[jwplayer eCHd7tlI-ThvAeFxT]
Beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be an uphill battle for the New Orleans Saints in Week 1: they’ve ruled out defensive end Marcus Davenport and rookie guard/center Cesar Ruiz on the final injury report. Davenport is managing an elbow issue, while Ruiz is still recovering from an injured ankle after getting rolled up in practice two weeks ago.
It’s a disappointing return on the most recent Saints first-round draft picks. There’s no polishing that message: the greatest ability in the NFL is availability, and right now the Saints are preparing to open the season without two of the more valuable players on their roster.
Now, that’s not the same thing as saying either of them are on track to be a draft bust. They’ve put in the work to be great, unlike other players the Saints have invested draft assets in. Injuries are hard to predict and prepare for, so chalk this up to bad luck for the youngsters. Davenport does have a history of foot issues (his rookie season was derailed by turf toe, and his second year ended with a Lisfranc injury), but this elbow problem isn’t related.
In their place, expect the Saints to plug veteran backup Nick Easton at right guard. Easton has started games in that spot before, and should be able to hold his own between second-year center Erik McCoy and star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.
On the other side of the ball, Cameron Jordan should still command the lion’s share of reps at his defensive end spot while occasionally moving over to Davenport’s side of the line. The Saints figure to platoon backups Trey Hendrickson and Carl Granderson opposite Jordan, but they might also call up 95-game veteran Margus Hunt from the practice squad. NFL teams are allowed to promote two practice squad players this season.
[vertical-gallery id=37715]