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The New Orleans Saints threw the NFL world a curve ball by selecting Michigan center/guard Cesar Ruiz in the first round of this year’s draft. But the surprises weren’t over just with that selection.
Per a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Saints plan to start Ruiz at center and shift last year’s top draft pick, Erik McCoy, over to guard. And that’s dubious.
McCoy graded out as one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL last season, beyond just centers and rookies. He was a tremendous upgrade over Max Unger, who was forced into retirement after a long career’s worth of injuries wore his body down. Moving a good player to a spot he hasn’t played lately might not achieve the desired effect.
Especially considering the contract situations at play. The Saints paid out more than $30 million in guaranteed money to injury-prone left guard Andrus Peat earlier this offseason, while right guard Larry Warford has a salary cap hit north of $12 million — second-highest on the team. It’s possible that Warford could be traded soon so that Ruiz and McCoy can both get on the field together, but we’re too early in the process to say for sure.
Whatever happens next, fans should trust that the Saints know what they’re doing. They’ve hit on a number of high draft picks along the offensive line in recent years, including McCoy and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. Regardless of who starts where, they’ve put together a solid evaluations process that’s led to success. This might be something that doesn’t get figured out until the Saints are a few weeks into training camp and can compare each player against the other.
The Saints are taking Michigan C Cesar Ruiz. I'm told the plan is to move last year's outstanding rookie center, Erik McCoy, over to guard.
Not sexy. But investing in the OL has served New Orleans well.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 24, 2020