Saints first scrimmage of training camp on Saturday

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Drew Brees stood on the sideline throughout the Saints first scrimmage of training camp on Saturday, resting a strained abdominal muscle on his left side and likely watching with envy as his backups cashed in on the big-play potential of rookie receiver Brandin Cooks. "Hes explosive and hes a guy that, if you can get the ball to him in space, he has a chance to give you some run after the catch -- and he did that," coach Sean Payton said of Cooks, New Orleans first-round draft pick. "Youve just got to keep working with him on a lot of the nuances and specifics of the passing game, but it was good to see him make a few plays." Cooks racked up more than 100 yards receiving on six catches. His highlights included a twisting, falling catch along the sideline of Ryan Griffins deep pass. Cooks beat veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson on the play, which gained about 40 yards to the 1-yard line. Later, Griffin found Cooks along the sideline, and the receiver stopped suddenly to elude defensive back Rod Sweeting before sprinting nearly 30 yards down the sideline to the end zone. He also had long returns of both a punt and kickoff. The Saints did not make Cooks available after the scrimmage, but teammates unequivocally praised the rookies performance. "Hes electric," Saints career receiving leader Marques Colston said. "He can run all the routes and hes a big-play guy. ... Hes a guy that comes to work every day with the right mindset and I think thats why hes able to be as productive as hes been -- and I dont really see a change in that coming." Saints defenders agreed. "Obviously, today we were going against our offence, so I was quite upset, but its an amazing thing to watch," outside linebacker Junior Galette said. "Hes everything that we expected him to be so far." "I see that hes zero to 60 real fast. Thats why we took him with the first-round pick," inside linebacker David Hawthorne said. "Hes a young guy with a heck of a lot of potential." Also scoring touchdowns were tight end Jimmy Graham (on a short pass from Luke McCown), as well as running backs Mark Ingram, Travaris Cadet and rookie Derrick Strozier. Ingram scored on a 5-yard run, while Cadet used a hard cutback to his left to score from roughly 25 yards out. Strozier ran in a sweep from about 10 yards. New Orleans running game, which ranked 25th in the NFL last season, thrived in the scrimmage. Ingrams day included a long run through the middle. Right tackle Zach Strief said he can sense the chemistry between the offensive line and ball carriers improving. "Guys are more comfortable with it," Strief said. "The more confident you are in what you are in what youre doing, the faster youre going to play. And thats the key to this game, you know, how fast can you make the right decisions. ... There were some good creases there." A crowd of more than 4,200 fans filled stands and an embankment along the Saints picturesque training camp fields at The Greenbrier resort in the Allegheny mountains. Some could be heard expressing disappointment when they realized they would not get to see Brees play. Brees was disappointed as well, Strief said, but the star quarterback is expected to recover quickly. "I know its really hard for Drew to stand there and not be in pads and not be with his guys," Strief said, a playful smirk emerging as he continued to speak. "We do a lot of hugging and make sure hes feeling OK. Ive rubbed his obliques a few times. Im sure thats helped. ... The great thing about Drew -- you know hes going be in the training room twice as much as anybody, and hes going to get himself right." Notes: Beside Brees, others sitting out the scrimmage included CB Champ Bailey, S Jairus Byrd, G Ben Grubbs, WR Kenny Stills, NT John Jenkins. While Payton has declined to discuss specific injuries in training camp, he said Bailey should be back soon, adding he doesnt "think its anything serious." ... WR Joe Morgan, trying to make a comeback from a serious knee injury that sidelined him all of last season, saw limited action and made a catch. ... Newly acquired S Marcus Ball had an interception of McCown. Cheap Jerseys Shop . The midfielder had an operation on Saturday, and is set to miss seven Premier League games, the third round of the FA Cup and the semifinals of the League Cup. Cheap Womens NFL Jerseys . Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff underlined the squads enormous potential on the Rettenbach glacier in Austria. http://www.cheapnfljerseys.pro/ .com) - The Minnesota Twins made it official on Wednesday, announcing the signing of outfielder Torii Hunter to a one-year contract. Cheap Black NFL Jerseys . There is no argument that the line of Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Thomas Vanek was one of the hottest in the NHL leading into the post-season, and they did combine for three goals and seven points, but it was the depth of all four lines that helped propel Montreal. Jerseys NFL Authentic China . -- Wes Welker is unlikely to suit up for Denvers game Thursday against San Diego after leaving Sundays win over Tennessee with his second concussion in four games.LONDON - Former Manchester United manager David Moyes is being investigated by police over an allegation he assaulted a man in a bar. The incident between the 51-year-old Moyes and a 23-year-old man reportedly happened on Thursday in northern England. 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