| Welcome to the Saints Insider newsletter for Thursday, May 26. It’s been a slow week for Saints news. Players took a break from the team’s offseason conditioning program over the weekend, and coaches and front office executives were off to attend their annual retreat in Las Vegas. But everyone is back in the building this week as on-field work in the form of organized team activities -- a.k.a. OTAs -- begins. The voluntary workouts started on Wednesday and continue on Thursday with a practice that is open to the media. The good news is that quarterback Jameis Winston participated in the practice, only a few months removed from major knee surgery. Wide receiver Michael Thomas reportedly did not practice but was also in attendance, another positive sign for the star receiver in his return from foot surgery. A handful of key veterans, including Demario Davis, Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore and P.J. Williams were not at Wednesday’s workout, according to sources. Again, these sessions are voluntary so it’s not mandatory that players attend. But it’s always a good sign for team camaraderie and morale when players take part. We should learn more about participation numbers and absences, excused or not, on Thursday afternoon when head coach Dennis Allen meets with the media. Stay tuned for updates and more coverage on NOLA.com throughout the day as our Saints beat team hits the field for the start of offseason workouts. We'll also have photos of star additions like Tyrann Mathieu in a Saints uniform for the first time. Until next time, Jeff Duncan | 