's biggest task is to right a former top-five scoring offense that slid to 22nd in that category last season. Running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Taysom Hill and Thomas will all play their roles in the success of the offense this season, but it's Carr's performance that will shape the direction of the team for several years to come.
Training camp is a success if ... the Saints emerge from camp with most of their roster intact
The Saints are entering training camp almost completely healthy with the exception of Thomas, who said he will be ready Day 1 of camp. Injuries depleted the roster significantly the last two seasons, from Winston's preseason and Week 1 injuries to Thomas' season-ending injury that sidelined him after Week 3.
But injuries aren't the only thing the Saints are hoping to avoid. Suspensions for Kamara and safety Marcus Maye could be looming because of off-the-field incidents. Kamara won't face a felony charge for a 2022 fight in Las Vegas, but there's still potential for the league to hand out punishment.