JACKSON -- Considering their lengthy injury list, the New Orleans Saints are lucky that tonight's opener against the Arizona Cardinals is a preseason game.
More than a handful of projected starters stayed behind at Millsaps College when the Saints caught their Wednesday afternoon flight to Phoenix.
The players who didn't make the trip: Running back Deuce McAllister (knee), tight end Jeremy Shockey (leg), wide receiver Devery Henderson (hamstring), wide receiver Marques Colston (knee), defensive tackle Brian Young (knee), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee), safety Josh Bullocks (knee) and cornerbacks Mike McKenzie (knee) and cornerback Tracy Porter (hamstring).
Coach Sean Payton might be taking a less cautious approach to this game had it been Week 1 against Tampa Bay. Instead, he's using his patented "we're being smart about it" strategy.
"I would imagine if it were a regular-season game or close to it that we'd have some of these guys we'd look at differently regarding playing time," Payton said. "But nonetheless I still think it's an important measuring stick for us as a team."
Payton did say he anticipates everyone who didn't make the trip to return to practice Saturday morning when the Saints resume training camp two-a-days. Defensive tackle Hollis Thomas (knee) hasn't been practicing regularly during the last couple of days, but will play tonight.
With so many veterans missing tonight's game, it opens up a large window for many of the younger players and those fighting for jobs to make their case.
"It's the first exposure for them to play in a game," Payton said. "You never really know how guys are going to react until they get on that field when it's live and against a different opponent and things aren't scripted or rehearsed and it's full speed. At times they're having to make adjustments on their own.
"So this is our first opportunity and Arizona's first opportunity to play a game and to not only give the veteran players work, but the young players work on offense and defense and just as importantly in the kicking game."
It's especially true at wide receiver and kicker.
Second-year receiver Robert Meachem hasn't seen live action since the Saints' final preseason game last year against Miami. His advancement during camp is steady.
"Last year I wasn't making any excuses about the knee and this year I feel a lot better," Meachem said. "I'm healthy. The Lord's blessed me to get healthy and I'll feel even better to just get this year going."
Adrian Arrington and Skyler Green are both fighting for roster spots. Arrington continues to open eyes with his solid play. A good scrimmage in the return has given Green some points on his resume. This first game could aid in their chances.
Martin Gramatica and Taylor Mehlhaff don't receive too many opportunities to battle for the kicking job during practice. The two caught some time to battle in last Saturday's scrimmage, where Mehlhaff was perfect in his five field goal tries and outperformed Gramatica on kickoffs. Gramatica went 4-for-5.
But Payton said it's tough to make judgments on the two kickers and many other positions without watching them in live action.
"It's a good measuring stick when you go two weeks and maybe you have some indecision on certain players," Payton said. "This can help begin formulate your opinion on what you've been seeing or maybe contradict what you've been seeing. I think we're looking forward to that."
Payton said he'll break up the playing time into three phases where the second rotation will come in somewhere after the first quarter depending on how many snaps the first-team offense or defense takes. Each first unit will take somewhere between 14 and 20 snaps before the second- and third-team players enter the game.
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