Tag: Cesar Ruiz

Just one player upgraded on second Saints injury report vs. Bucs

Just one player upgraded their practice status on the second Saints injury report for Week 4’s Bucs game. Four projected starters remained sidelined:

Just one player upgraded their practice status on the second New Orleans Saints injury report for Week 4’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: tight end Foster Moreau, who participated on a limited basis after being held out Wednesday with an ankle injury.

Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk and tight end Jimmy Graham were given veteran’s rest days on Wednesday as well but both practiced fully on Thursday and were removed from in the injury report altogether.

That means four projected starters remained sidelined, including starting quarterback Derek Carr, though he’s expected to miss this game after injuring his throwing shoulder last week. Still, it’s possible the Saints could throw him into the game after catching up on rest throughout the week.

Here’s what we learned from both the Saints and the Buccaneers on Thursday, with changes to the injury report listed in bold text:

Underperforming Saints offensive line has more tough sledding ahead of them

The New Orleans Saints offensive line has struggled this year, and they have more tough sledding ahead in the next two weeks | @southexclusives

The struggles of the New Orleans Saints offensive line has been the biggest storyline of the team’s season. The opposing defensive line has won the battle in the running and passing game, and it’s been the biggest impediment to the Saints offense. New Orleans has allowed a dozen sacks in just three games. The complaints about the line only grew after Derek Carr’s injury. 

Unfortunately, the Saints won’t get a reprieve from in the near future. Their next two games feature more difficult tests for the struggling unit. This Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town. They have 9 sacks on the season with trench players like Shaquil Barret and Vita Vea who can wreck the game on any play. 

The following week the Saints travel to face New England Patriots defensive end Matthew Judon. Judon currently has the fourth-most sacks in the league and he lines up on both sides of the formation, so both Trevor Penning and Ryan Ramczyk are going to be tested.

Both games provide their challenges. It’ll be on the Saints offensive line to improve as they stare down two difficult challenges with a backup quarterback behind them. Highly-paid veterans like Ramczyk and center Erik McCoy can’t continue to be liabilities when they’re expected to be cornerstones.

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Saints say starting right guard Cesar Ruiz still in concussion protocol

Saints head coach Dennis Allen was short on updates for starting right guard Cesar Ruiz, only saying that he is still in concussion protocol:

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared a positive update on injured quarterback Derek Carr, but he was short on updates for the team’s other significant loss on Sunday: starting right guard Cesar Ruiz.

Ruiz left the game after logging just 18 snaps and entered the NFL’s concussion protocol, and Allen said that the team will be monitoring his progress throughout the days ahead.

“He’s in the protocol,” Allen responded when asked about Ruiz’s status, repeating, “He’s in the protocol. So we’ll see how he does this week.”

His absence required some big changes up front. The Saints moved starting left guard James Hurst to Ruiz’s spot on the right side, with former starter Andrus Peat returning to his place on the left side. Both of them allowed pressure in this loss to the Green Bay Packers. The entire Saints offensive line has been a problem this year, but Ruiz has arguably been their most reliable player up front. Losing him is an obvious challenge for a unit that’s already underperforming.

Concussions are worrisome injuries for all football players, but especially offensive linemen. There’s good reasons for them wearing specialized helmets into games and pioneering the padded Guardian caps at training camp: they experience more head trauma more often than any other position group. Ruiz got into the lineup during his 2020 rookie year when veteran guard Nick Easton was sidelined by a series of concussions which ultimately cut his career short.

You hope he doesn’t miss much time, but at the same time Ruiz needs to take all the time he needs to recover even if the team is missing him. His long-term health is what’s most important here. He just signed a four-year contract extension with the Saints and both sides should have every intention of him playing it all the way through.

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Saints injury situation worsens as Cesar Ruiz exits Packers game early

Saints injury situation worsens as right guard Cesar Ruiz exits Packers game early with a concussion

The New Orleans Saints offensive line not getting any help as emerging star guard Cesar Ruiz exited the game early. The team announced that he would not return due to suffering a concussion.

To account for the loss, the Saints have seen former Pro Bowler Andrus Peat enter the game at left guard and James Hurst move over to the right guard where Ruiz was. The Saints will be left with just Max Garcia, interior, and Landon Young, tackle, as their available depth.

The offensive line had been off to a rough start this year and have given up two sacks so far early in this one. Ruiz signed a 4-year, $46 million extension earlier in September after showing great improvement in his play from earlier in his career.

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Saints, Cesar Ruiz reach agreement on 4-year contract extension

The Saints and Cesar Ruiz reached an agreement on a 4-year contract extension making him the league’s 6th highest-paid right guard:

This is good to see: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints cut a last-minute deal with right guard Cesar Ruiz on a four-year contract extension valued at up to $46 million, carrying $30 million in guarantees. It’s a well-earned reward for a young player who broke out last season and built on that momentum throughout the summer.

Ruiz will be the sixth-highest paid right guard in the NFL at $11.5 million in average per year pay, which tells us the Saints are expecting him to continue to develop into a quality player for them up front. Here are the right guards earning more per year than him:

  1. Chris Lindstrom (Atlanta Falcons): $20.5 million
  2. Zack Martin (Dallas Cowboys): $18.4 million
  3. Brandon Scherff (Jacksonville Jaguars): $16.5 million
  4. Wyatt Teller (Cleveland Browns): $14.2 million
  5. Shaquille Mason (Houston Texans): $11.6 million

Ruiz only allowed 3 sacks and 14 total pressures last season during 14 starts, drawing just 3 penalty flags — with 2 fouls coming when he was lined up at center instead of right guard. If he can stay healthy and continue to improve this could turn out to be a great investment for the Saints. Ruiz was also one of the team’s top pending free agents for 2024, so it made sense to get this deal done now and take him off the board.

