| Good morning, and welcome to the Thursday, Sept. 28 edition of the Saints Insider Newsletter. It's been a busy 24 hours, so let's get to it. 'If I can help, I'll play'Derek Carr is not ruling out the possibility of playing Sunday vs. the Bucs. The Saints quarterback said he feels much better this week and is optimistic about his chances of lining up against the team's NFC South Division rivals. "If I can help, if I can play, I'll play," he said. "If I physically just can't play, then I can't play." 'It just boils down to pain'Carr’s timeline to return to the field for the Saints likely will be determined by his pain tolerance and the severity of the sprain in his injured throwing shoulder, an orthopedic specialist said this week. "Really, it just boils down to pain," said Dr. Clint Soppe, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. Carr idled in parkCarr did not practice Wednesday and was one of seven Saints players on the official practice report. The Buccaneers' injured list was equally lengthy and featured some big names. Welcome back, Alvin KamaraAlvin Kamara was back at practice Wednesday, marking his return from the three-game suspension he served to start the season. "He looked good. He looked explosive," Saints head coach Dennis Allen said. Adieu, Tre’QuanAllen explained why the team released receiver Tre'Quan Smith, severing ties with a player who'd been around since the Saints drafted him in 2018. "We just made the decision to release him and give him the opportunity to sign with someone else," Allen said. That's it for today. We'll have more news and analysis this week as the Saints begin preparations for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Superdome. Until next time, cheers... Jeff Duncan | 