The NFL’s transaction wire listed one roster move for the New Orleans Saints on Thursday: a reunion with Patrick Omameh, a 30-year-old offensive lineman with experience at both guard and tackle. Omameh re-signed with the Saints to fill out their roster at the maximum 90-man capacity.
Omameh took the field in 14 games for the Saints last season, starting at left tackle in the team’s Thanksgiving Day road victory over the Atlanta Falcons when injuries struck both the starter (Terron Armstead) and his initial backup (left guard Andrus Peat). Pro Football Reference credited Omameh with just one holding penalty on 156 snaps played on offense, also chipping in 74 appearances on special teams.
His return crowds the depth chart along the offensive line, which is exactly where most teams would want to be in the months before training camp. Omameh figures to compete at tackle with second-year pros Ethan Greenidge (out of Villanova) and Derrick Kelly (Florida State), as well as undrafted rookies Darrin Paulo (Utah), Calvin Throckmorton (Oregon), and Jordan Steckler (Northern Illinois).
He could also make a push for snaps at guard, where veteran backups like Nick Easton, Will Clapp, Cameron Tom, and college free agent Adrian Magee (LSU) will be jostling for a few valuable roster spots.
New Orleans boasts one of the NFL’s strongest offensive lines, but Omameh’s extensive experience could give him a leg up on his competition. He’s started full seasons at both left guard (for the Jacksonville Jaguars) and right guard (with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), but showed last year he has the versatility to slide outside in a pinch. In a perfect world, the starting lineup will avoid injuries and other absences, and he’ll never get on the field. But it’s good to know that someone with a legit NFL background is pushing so many younger players for a covet spot on the 53-man roster.
How that competition will shake out is fascinating. The Saints have their starting five locked in (between Armstead, Peat, rookie center Cesar Ruiz, second-year starter Erik McCoy, and 2019 All-Pro Ryan Ramczyk), leaving just three or four spaces available on the opening-day depth chart. But the addition of two slots to the practice squad, which can be called up to the active roster on game days, might incentivize the Saints to keep Omameh around and gamble on some of their young guns passing through waivers to earn playing-time with the practice squad.
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