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Saints: Camp report | 
Prisco
METARIE, La. -- Observations from New Orleans Saints camp
1. Running back Deuce McAllister, who is coming off the second ACL surgery of his career, is working one practice a day and his goal is to be ready for the regular season. McAllister told me he would be ready for opening day. The Saints badly missed his inside running last season. To help his comeback, McAllister has trimmed from 235 to 225, and he looks quicker because of it. "Trying to get to my rookie weight," he said. If McAllister can give the Saints 15-20 carries, they can spot in Reggie Bush and use him in the slot when McAllister is on the field. They need McAllister's power running.
2. Is Bush a bust? No way. Is he what the Saints thought he would be? Nope. But entering his third season, Bush has a chance to prove a lot of doubters wrong. He needs to run tougher inside the tackles. If he can do that, he will get more carries. He has been a very good receiver so far in his career, but the Saints need more from him on the ground after using the second overall pick in the 2006 draft to get him.
3. The Saints will have a new center in 2008 with Jeff Faine leaving to go to Tampa Bay in free agency. The Saints wanted to keep Faine, but the price got too high when the Bucs made him the highest-paid center in the league. That puts Jonathan Goodwin in as the starter. Goodwin has played guard and center in his career and started two games in 2007 when Faine was hurt. Saints insiders think they'll be fine with Goodwin in the middle.
4. Second-year receiver Robert Meachem, the team's first-round pick in 2007, has looked good so far in camp and will likely be the team's third receiver. Meachem was a disappointment last season when he came to camp out of shape and then didn't catch a pass. But so far he has been much more impressive. If he can become a deep threat to go with Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey, the Saints' passing game will be even better.
5. Of the top teams in the league, the Saints might be best suited if they lost their starting quarterback to injury. Mark Brunell, who is 38 and in his 15th season, has thrown the ball well in camp -- aside from a bad practice Thursday morning -- and is perfect for the Saints' short-passing game. Drew Brees, who has thrown for 4,000 yards each of the past two seasons, is the starter, but the Saints are better off than most in terms of a backup quarterback.
