| Good morning, and welcome to the Saints Insider newsletter for Thursday, July 28. Training camp opened on Wednesday, and the big news was the return of star receiver Michael Thomas. The All-Pro wideout made his first appearance in a Saints uniform in nearly a year-and-a-half, and his return to practice was met with with widespread excitement by teammates, coaches and fans. Afterward, he and the media to discuss his long recovery from angle surgery. Thomas was THE story of camp, and beat reporter Luke Johnson documented every step of Thomas' day and what his return means for the team. I weighed in with a column about why a healthy, hungry Thomas might be exactly what the Saints offense needs to reverse its fortunes from 2021. While Thomas' return was the big story, it wasn't the only news on Day 1. Quarterback Jameis Winston looked confident and in total command while working with the first team offense. As columnist Rod Walker opined, training camp — the first one of the Dennis Allen era — couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. WINSTON, LANDRY, TURNER OPEN EYES ON DAY 1Wednesday's practice was relatively light as mandated by the NFL and NFL Players Association. But there were still some standouts and highlights from the 90-minute workout. Luke Johnson has all the observations from the session, including a trio of stars who stood out on Day 1. That'll do it for today. Thanks for your loyal support. Until next time, Jeff Duncan | 