Tag: Cesar Ruiz

Saints’ rebuilt offensive line is their biggest Week 1 pivot point

Taliese Fuaga is the player with the most potential to raise the ceiling for the Saints’ offensive line. But Trevor Penning’s struggles make it a pivot point:

Taliese Fuaga is the player who has the potential raise the ceiling more than any other man along the New Orleans Saints offensive line. If that seems like too much pressure to put on a rookie then blame Erik McCoy. His consistent praise of Fuaga this offseason has elevated the expectations heading into Year 1.

Fuaga will be tested to face some of the most talented pass rushers in the NFL. After the season opener, there’s a four game stretch where Fuaga could line up against Micah Parsons, Bryce Huff, Matthew Judon, and even Chris Jones occasionally.

Trevor Penning is on the other side of the line, and his struggles have made the unit a pivot point. Penning’s development is key to the improvement of the offensive line. If he can’t meet expectations, their floor drops out beneath them. Just as Fuaga can improve the unit, Penning risks crippling it.

Fuaga set himself apart plainly because there’s more belief he can go the distance. Both men’s performance affects the ceiling of the unit dramatically, but Fuaga shown more this offseason and preseason than Penning. The higher the talent, the more the ceiling gets raised.

Additionally, a new left guard means more pressure on the left tackle. Penning has Cesar Ruiz to give assistance. The left guard will still help Fuaga, but he has less of a safety net. It’s likely going to be Lucas Patrick in that spot but thee Saints have viewed Nick Saldiveri as their best option, so the veteran won’t have a very long leash. Each of these players must do well and prove the five-man lineup is not as vulnerable as it may appear.

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Erik McCoy breaks down the three new starters on offensive line

The New Orleans Saints have three new starters on the offensive line and Erik McCoy lays out what each guy brings to the table.

The New Orleans Saints offensive line will look drastically different from last year. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only true constants.

Trevor Penning is a familiar face in a new position. He’ll replace Ryan Ramczyk at right tackle while rookie Taliese Fuaga will start at left tackle. Lucas Patrick comes in at left guard.

The veteran of the group, Erik McCoy, spoke about the new members of the offensive line.

McCoy praised the first-round pick saying, “I think he’s a ball player and I really believe he’ll have a great rookie year. I think he can be a really good player for this team for a long time.” He doesn’t believe Fuaga’s back injury will disrupt what is a bright immediate future.

This isn’t the first time McCoy has spoken highly of Fuaga. He has a high level of belief in the rookie.

McCoy also evaluated Penning and Patrick. He’s seen every year of Penning’s career and feels he’s been making strides and hopes this will be a good year for Penning. Patrick’s experience in a similar system has been a valuable asset for McCoy. If he has a question, Patrick has been there to answer it

Expect the Saints to add more offensive linemen soon

If there’s one place to expect the Saints to make changes after the initial 53-man roster, it’s the offensive line. Expect moves this week:

The initial 53-man roster is never the final roster. Cuts from other teams get picked up, and sometimes teams will pick up players they previously waived. One place you can expect to look different on the New Orleans Saints roster is offensive line.

First and foremost, they only kept eight offensive linemen when they typically keep nine. The versatility of some depth pieces may have contributed to this. Taliese Fuaga, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz are locked in.

Trevor Penning and Lucas Patrick will be  penciled in as the starters, but New Orleans should still look to add competition at right tackle and left guard. Those easily feel like the most uncertain positions along the offensive line.

Competition remained there until the end of camp with little optimism sparking at right tackle. The Saints may have to start Penning as their right tackle, but he hasn’t done enough to keep them from looking elsewhere.

Whether it’s a starter or depth, New Orleans likely isn’t done tweaking the offensive line room.

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Finding the best starting offensive line is a tall task for Saints

Of all the challenges facing the New Orleans Saints, this NFL Media writer says finding the best starting five in the trenches is the biggest:

There are many challenges the New Orleans Saints are facing heading into this season. Of all of them, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm listed finding the right starting offensive line as the biggest.

Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are locks at center and right guard, respectively. Taliese Fuaga feels close to that category (we can’t rule out the possibility he has to move back to right tackle), while Nick Saldiveri and Trevor Penning are fighting for their spots in new positions. As of today, those five appear to be in the lead at their respective positions. There are backups fighting for snaps like Landon Young, Olisaemmeka Udoh, and Lucas Patrick, too.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of offensive line play. There’s a strong argument it’s the engine of any offense. You want your quarterback to have time to throw and your running back, at the worst, to not be swarmed in the backfield before he can make a move. Both of these rely on the unit up front.

