Saints HC Dennis Allen jabs Cam Jordan's 'old age' in explanation for minicamp absence
Hey, Saints star Cam Jordan is four weeks away from his 34th birthday. Sometimes your body needs a break, especially if it’s the body of a near 300-pound defensive end.
So the long-time Saint received at least a one-day mini-camp reprieve this week. However, observers noticed his absence and asked coach Dennis Allen about it.
“I call it old age related,” Allen quipped. “But Cam’s fine. He’ll be fine.” The head coach said all this with a smile, so we’re assuming Jordan is in good graces with the boss. Check out the video, then read on for why Jordan deserved a day.
Cam Jordan currently ranks 4th in Saints games played
There’s one thing we do know about Cam Jordan, the Saints first-round pick from the 2011 NFL Draft. He’ll be there. And he’s been there as much or more than any player in New Orleans franchise history. Coming into the season, Jordan has played in 192 games. That’s fourth most in team history. He should surpass Rickey Jackson (195) and Morten Anderson (196) and move into second place in games played. But he’s still got a whole lot of playing to do to achieve the team record. Former quarterback Drew Brees played in 228 to earn the record. We’re betting Brees didn’t have to take all the minicamp snaps, either.
So what else is going on in Big Easy football? The Saints started their minicamp, Tuesday. And observers spotted Taysom Hill taking snaps at quarterback. So with Derek Carr as the new quarterback, Hill still will fill the unique role that allows him to throw, run, catch and block. Jameis Winston is the official backup to Carr. But Hill is the change-of-pace guy who usually picks up the first down.
Allen said of Hill: “That’s kind of been his role since he’s been here. He’s an offensive weapon and we’re going to utilize him in a lot of different ways.”
Hill ran 96 times for 575 yards while converting 34 first downs last season. He caught nine passes for 77 yards and he completed 13 of his 19 pass attempts. With Carr under center, the Saints quarterback situation should steady. And that could make Hill a bigger threat.
Let’s kick it back to Cam Jordan, the eight-time Pro Bowler. He was having a laugh at his own expense in regards to Allen’s gentle gig.
He tweeted a well-known gif featuring Jim Carrey. Jordan wrote: “Ahhh!! He had said “Tuesday practice” not “choose a day (of practice).” We’re sure Jordan is all good in regards to Allen and his fellow teammates.