Is change in the air?

Good morning, and welcome to the Saints Insider newsletter for Thursday, August 22.

The end of training camp is only days away, and the Saints will enter regular season mode soon. Position battles are heating up, and some big decisions loom. 

Let's take a look at our lineup of stories for you today....

A brewing competition

What looked for most of training camp to be inevitable is now up in the air: Former first round pick Trevor Penning has real competition for the starting right tackle job, reports Matthew Paras. This is one battle to watch in the days ahead. Change could be coming.

Switching things up

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called plays from the coaches' booth during the first two preseason games, but he's moving down to the sideline for Sunday's game against the Titans. He explained why on Wednesday.

Back on track

To stay motivated during his rehab from offseason foot surgery, tight end Juwan Johnson watched a highlight video of his best plays in games and practices. “It’s called ‘I’m him,'" Johnson said. “Because I know that’s what I am." That's exactly what the Saints need him to be, columnist Rod Walker writes.

Making strides

Entering his second season, Bryan Bresee is starting to have a better feel for when to deploy his patented spin move, one of the many tools in what he calls his “bag." Bresee’s improved selectiveness is also part of the overall growth in the 2023 first-rounder’s game. He looks poised for a breakout campaign.

Scoop city

The latest installment of my "25 for 25" series documents the biggest scoops of my tenure covering the Saints. For sheer shock value, nothing will ever top the Benson family feud saga. 

That'll do it for today. We'll have more news and analysis in the days ahead as the Saints wrap up their final week of training camp.

Until next time, cheers....

Jeff Duncan