Kristian: Big crowd for mini-camp, D on fire, short yardage back found?

As the fans poured into Saints mini-camp, so did the players…with sweat.  Practice 3 of 5 is in the books for the Black and Gold this weekend. 

The morning session was spirited, perhaps aided by the strong contingent of Saints fans braving the heat and intense sun to watch their team. 

It's tough to tell who's doing well and who's not when the players are running around in shorts and helmets.

A lot of the media has been focused on the defense.  When you talk to the offensive players on the team, they'll tell you that the other side of the ball is dramatically different.  It's different in attitude, different in speed, different in their mindset. 

Pierre Thomas said, "They're animals out there, they are trying to knock peoples' heads off, and we don't even have pad's on." 

By far the player on the team to draw the biggest cheers at mini-camp was Drew Brees.  As soon as he made his way on the field, a large section of the 3,100 fans stood up and applauded.  Drew looks to be his typical self, calm in demeanor and nauseatingly efficient during practice. 

Coach Payton met with the media after practice.  Here are some of the notable statements from the coach:

Injury update…

"(Dan) Campbell [Tight End] will have surgery Monday morning to repair an MCL that he injured in yesterday's practice, (Darnell) Dinkins had an ankles sprain, and (Dan) Morgan had a calf strain."

On new fullback Heath Evans…

"He's a guy that has won a lot of games.  He works hard and does all the little things right, and I think that's a plus."

Is Evans a better blocker than Mike Karney?

"We think so, we felt like we needed to be more consistent at the point of attack as blocker, and he does that well, he's a guy that we can throw the ball to as well."

Will Evans be the short yardage running back?

"The primary focal point is at fullback in the running game and passing game.  I wouldn't go as far ahead and say that he will be the short yardage back"

The Saints get back to work at 3pm today.  That practice is not open to the public.  On Sunday, the team will wrap up their 3 day mini-camp Sunday with one practice in the morning.