Tag: Ethan Greenidge

Falcons sign a third former Saints free agent in 2023

The Atlanta Falcons signed a third former New Orleans Saints free agent: backup offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge

A third New Orleans Saints free agent has signed with the Atlanta Falcons: offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge, per his representatives at EnterSports Management. Greenidge previously tried out for the Falcons after his contract with New Orleans expired in March — he lost the entire 2022 season to an injury, but before that had played some valuable snaps as a backup at left tackle. He played college football at Villanova.

So add him to the list of other former Saints to go turncloak in the NFL’s greatest rivalry. This offseason alone we’ve seen longtime Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen leave for a promotion to Atlanta’s defensive coordinator role, bringing defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss with him along the way.

And of course Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has tight connections to New Orleans as the Saints’ former pro personnel director. We should expect more departures in the future as long as he’s calling shots for Atlanta.

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Falcons signing former Saints OL Ethan Greenidge

The #Falcons are signing former #Saints offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge

The Atlanta Falcons have yet to find a new starting left guard, but the team continues to add depth along the offensive line in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.

On Monday, the team agreed to terms with free-agent offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge, according to his agent at EnterSports Management.

Greenidge, 25, previously played for the New Orleans Saints but missed all of the 2022 season after landing on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury. Prior to that, Greenidge appeared in 15 games for the Saints during the 2020 season, although he has yet to record a start.

The Falcons made a few other moves this past week, trading for Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah and signing edge rusher Bud Dupree to a one-year deal. Make sure to check out our latest Falcons starting lineup projection for the 2023 season.

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Atlanta Falcons try out another New Orleans Saints free agent

The Atlanta Falcons brought in yet another New Orleans Saints free agent for a tryout: backup offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge

Can’t the Atlanta Falcons do their own scouting? The New Orleans Saints’ biggest rivals have signed a number of Saints free agents this offseason already, and they brought in another former Saints player.

Per the daily NFL transactions wire, Atlanta hosted offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge for a tryout on Wednesday. Greenidge spent the 2022 season on injured reserve, but before that he was a backup left tackle in New Orleans. He appeared in 17 games from 2019 to 2021, including the playoffs, though he played more snaps on special teams (83) than on offense (49). He first arrived in New Orleans as an undrafted free agent out of Villanova.

The Falcons offensive line needs all the help it can get in slowing down Cameron Jordan, so Greenidge could make sense for them as more depth behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary. Atlanta general manager Terry Fontenot was a personnel executive for the Saints before taking that promotion, so it makes sense that he’s prioritizing players he thought of highly like Greenidge, Kaden Elliss, and David Onyemata in free agency.

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Saints file a dozen roster moves ahead of NFL cuts deadline

The Saints filed a dozen roster moves ahead of Tuesday’s NFL roster cuts deadline, signing three new players before joint practices with the Packers this week:

Whew: the New Orleans Saints were required to thin out their roster from 90 players to just 85 ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline, but they took it to another level by filing a dozen roster moves with the daily transactions wire. Three players have been signed ahead of this week’s joint practices and preseason game with the Green Bay Packers, while seven others have been waived (two with injury designations), a backup offensive lineman has been placed on injured reserve, and a young defensive back was released with an injury settlement. Here’s instant analysis on each move:

Saints re-sign backup offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge

The Saints are re-signing restricted free agent Ethan Greenidge, a backup offensive tackle with some experience at guard:

Here’s a good move: the New Orleans Saints brought back Ethan Greenidge for the 2022 season, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Greenidge, who will be 25 when the season starts, has been a backup left tackle for the Saints the last few years and began taking snaps at right guard during the 2021 preseason until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Now healthy, Greenidge is likely returning on a minimum salary (valued at about $965,000) rather than on a restricted free agent tender. Having some experienced depth is never a bad thing. Look for Greenidge and second-year draft pick Landon Young (who is also recovering from a season-ending injury) to compete for snaps behind the starter, whoever that may be — the Saints could re-sign Terron Armstead, keep James Hurst at left tackle, or flip All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk back to the left side, where he lined up in college. They’ve got options.

What’s interesting, though, is that the Saints are now shifting their attention to their restricted free agents. Retaining Greenidge at what should come in at near-minimum salary makes sense. New Orleans also chose not to tender another restricted free agent, tight end Garrett Griffin, and he could come back at a similar pay rate. Other Saints players in this category include wide receivers Deonte Harty and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, and defensive end Carl Granderson. If not tendered, they will become unrestricted free agents.

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Ethan Greenidge announces successful surgery for season-ending injury

Saints’ Ethan Greenidge announces successful but season-ending surgery:

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Let’s start with the good news: New Orleans Saints backup offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge and his wife Kalee announced this weekend that he underwent a successful reparative surgery on Saturday and is looking at a four- to six-month recovery process. Greenidge exited New Orleans’ second preseason game with an unspecified arm injury and did not return to action. A few days later he was designated to injured reserve.

Greenidge joins several teammates on the injured reserve list: veteran cornerback Brian Poole, defensive tackle Jalen Dalton, and rookies Dylan Soehner (a tight end from Iowa State) and Bryce Thompson (a corner-turned-safety out of Tennessee). So far none of those players have signed injury settlements that give them a chance to play for another team this season, suggesting the Saints want to rehab them and bring them back for another shot in 2022. But stay tuned for updates on this front.

