Max Unger is getting into the swing of things in New Orleans in the midst of what has been a whirlwind offseason. ADVERTISING Max Unger is getting into the swing of things in New Orleans in the midst of what
Max Unger is getting into the swing of things in New Orleans in the midst of what has been a whirlwind offseason.
The 2004 Hawaii Preparatory Academy graduate and his Saints teammates wrapped up mandatory minicamp on Thursday.
There was no contact work allowed in the three-day camp — which are considered the first mandatory activity of the offseason — but a lot can still be accomplished during the usually lighthearted affair. Rookies and new players — like Unger — can get familiar with a new playbook and schemes, and the team building begins. Players and coaches have the next six weeks off before training camp kicks into gear at the end of July.
Unger arrived to New Orleans in March as part of a blockbuster trade that sent Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle. The Big Island native was initially “bummed” to be dealt from the team that drafted him out of Oregon in 2009 in the second round, but that initial shock is now in the rearview mirror for the consummate pro and locker room leader.
“It’s about being a professional and you have a job to do,” Unger told the The Times-Picayune earlier this month during organized team activities (OTAs). “It comes down to you executing that job. It’s just a lot worse if you don’t buy into something immediately. It just makes your job harder and harder to achieve your goals.”
There are some noticeable changes for Unger. Growing up in Hawaii and spending all of his post-high school career in the Pacific Northwest, he will have to adjust to the humid weather of New Orleans — also one of the most unique cities in the U.S. in terms of culture.
Unger won’t be the only local boy adjusting to New Orleans. He can bond with rookie linebacker and Kahuku grad Hau‘oli Kikaha — who the Saints took in the second round in this year’s draft — about the new scenery.
Unger also has the tall task of being a parent for the first time, which may be even tougher than slowing down Vince Wilfork or Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton. Unger and his wife Leah gave birth to their first child, Cameron, in the offseason.
Now entering his seventh year in the NFL, Unger has built quite the resume and has earned a spot among the league’s top centers — when healthy. He helped the Seahawks rank in the top five in rushing in each of the past three seasons, was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2012, and garnered Pro Bowl selections in 2012 and 2013. He also has a championship ring from Super Bowl XLVIII.
Unger invested a lot into the Seahawks, making his departure even harder. At the time of the trade, he was one of only three remaining players from the team coach Pete Carroll inherited in 2010 and had become a fan-favorite. On the field, Unger was a key cog in the transformation process of the Seahawks from a 5-11 team to one that made back-to-back Super Bowls and was one-yard away from capturing consecutive Lombardi trophies.
He has a chance to continue that winning trend in New Orleans. The Saints had a down year last season, finishing 7-9, but have been a perennial playoff contender since head coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees came to town, winning the Super Bowl in 2009.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Unger is expected to shore up the inside of the Saints’ offensive line – which has suffered the past two seasons. Brees was sacked 29 times last year and 37 times in 2013 — the two highest totals of his career — and his 20 turnovers (17 interceptions, three lost fumbles) were often the result of pressure.
Unger has used OTAs and minicamp to build on-field rapport with his fellow linemen and Brees as he settles into an offense that will have him dropping into pass protection much more often than he is used to. Brees completed more passes last year (456) than Seattle’s Russell Wilson even attempted (452), and is much less mobile.
However, Unger may lead the way — literally — for a shift in the Saints offensive philosophies. Brees no longer has his favorite target in Graham, and the addition of C.J. Spiller gives the squad a change-of-pace-back behind Mark Ingram, who is coming off a career year in 2014 with 226 carries for 964 yards and nine touchdowns.
Unger and the Saints open the regular season opener Sept. 13 against the Cardinals.