In Klint Kubiak’s offense, the offensive line will need to be on point. The wide zone system is based in the offensive line giving the running backs multiple options. Poor performance in the trenches will muddy the picture for those running backs and limit production.

Building trust and familiarity will be important for this unit. The offensive line is the greatest example of a unit in football. They rely on each other every play to do what is expected so there are no exploitable gaps.

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Dennis Allen on the state of the Saints offensive line

The Saints offensive line underwent a major overhaul this offseason. Outside of Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, everything is up for grabs:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line will look nothing like the 2023 rendition. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only holdovers from last year’s unit. Say goodbye to Andrus Peat, James Hurst and Ryan Ramczyk. Say hello to Taliese Fuaga, Nick Saldiveri and the new version of Trevor Penning lining up at right tackle.

Maybe.

That may have been who got the most first-team reps during minicamp and organized team activities. Dennis Allen clarified the team isn’t at the point of solidifying the unit.

Allen previewed the offensive line in his first training camp press conference: “After McCoy and Ruiz, there are a lot of jobs that are up for grabs.” Fuaga feels like the one other guy who will for sure start. His ceiling at right tackle suggests he could flip to his natural position and beat out Penning if the move to left tackle doesn’t work.

Even without that, Penning has a lot to prove. He didn’t impress at left tackle, so we’ll see if flipping sides benefits him. Saldiveri is also in a contest with multiple players at left guard.

New Orleans has to wait a few days to put on the pads, but Allen is eager to . That’s when answers really become unveiled.

“Being able to evaluate guys in pads, playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played,” Allen said, “is where the true evaluation comes in.”

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Countdown to Kickoff: Cesar Ruiz is the Saints Player of Day 51

Countdown to Kickoff: Cesar Ruiz is the Saints Player of Day 51. Another new coaching staff could help him fully meet his potential in Year 5:

We are now at 51 days until the start of the New Orleans Saints’ regular season, which makes today’s Saints Player of the Day: Cesar Ruiz. Will the former first-round pick ascend his way to the top in Year 5?

  • Name (Age): Cesar Ruiz (25)
  • Position: Offensive center/guard
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 316 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.02
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $4,450,000
  • College: Michigan
  • Drafted: Round 1 in 2020 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 5 years

Ruiz entered the league as one of the more polished prospects in his draft class. As a three-year starter for Michigan and a former number-one overall recruit at his position, Ruiz felt as close to a sure thing as you can get. When the Saints selected Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, the idea for the team was to play Ruiz at the guard position next to Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy. Prior to this, Ruiz had no experience at this spot at any point in his football career which led to an adjustment period early on.

Ruiz’s first couple years in the league were quite short of promising. The young player often struggled adjusting to his new position on the offensive line which led to some inconsistent play on the interior. In Ruiz’s third season though, he seemed to have found his footing a little bit until suffering a foot injury late in the season.

These last couple years Ruiz has proven to be capable as a starting player in this league which is why the Saints decided to extend him at the start of last season. Ruiz and the team agreed to a 4-year, $44 million extension with $30 million in guarantees. Extending Ruiz definitely wasn’t a must move for the team given his play, but it does show the team’s belief in the player’s upward trend.

With the 2024 season on the horizon, it has been reported by multiple sources that Ruiz is in the best shape of his life after cutting some weight this offseason, and with the excitement around Klint Kubiak’s offense, it shouldn’t be a surprise to many if Ruiz has a career year in his fifth season.

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ESPN ranks Erik McCoy among the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen

ESPN’s positional rankings listed Erik McCoy among the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen, and third-best among centers around the league:

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is continuing his series of positional rankings as voted on by dozens of anonymous sources around the NFL — everyone from team executives and general managers to position coaches and regional scouts shared their input on highlighting the game’s best players. And with interior offensive linemen coming up next, it’s time to focus on New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy.

Fowler lumped guards and centers together for this exercise, and while McCoy was listed as only an honorable mention he was one of X centers to make the list at all. Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Creed Humphrey (No. 7) and Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow (No. 8) were the only centers to make the top-10, and McCoy was slotted ahead of other guys on the list like Lloyd Cushenberry III, Ryan Kelly, Tyler Linderbaum, Ted Karras, and Drew Dalman.

Here’s why Fowler’s sources say McCoy stands apart from the rest:

After five NFL seasons, McCoy owns a 93.7% pass block win rate and a 70.4% run block win rate. “You could make an argument he’s been the best center for a while. He gives us problems. Plays like a guard as far as power and physicality,” a high-ranking NFL personnel man said.