It’s also the second last-minute extension they’ve hammered out with an offensive lineman in as many years. Last September the Saints and Erik McCoy agreed on a five-year, $60 million extension that made him the league’s sixth-highest paid center in average per year pay ($12 million). Now both interior linemen are signed through 2028.

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Saints should look to improve offensive line depth after roster cuts

The NFL roster cut deadline is quickly approaching. After the deadline, the Saints should still actively seek out improved offensive line depth | @southexclusives

The New Orleans Saints must cut down their roster to 53 players by Tuesday’s deadline at 3 p.m. CT. A lot of attention will rightfully be on the players the Saints release or retain, but the players who are waived around the league should be watched as well. The initial 53-man roster will quickly change as the Saints solidify their roster. They will, not only, evaluate players who were released from other teams but also likely acquire a few.

One place in specific the Saints should look for reinforcements is the offensive line. The Saints have a problem with depth in that position group. The Saints could use a center, guard, and tackle. New Orleans knew this was an issue when they added Trai Turner and Max Garcia in the offseason. Unfortunately, Turner suffered a season-ending injury and Garcia hasn’t impressed as highly as hoped. This is still an issue.

That second unit struggled mightily during the preseason. It has become increasingly evident each week. Imagine if Cesar Ruiz or Ryan Ramcyzk went down with an injury, the step down would be potentially devastating for the New Orleans offense. The Saints should evaluate every offensive lineman let go around the league to see if they can provide value to the offensive line depth.

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Several Saints starters return to practice, but some preseason standouts exit with injuries

Several Saints starters returned to practice on Tuesday, but some preseason standouts exited with injuries:

Tuesday’s New Orleans Saints practice session was a mixed bag. The team held a brief practice session after a late-night flight back home following their preseason game with the Los Angeles Chargers. We’ve got good news and bad news.

Let’s start with the positives: multiple starters who have been sidelined by injuries returned to work Tuesday, including star linebacker Demario Davis. Now the negatives. Several fan-favorite standouts from the preseason games either missed practice altogether or had to leave early with injuries of their own — including multiple groin injuries. These soft-tissue injuries have been a point of emphasis for the medical training staff in recent years, so it’s odd that the Saints are dealing with so many of them at once so late in the offseason.

Here’s the latest on each player at Tuesday’s practice session:

Saints offensive line praised by experts after preseason Week 1

The Saints offensive line was masterful on their only drive against the chiefs. Experts and fans praised this performance on social media | @southexclusives

The New Orleans Saints first-team offense was the talk of the first week of preseason games. In Derek Carr’s single drive, he led the team down the field for a touchdown pass. Carr spread the ball around in a way that showcased the amount of viable threats Saints possess. Alvin Kamara looked good on the ground and in the receiving game.

But a lot of attention was focused on the impressive Saints offensive line. The offensive line typically flies under the radar when discussing exciting offense, but not this time. The front line was amazing clearing room for Kamara on the ground and protecting Carr. The touchdown pass is a perfect example as Carr had more than enough time to go through three reads before landing on Keith Kirkwood.

Many experts on social media took notice as well, highlighting the growth of second-year left tackle Trevor Penning and his teammates;

Saints claim former Packers guard Chuck Filiaga off the waiver wire

The Saints were awarded former Packers guard Chuck Filiaga after claiming him on the waiver wire, reuniting Cesar Ruiz with one of his old teammates:

Wednesday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire reports that the New Orleans Saints were awarded former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Chuck Filiaga after claiming him on the waiver wire — a move that reunites Cesar Ruiz with one of his old teammates.

Filiaga signed with Green Bay as a rookie free agent after the 2023 NFL draft, having transferred to Minnesota after beginning his college career at Michigan. He played both guard spots in Ann Arbor on either side of Ruiz, the Wolverines’ former center, but Minnesota started him at right guard for 13 games last season. Pro Football Focus credited Filiaga with allowing just 2 sacks on 682 snaps in pass protection while drawing 7 penalty flags on his 1,525 career reps at the college level.

The 25-year-old from Aledo, Texas enters a suddenly-crowded competition in New Orleans, but there are plenty of snaps to go around while starting left guard Andrus Peat continues to recover from a strained quadriceps muscle. Filiaga joins Tommy Kraemer and Koda Martin as recent additions to the depth chart at guard, along with Max Garcia (who is also pushing rookie center Alex Pihlstrom to back up Erik McCoy), Mark Evans II, Lewis Kidd, and Calvin Throckmorton. They’re all competing for one or two roster spots up for grabs behind Peat, Ruiz, and rookie fourth-round draft pick Nick Saldiveri.

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Added competition could lead to change at offensive guard this year

Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz are entering the last year of their contracts. Their short- and long-term future with the Saints will be decided this year | @southexclusives

Offensive guard is a position that enters New Orleans Saints training camp with short-term and long-term intrigue. Your starters from last season, Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz, both return from injuries. They’re each entering the final year of their contract as well. The team placed an emphasis on building depth in this room in the offseason by adding veterans Trai Turner and Max Garcia. Turner suffered a season-ending injury but the intention to improve was there.

The marquee depth piece added was Nick Saldiveri, picked early in the fourth round of this year’s draft. He might not be just a backup, at least not for long. Could he push Peat for the starting job at left guard? Possibly, though he played right tackle in college. If not this year, Saldiveri will likely be in the running next year and beyond for a starting job. Ruiz seems to be more steady in his spot after hitting his stride in 2022. Peat, however, doesn’t have that same level of comfort after injuries and inconsistent play marred his career.

James Hurst is a wild card here. He’s a left tackle who has filled in at both guard spots before. If Trevor Penning can hold down the left tackle spot, there’s a chance Hurst might compete inside. Here are the guards currently rostered after Turner’s injury: