Well, well, well, we are back again with another remote edition of observations. This time, we're in the the Big Easy, New Orleans, at the Saints practice facility. With many thoughts of what's going on back home and the looming spectre of Hurricane Harvey, it was still a productive day for the Texans. Here are my observations from the day's workout.

1. I'm not sure who was more enamored with Jadeveon Clowney's return to practice - the Saints media or us. As I stood watching practice, I heard numerous Saints media members extolling the accomplishments of Clowney throughout the day. I heard them a few times say, "they can't block him." Him being Clowney, of course. Then, I heard "that would've been another sack for Clowney."

2. I didn't want you to think all I do is tell you great stuff about the Texans so I let the New Orleans media do it for me.

3. All in all, Clowney's return today made the defense whole again and there were times during the day when the Saints offense had no real answers for blocking any of the front seven guys. They won't be alone in 2017. Clowney, though, was the freshest, seemingly, having been out of practice for a short stint. As I watched them get into the backfield repeatedly, it was comforting thinking that some one, any one, of those front seven guys was going to win the race to the quarterback. Clowney said today that they're challenging each other to get to the quarterback first and it played out that way on the field today.

4. On the first play of a team drill, it was defensive end Joel Heath who was the first in the backfield. I mean, he was in Drew Brees' face before Brees finished his drop from center. As such, Benardrick McKinney and Whitney Mercilus were not far behind. It was a welcome sight seeing Heath on the field as he was finally cleared to practice prior to today's workout with the Saints. Rome wasn't built in a day and it'll take him some time to get truly back in football shape, but Heath seemingly picked up right where he left off at the end of 2016.

5. The Saints offense, though, had a few moments of moving the ball with success, especially in the two minute situational drill near the end of the workout. Drew Brees was clinical in dissecting the Texans defense down the field with short throws, quick tempo (obviously) and pinpoint accuracy. I don't know if Saints head coach Sean Payton plans on playing much up tempo, but that looked real good, unfortunately. Brees hit Michael Thomas for the touchdown at the end of it as one of the Texans defensive backs slipped on the turf, leaving the future star in the making wide open.

6. I'll just say it right now; it's weird as all get out to see Adrian Peterson in a Saints jersey. He looks as good as he's ever looked physically and I'm curious to see how New Orleans uses him this year. He's never been used much in the receiving game, but he ran a wheel route/go route up the sideline on a Texans linebacker and made the catch over his shoulder. I've often said just because a guy doesn't do something, or isn't asked to do it, doesn't mean he can't do it.

7. Texans outside linebacker Ufomba Kamalu showed his athleticism in coverage on Peterson later in 7-on-7 drills. Peterson ran a wheel route up the sideline and Kamalu was right in his hip pocket. Last week, he excelled playing the physical game and today he was running step for step with Peterson on a pass route.

8. Guys struggled with the field early on, slipping on it plenty throughout the first part of practice. It was tough for both teams at the outset.

9. Receiver Germone Hopper has been putting in some extra work on the field to get up to speed in this offense and that work paid off today. He made a tremendous one hand catch for a touchdown on a deep route in 1-on-1s and then made another great catch in the back of the end zone for a touchdown when the threes scrimmaged at the end of practice. It's still a long uphill climb to the 53-man roster for a guy that seemingly just arrived, but he's getting opportunities and doing what he can with it.

10. The offense had some inconsistent moments during the practice. They looked excellent at times and then there were times where they bogged down and didn't move it much, as Bill O'Brien noted after practice.

11. The Saints secondary is going to be an improved bunch, especially at safety with the addition of the rookie from Utah, Marcus Williams. He had a pair of sacks and a pass breakup, that I could see (some of the work was on the far area from us and it was difficult to see everything). With Kenny Vaccaro, Vonn Bell and Williams at safety, if they can get Marshon Lattimore healthy and on board, that's going to be a much improved group. They frustrated the Texans receivers at times, locking in on coverage and forcing throwaways and sacks.

12. Williams, in particular, was a thorn, blitzing the edge one play and then playing deep in coverage the next.

13. Texans safety Kurtis Drummond ended one team drill with an interception on a pass that went off the hands of a Saints receiver.

14. The Texans offense got into the end zone with a throw from Tom Savage to Tyler Ervin down the sideline. Ervin ran scot free into the Saints secondary as the Saints blew a coverage and left Ervin all alone.

15. There were a couple of times when the Saints were confused by the Texans alignments and left receivers wide open in the secondary.

16. News Flash: we have another Ivy Leaguer! Mike Catapano signed a contract with the Texans the day before we left for New Orleans. Although it's Princeton, I'm still okay with it, especially if he can make some plays on defense and special teams.

17. During 1-on-1s, Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson threw the ball down the field well and the Texans receivers had plenty of success in that drill.

18. Safety Eddie Pleasant ended up on Saints receiver Willie Snead a couple of times in 1-on-1s and held his own, forcing incompletions or pass breakups.

19. During team drills, on one play, Tom Savage slipped pushing away from center, got back up quickly and threw a laser to Dres Anderson. I mean, that was a rocket and it had to be because the timing was all off because Savage slipped.

20. Oh man, in due time, Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara is going to be The Truth. Wow! He had one of the few long plays today for the Saints offense and it looked like one of those plays where everyone was in slow motion, except for him.

21. The Texans run game edge blockers took care of the edge well at the outset of practice. They sprung Alfred Blue and Lamar Miller on runs to the outside early in practice.

22. Tight end Stephen Anderson came up with a number of catches during the day; I have as many as five receptions written down as he was a thorn in the side of the Saints linebackers and safeties in coverage throughout the day.

23. Late in practice, Adrian Peterson was stopped in his tracks in the backfield as J.J. Watt and D.J. Reader clogged up the right side of the Saints offensive formation. While in that mosh pit, a Texan defender knocked the ball out. Watt picked up the loose ball and started sprinting back down the field. After a few steps, Drew Brees stepped in. I'm not sure that Drew really wanted to get in the way of Watt with a head of steam down field, so he just sort of let Watt know he was there and the Texan slowed down so as to get back for the next play.

24. I wish our buddy Eric San Inocencio had been on hand when Deshaun Watson took the field at one point with Milly Rock playing in the background. He'd have been proud of me for noticing that. Marc Vandermeer? Not so much. He didn't quite get it. Oh well.

I'm sure there's stuff I'm leaving on the cutting room floor, but that's good for now. This is our last training camp observations article but I'll have plenty of observations from the games throughout the season. Thanks so much for reading and stay safe, Houston. See ya soon!