In 2010, the New England Patriots opted to hold joint practice sessions with both the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn't something the Patriots had done much under Bill Belichick's tenure as head coach, but the practice session with the Saints was something that Belichick, as Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com pointed out, called "one of the most productive practices" that he had been part of in his NFL career.
Any plans the Patriots had to conduct joint practices last season were put on hold due to the lockout, which condensed an entire offseason preparations into one training camp. That being said, during his press conference today, Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt revealed that the Saints were considering an offer from the Patriots to hold joint practices once again.
"I got a fax from Bill Belichick this morning and we're taking a look at that," said Vitt. "I think that should be something that maybe, the next 24 hours or so, we'll decide on that."
Bill Belichick using a fax? I'm surprised he didn't send his offer via direct mail. Good for him. In all seriousness, this is something that could be beneficial to both the team and the fans. The fans of course, get to take in an up-tempo, competitive practice. Meanwhile, the Patriots players and coaches will get to perform against different personnel, and get different looks from what they normally get in practice.