| Happy Friday. Welcome to the August 18 edition of the Saints Insider newsletter. The Saints conducted their first joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers in Costa Mesa, California on Thursday. We've got you covered as the Saints practice ahead of Sunday’s preseason game in L.A. Here’s the latest from Thursday… Can’t guard Mike?Michael Thomas is trying to get back to his old self. He’ll admit he’s not there yet. The good news is the Saints may not need him to be with all the weapons on offense. Columnist Jeff Duncan writes about Thomas and the things he has done well and the things he hasn’t done so well as he tries to come back from injury. Saints vs. BoltsSo how did the Saints fare in their first practice with the Chargers? Beat writer Luke Johnson has the answers for you in his practice observations. And if that’s not enough, you can watch Luke and Jeff break down the practice. There was some good news in practice, with several players who have been injured returning. Season ticket raffleDo you want a chance to win season tickets to the Saints’ games? For $100, you can buy a ticket from the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation in its Greater Premier Season Ticket Raffle. The ticket isn’t just for Saints’ games though. The winner also gets season tickets for the Pelicans, LSU, Tulane, UNO sporting events as well as the Zurich Classic. I spoke with last year’s winner, who calls it the “Powerball of sporting events.” Read about him and all the sporting events he attended last year. Check our website throughout the day for more coverage from Costa Mesa. As always, thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend. Rod Walker | 