Saints get their first training camp fight out of the way early

New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

You aren't getting through a training camp without at least one fight. The New Orleans Saints got their first brawl of camp out of the way on Day 2. The main participants were Brandin Cooks and Alontae Taylor. It also sounds like Rejzohn Wright was involved as well.

The Times-Picayune's Matthew Paras posted a video of the interaction once it had already begun, noting Cooks threw a punch. Paras wasn't able to tell who that punch was thrown at. It's unclear what started the situation, but it isn't something that lasted long.

Fights at training camp shouldn't be overblown. One of the driving forces of the Saints offseason was camaraderie and team bonding. A little scuffle doesn't create dissension. Pretty much every camp will have a fight at some point. It's a bit surprising that it happened so quickly, but a fight was bound to occur. It's natural

Training camp fights are nothing new for Saints or any NFL team

This fight felt like a tone setter. Camp is a highly competitive time with highly competitive individuals. You can see in the video that Cooks is the only offensive player in a 15-yard radius. Fights in general are easy to brush off, and this felt more like "no back down" type of fight than true aggression.

Cooks has taken on a leadership role since returning to the Saints this offseason. He's organized throwing sessions with the wide receivers and young quarterbacks. In general, he seems much more mature than his last stop in New Orleans. Eight years of NFL experience will do that to you.

Speaking of leaders, Erik McCoy was the first player from the offense to get down there. He went to grab his guy, Cooks, and pull him out of there. He didn't successfully pull Cooks away, but McCoy did stop the defense from driving the wide receiver back. That gave the rest of the offense a chance to get downfield, and there was no escalation from there.

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