The New Orleans Saints have been hard at work throughout the NFL offseason and it appears that the changes and trades they made are now reflecting on an improve gameplay and potential shot at the Super Bowl this season. The practice sessions the New Orleans Saints held with the New England Patriots proved to be fruitful and notable exhibited minimal to no physical aggression among the NFL stars. However, one thing keeps hindering the New Orleans Saints from soaring to greatness: injuries.

Earlier this week, New Orleans Saints tight end Kevin Brock was placed in the injured reserve list following an injury he incurred during the positional drills. The blow Brock obtained knocked him out during the said session, prompting the New Orleans Saints staff to cart him into the sidelines. The tight end was welcomed in the New Orleans Saints in the latter part of July.

The exit of Brock from the active players list pushed forward the return of Alex Smith to the New Orleans Saints roster. While Smith had a tumultuous run in the New Orleans Saints team throughout the training season, with several conflicting reports regarding his future with the NFL team, it was confirmed in an official press release that the 10-year NFL veteran was re-signed on this week. At 6-foot-4, Smith was initially selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a third round pick during the 2005 NFL Draft. As a player in the New Orleans Saints roster, Smith was chosen to play against the Baltimore Ravens during the preseason NFL opener where he managed to post one reception.

Defensive tackle Austin Brown had been waived with an injury designation by the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. His post in the New Orleans Saints roster was then given to defensive tackle David Hunter. The addition of the defensive tackle in the New Orleans Saints could be beneficial for both John Jenkins and rookie Ashad Mabry.

Meanwhile, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Bees shares that he remains realistic in terms of his capacity to stay in the game. In the past NFL season, Bees confidently stated that he had at least 10 more years in him before he hangs his football jersey for good. Confronted with the injuries and other unexpected events in the New Orleans Saints playing field, it appears that Bees is now coming into terms with the possibility of his own prediction being inaccurate.  

"I mean, I'm not naïve," shared Brees during an interview following a practice session with the New England Patriots, according to ESPN. He said, "Physiologically, I think it can be done, I'll leave it at that. Do I think I could do it? Yes. But I'm not naïve to think that it's a given."

He went on to share that the wear and tear of the games and practices truly get to him and have effects on his daily life. He said, "It's a grind mentally. It's a real grind mentally." Bees added, "That's why when the season ends you want to escape for at least a month and just get away. But, no, I mean, it's almost a part of the fun."