The Saints are certainly banking on McCoy continuing to anchor their offensive interior again in 2024. He’s coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance and figures to play a key role in Klint Kubiak’s new system as the pivot between veteran right guard Cesar Ruiz (who has experienced an up-and-down career thus far) and whoever starts at left guard, whether it’s second-year pro Nick Saldiveri or a journeyman like Shane Lemieux, Lucas Patrick, or Olisaemeka Udoh.

McCoy has been a great player for the Saints ever since they traded up to draft him back in 2019. He has started all 74 games he’s appeared in and suited up for all 17 games last season after missing some time with injuries inn 2021 and 2022. Maybe Kubiak’s emphasis on movement and blocking in space can help him level up even further in 2024. It would be good to see McCoy take his place inside these top-10 rankings this time next year.

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Saints offensive line ranked 19th in the NFL

Brandon Thorn ranked the Saints as the 19th-best offensive line in the NFL. It’s a ranking that’s actually not as concerning as it sounds:

Establish The Run’s offensive line expert Brandon Thorn ranked the New Orleans Saints as the 19th best offensive line in the NFL heading into the season. That puts them below the average in terms of pure ranking among their peers. For this conversation, we’ll use Taliese Fuaga, Nick Saldiveri, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning as the starting lineup

That’s objectively not good. If the Saints walk out of 2024 with the 19th-best offensive line, the season likely wasn’t a success. Contextually, however,  the ranking shouldn’t be too concerning. 19th is an acceptable and almost favorable ranking heading into the season.

The phrasing, heading into the season, is the most important part of this conversation. McCoy and Ruiz are returning starters. Outside of those two, there are massive question marks on every other potential starter. Penning clearly wasn’t working at left tackle. Is flipping sides enough to rectify his issues or is he just not meant to play on the outside?

Fuaga is a rookie who is changing positions. He may be a first round pick, but changing sides can be difficult for any player. He has impressed thus far and there should be a hope that continues. Saldiveri is the hope at left guard. He didn’t take an offensive snap last year.

This is all best case scenario starting. Anything other than this will pose even more questions. Being barely below average would be a bad end point. With all the unknowns around the unit, it should be viewed as a starting point though. If Fuaga can deliver on his promise, the ceiling for this unit rises much more.

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Nick Saldiveri leads Saints’ left guard battle heading into training camp

Nick Saldiveri handled most first team reps at left guard and will look to cement his place in the starting lineup at Saints training camp:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line was arguably the position filled with the most uncertainty this offseason. Some clarity has been gained after minicamp and organized team activities, but there will be three battles fought along that unit in training camp.

Nick Saldiveri seems to be in the lead to start at left guard and complete the interior unit along with Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, the only returning starters. New Orleans traded up to draft Saldiveri in the first pick of Day 3 of the 2023 draft. A year later, Andrus Peat and James Hurst are out of the picture leaving the starting left guard position vacant.

Walking out of minicamp, Saldiveri appeared to be first in line to fill that vacancy. In the second open OTA practice, he took all the first team reps. That continued until he exited with a hamstring or groin injury during minicamp that isn’t expected to sideline him through the summer. This points to him being in the lead in the battle.

Saldiveri will have to firmly clinch the starting role once pads are put on and preseason starts. He’s battling with Shane Lemieux, who he was originally splitting first team reps with. Oli Udoh will join the competition upon his return from an injury, and Lucas Patrick completes the group. The left guard position has a lot of contenders, and Nick Saldiveri stands at the top heading into training camp.

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Saints’ offensive line experiencing a youth movement in 2024

The New Orleans Saints new scheme prioritizes offensive line’s athleticism. This shift coincides with a drop in the unit’s average age:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line is going through a youth movement. By their scheme, it is necessary. Trevor Penning highlighted Klint Kubiak’s wide zone scheme for utilizing the athleticism of the offensive line. That change of direction has also coincided with the unit getting much younger. Not every change can be tied scheme, but it does feel like an intentional shift.

Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only returning starters from last season. Trevor Penning is excluded because he spent most of the season on the bench. The offensive line’s average age drops from 28.2 to 24.6 years old. Even if Shane Lemieux starts at left guard ahead of Nick Saldiveri, the average age only rises to 25.2, which would still be a 3-year drop from last year’s average age.

James Hurst was the oldest player on the line last year, and he simply didn’t fit the new offensive scheme Kubiak is installing. He was the one player who needed to be replaced. New Orleans has always valued athleticism, so the pieces were already there. Of the new starters, first round pick Taliese Fuaga is the only one who wasn’t on the roster in 2023. His experience in a similar scheme, however, may provide one of the smoother transitions to Kubiak’s offense.

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