As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported, the NFL is indeed looking into the issue of whether the Saints crossed the “live contact” line during a practice that resulted in a Wednesday fight, sparked by a confrontation between quarterback Chase Daniel and linebacker David Lofton.
That said, the NFL isn’t actually in the building. Multiple sources tell PFT that no one from the league office was or is present.
Still, all clubs are subject to spot-check monitoring of OTAs by the NFL and the NFLPA, either by video or in person, to ensure compliance with the rules.
As Seahawks coach Pete Carroll explained on Wednesday, his team lost two OTA days after reports of fights at practice surfaced in the media. The report from Rapoport (trying saying that five times fast), technically a league employee, apparently has gotten the Saints back into a steaming pot of jambalaya.
Still, it’s unknown whether the Saints will suffer a similar fate. Per a source with knowledge of the team’s offseason practice, the Saints generally have been “lethargic” during offseason practices, which could be worse news than if the Saints were on the wrong side of the line on Wednesday, or on any other day.