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METAIRIE P.J. Williams Jersey Salute to Service , La. (AP) — Injuries prevented defensive end Alex Okafor, middle linebacker Alex Anzalone and nickel back P.J. Williams from participating in the playoffs when the New Orleans Saints nearly advanced to the NFC title game last season.8 season only begins to tell the story of how relatively healthy the Saints are as they return to the postseason as their conference’s No. 1 seed.And the bye week they earned will only help.“Health in general is an important aspect of this game and the best attribute is availability,” said Okafor, who tore his Achilles in the 10th game of the 2017 season and managed to come back strong enough to play in all 16 games this year.“In the last playoff game I played in, for Arizona against Carolina, we were down to our third-string quarterback. So to be able to have the opportunity to go into the playoffs where most of this team is healthy is huge for us — and I think it’ll show.”None of the nine New Orleans players on injured reserve were major contributors this season. Two of the biggest names on the list are 2018 free-agent acquisitions who played less than half the season — defensive back Patrick Robinson, who played in three games, and receiver Cameron Meredith, who played in six.If there is one area of concern, it is the offensive line.Left tackle Terron Armstead, the club’s second-highest-paid offensive player, was not present during the portion of Wednesday’s practice open to reporters. Same for starting guards Larry Warford and Andrus Peat.Armstead has been dealing with an ailing pectoral muscle that has sidelined him for six of the past seven games. He tried to come back in Week 16 against Pittsburgh, but didn’t make it through that game.Warford was listed with a knee injury when he was scratched from the regular-season finale. Peat, who is one of New Orleans’ most versatile linemen, played in Week 17 but left with a hand injury.The good news for New Orleans is its banged-up linemen can get extra rest this week, and that the main contributors at all other position groups appear fit.The health of 39-year-old quarterback Drew Brees hasn’t been an issue. He even got Week 17 off after leading the Saints to a 13-2 record in the first 15 games. Also getting last weekend off was running back Alvin Kamara, one of the Saints’ most productive players in both the running and passing game, with 1,592 yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage. Michael Thomas finished the season healthy after setting a franchise record for yards receiving in a season with 1,405. Running back Mark Ingram has said he feels relatively fresh after playing in 12 games since returning from a four-game suspension to start the season.There were times when the Saints’ passing game looked as if it could use the deep threat Tedd Ginn Jr. provided before his knee injury, which led him to undergo arthroscopic surgery and spend more than half the season on injured reserve. But Ginn came back in Week 16, played well Authentic Wil Lutz Jersey , and said he feels good after getting additional rest last week.All the more reason for Brees to like the Saints’ prospects.“Obviously staying healthy is very important for any team that’s making a run,” Brees said. “You want to have the right guys in key places.”On defense, all of New Orleans’ top producers appear ready to go, from leading sack men Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins up front to linebackers Anzalone and Demario Davis, who were two of the team’s top three tacklers. On the back end, second-year pro Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans’ best player in pass coverage, played in every regular-season game, as did safety Vonn Bell, the club’s second-leading tackler.Defensive end Marcus Davenport and fourth-year interior lineman Tyeler Davison both missed time with foot injuries earlier this season, but returned to solidify a defense that racked up 49 sacks this season.“We’ve been fortunate that injuries have not been a big factor in our season,” Davison said. “And most of the ones we have had, the people that had them were able to fight through it.“We do have a deep team, so when somebody has gotten hurt, somebody else was able to step up,” Davison continued. “But you don’t want your best players getting hurt. That obviously plays a huge role.”The Saints cannot afford to overlook the Bengals in Week 10 We’ll continue a series of opponent preview posts for the New Orleans Saints opponents in 2018. We’ll round out the series previewing one of our AFC opponents: the Cincinnati Bengals. Our friends over at Cincy Jungle took some time to give us Saints fans the scoop on the home of elite WR AJ Green.Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesWeek 10: at the Cincinnati BengalsNotable free agent additions:Not really a free agent, but the Bengals acquired Cordy Glenn in a trade with the Bills and he will be starting at left tackle. In free agency, the Bengals added defensive tackle Chris Baker, who will play a pivotal role on the defensive line and replaces Pat Sims who the team did not re-sign in free agency. The Bengals’ biggest free agent acquisition was 2017 tackle leader and former Bills linerbacker Preston Brown who will help stop the run, which was a major weakness for the Bengals in 2017. And, former Giants offensive lineman Bobby Hart was also added in free agency and will compete for the starting right tackle role.Over/Under:6.5 wins: I’d go with the over as I expect the Bengals to get to eight wins. I’m not overly optimistic about the season as a whole, but I don’t think there’s going to be a regression from last year’s seven-win season.Most exciting rookie:I’m excited about too many rookies Limited Teddy Bridgewater Jersey , but I’d say safety Jessie Bates, the Bengals’ second round pick. He has a decent shot at starting games, not necessarily in Week 1, but as the season goes on. He’s a ballhawk, playmaker and his football IQ is off-the-charts. It’s also funny to say, but I’m super excited about first round pick and former Ohio State center Billy Price. Bengals fans are obsessed with the center position, which has seen Russell Bodine struggle for four years. Now with a first round pick at the position, things should be trending upward.Position battle to keep an eye on:The wide receiver position battle is going to be really fun to watch as there are so many impressive young guys looking to make their mark. There are more good players than thre will be roster spots at the position. Biggest storyline heading into training camp:The offensive line is the biggest story of training camp as last year’s unit was abysmal and now the team has a new offensive line coach in Frank Pollack, formerly of the Cowboys. Both the right guard and right tackle spots are open for taking and the competition is going to be interesting. There’s not tons of talent competing for the jobs, but there are some young guys looking to take big leaps. Under-the-radar storyline heading into training camp:It’s not particularly under the radar, but the Bengals have tons of new coaches who need to whip their units into shape. Marvin Lewis is still head coach (ugh) but there are many new faces among the coaching ranks. Teryl Austin joined the team this offseason as defensive coordinator and he’ll need to build upon a defense that started out 2017 hot, but fizzled out. He has top-tier players at his disposal. How will he use them? Can he help guys like Dre Kirkpatrick to improve? He’ll need to. How Austin transforms the defense and builds upon the things they were already doing well will be key elements to defining the Bengals’ season. If Austin impresses, he has the fast track to becoming Lewis’ successor once he finally steps down or is fired, the former being more likely.Notable injuries heading into training camp:Tyler Eifert鈥?as always. The star tight end claimed he was fully healthy when the Bengals re-signed him in free agency, but then he was limited during spring workouts and Marvin Lewis was PISSED. There’s a definite fear that he will show up to training camp not fully healthy and then there’s always a fear that he’ll be injured during the season鈥?again.***The Saints have a tough stretch with the Falcons, Eagles, Rams, and Vikings within a 5-week period. The Bengals are the lone AFC opponent in that stretch, and could easily be a trap-game for New Orleans.So what says you, you unbiased Saints fans? Can the Saints win an important game on the East Coast? Vote in the poll. Explain in the comments. And make sure you also check out DraftDividends.com, a website for a new book I’m writing currently titled Draft Picks and Dividends: A Fantasy Football Player’s Guide to Understanding the Stock Market. Custom Carolina Panthers Jerseys