Payton: Hotel during training camp all about ‘trying to reduce possible exposures’

The biggest story of the early stages of Saints preseason camp came out late Sunday after Sean Payton told NBC Sports’ Peter King the team was making a hotel available to players and staff during training camp.

Payton said it’s all about managing the odds in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

“It was really just looking at the percentages,” Payton said in a conference call with area media Wednesday. “If there’s 80 players and then another 90-95 people coaching, training, equipment, (without a hotel) every day, those 170 go home and come back the next day.

“You might (have zero positive COVID-19 tests), but yet every day’s a new day. Statistically speaking, it’s really about trying to reduce the possible exposures. Not eliminate; (the hotel stay is) not mandatory. You’re just trying to reduce those numbers. I think that can just help your team. Hopefully it can help us reduce our numbers.”

Payton – who said he expects the large majority of players and staff to stay at the team hotel – and executive vice president Mickey Loomis looked at the NFL’s protocols for managing workouts in the world of COVID-19 and then sought improvement.

While he knows positive tests in a non-bubble setting and a contact sport are inevitable, seeing the dozens of positive tests around the league over the last week, including Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, only reinforced the hotel concept.

“How do we reduce our chances of being one of those people (who tests positive)?” Payton said. “I think if we can just go along with the standard, you’re going to have what you have the last few weeks. There’s too much at stake, especially for the players.”

Payton said the team has handled the first week of logistics well, but it’s clearly different than a regular training camp, when the first task would be putting players through a conditioning test before hitting the field.

“We’re in the early parts of it,” he said. “We’re lifting and running. We’re in meetings. In the afternoon, walk-throughs. It’s a little different than just putting them flat-out through the conditioning test. We’re trying to build up, be smart.

“We’re definitely getting our installations taught. We’re getting the opportunity on the field. It’s not into next week that we get into a practice setting. The early week and a half here has been certainly the emphasis on protocols and what we are doing has been much different than normal.”

One of the challenges for Payton and the NFL’s other head coaches is to properly evaluate free agent signees like quarterback Jameis Winston and rookie draft picks and free agents with not only a scaled down camp schedule, but no preseason games.

“We’ve got to find a way,” Payton said. “We’ve got enough padded practices. We’re going to find ways to get the reps we need. It’s similar to what colleges have done for years. You didn’t get the luxury of preseason games. Hopefully we can provide the opportunity that someone doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Payton is also anxious to see what 41-year-old quarterback Drew Brees has done this offseason. Brees told the media earlier in camp that he worked with his longtime private instructor, Tom House, on increasing his arm strength.

“Every year, he’s that type of player that is looking for little ways to improve,” Payton said. “Gradually, where he’s at, you’re combating that age and the challenges both physically and mentally. I’m anxious to see. Tom (House) does a great job.

“Numbers-wise, we as an offense are still getting the ball into the spots we need to. Traditionally, he’s been someone who’s been very good down the field.”