Getty Images

The Saints start the organized team activities portion of their offseason program this week and the practices will unfold without the full participation of defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Jordan played with a back injury during last season and while it didn’t seem to have a great impact on his way to 10 sacks while playing 92 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, he needed arthroscopic surgery after the end of the regular season. He has yet to get the green light to resume a total workload.

“It’s going good. I’m feeling better every day,” Jordan said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “[It’s hard] when you’re supposed to take it down to a slow pace because your inner athlete wants to show out all the time. Cut down on a lot of stuff. Still working up to [being full], sadly. As anybody knows once you get injured, you have to go through some rehab time. I’m still — quote, unquote — working up to it.”

The Saints are talking about starting over on defense this season and the OTAs will show off some of the new look, but Jordan’s role as a leader of the unit isn’t going to be among the changes.