New Orleans Saints first-round draft pick Trevor Penning is turning into something of a trouble maker during training camp as reports emerge of him getting into numerous fights. 

The New Orleans Saints are going through the very early stages of a rebuild right now, as they are now heading into their second season without franchise quarterback Drew Brees at the helm and will be working under a new head coach in the form of Dennis Allen after Sean Payton stepped away from the game back in January. 

Arguably the most important part of a rebuild is the man at quarterback, which looks as if it’s going to be Jameis Winston for this upcoming season, with utility player Taysom Hill sprinkled into the mix as well. But whilst you may have someone under centre, you need to have the men protecting him.

The Saints did address that issue in the draft this past April as they took Trevor Penning with the #19 pick in the NFL Draft, but judging by reports that are emerging, he doesn’t seem to be settling in all that well with the rest of his teammates.

Literally fighting for his opportunity

During training camp, there is always going to be the chance that emotions will run a little high. With only 53 spots on the roster up for grabs and players never too sure of who is trying to take their spot, things can get a little tense under the pressure of having to perform.

And those emotions have the tendency to spill over into confrontations, again something that was more than likely going to occur during such a testosterone-driven sport, and Penning appears to be getting himself front and centre of the action.

In footage posted on social media by Dov Kleinman taken from FOX 8 in New Orleans, Penning is seen getting into tussles with a number of teammates during the first week of training camp:

One fight you can sort of understand, two would be pushing it a bit, but to get into three fights in three consecutive days is the kind of thing that should set alarm bells ringing. Is this really the kind of player that the Saints want to have as their starting tackle?

There’s still time for Penning to calm down before the actual games start, and in the words of Pittsburgh Steelerscoach Mike Tomlin ‘I’d rather say woah, than sic em’, meaning he’d rather have someone he can ask to calm down rather than get more aggressive. But the warning signs are certainly there.