And there’s the bad news — Greenidge’s 2021 season is over, which is a big disappointment for him. Because he’s going on injured reserve before the season starts, he won’t be eligible to return even after receiving a clean bill of health. He had been playing very well with the Saints at left tackle and began taking snaps at right guard to demonstrate the flexibility he needs to make the roster. Losing him hurts both the overall depth and his career arc thus far.

Hopefully he continues to stick with New Orleans. The Saints initially signed him as an undrafted rookie out of Villanova in 2019 (not long after he had successful labrum surgery), and he’s made the opening-day roster in each of his first two years as a pro — totaling just 49 snaps in 15 games, all in 2020. He was on the right track to repeating that in 2021, but now he’ll be recovering from surgery with restricted free agency ahead in 2022.

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NFL Next Gen Stats: Saints O-Line one of the most-balanced, most-effective units

The New Orleans Saints offensive line has been graded among the best by ESPN using NFL Next Gen Stats despite suffering a series of injuries

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A chart from ESPN analyst Brian Burke using NFL Next Gen Stats data proves what a lot of New Orleans Saints fans know: the Saints offensive line is one of the best in the league. ESPN’s stats for pass block win rate and run block win rate grade New Orleans highly, making them one of just a few teams to exceed in both areas of the game.

Some units are effective in one area or the other. A lot of NFL teams field bad offensive lines week in and week out. Despite suffering a series of injuries and absences — left guard Andrus Peat is questionable to return from an ankle injury, and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is expected to bounce back from a Week 4 concussion — the Saints have joined the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and New England Patriots in the top tier.

But we’ve also seen firsthand how perilous this situation can be. The Saints offense was shut down when Ramczyk was replaced by backup Ethan Greenidge in Week 4’s win over the Detroit Lions, resulting in a few scoreless drives late that helped Detroit cut into the Saints’ lead. And Peat hasn’t played as well as his backup Nick Easton when healthy. Both Easton and rookie right guard Cesar Ruiz ranked top-10 in ESPN’s pass block win rate stat going into Week 5 (as did second-year center Erik McCoy, graded best in the NFL), but Peat didn’t qualify.

That could happen as soon as in Monday night’s game with the Los Angeles Chargers, who have fielded one of the three worst offensive lines per Burke’s chart. And they’re missing starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga and right guard Trai Turner.

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Saints rule out right tackle Ryan Ramczyk with a concussion vs. Lions

The New Orleans Saints lost RT Ryan Ramczyk to a concussion in Week 4’s road game with the Detroit Lions, calling up backup Ethan Greenidge.

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The New Orleans Saints lost right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to a concussion during Week 4’s game with the Detroit Lions, and he won’t return to play after further evaluation in the locker room. They announced the change to the press box, which was shared by the FOX Sports broadcast team.

Earlier in the game, left tackle Terron Armstead had to step out for treatment in the sideline medical tent, but he returned to action. The Saints are short-handed up front with starting left guard Andrus Peat inactive with an ankle injury. Peat was one of six Saints starters to miss this game because of injury.

In Ramczyk’s place, the Saints went with backup offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge. Greenidge mostly played left tackle at Villanova in college, but he’s been training for this exact situation in his second NFL season. Backup linemen Derrick Kelly and Will Clapp have also dressed for this game, but they haven’t gone into action yet

The Saints have a comfortable lead but they can’t take anything for granted at the start of the fourth quarter. And Ramczyk’s long-term status is in doubt as he deals with a brain injury. Here’s hoping for a full recovery.

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Saints starting Patrick Omameh at left tackle in relief of Terron Armstead

The New Orleans Saints went with veteran NFL guard Patrick Omameh to start at left tackle in relief of injured All-Pro Terron Armstead.

The New Orleans Saints had a tough decision to make at left tackle, with injured starter Terron Armstead inactive after suffering a high-ankle sprain a week ago. His top backup, left guard Andrus Peat, was also inactive after having his broken arm surgically repaired a few weeks ago (veteran backup Nick Easton will get his third start in Peat’s place). The Atlanta Falcons sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees six times in their first meeting with Armstead and Peat both in the lineup, so the Saints obviously hope to turn in a better performance despite having to start multiple backups.

New Orleans had two options available between veteran guard Patrick Omameh and undrafted rookie Ethan Greenidge; facing that decision, the Saints went with the player who has the most NFL experience. Omameh has started full seasons in the NFL for several different teams at both left and right guard, but this game will be his first long-exposure look at left tackle.

Greenidge is active for the first time this year, and he figures to get on the field occasionally as a top reserve along with backup guard/center Will Clapp. Greenidge started 40-plus games in college at Villanova, largely at left tackle, so he does offer some experience in that role even if it’s been limited to the college game.

If worst comes to worst and the Falcons defensive front overruns all options (or, knock on wood, another injury strikes) the Saints can always call on all-star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to flip back to his college position on the left side. But doing so would require someone else to step into Ramczyk’s spot, which would only introduce new problems and more instability across the board. It’s why the Saints gave Omameh the start and activated Greenidge. Here’s hoping the Saints can have this game well in hand soon enough that they don’t have to consider it.

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Poll: Who should the Saints call on to replace Terron Armstead at left tackle?

The New Orleans Saints don’t lack for options to fill in for injured left tackle Terron Armstead, who is sidelined by a high-ankle sprain.

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How will the New Orleans Saints adjust to life without starting left tackle Terron Armstead? NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Armstead is out for Thursday night’s game with the Atlanta Falcons after suffering a high-ankle sprain on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, and his recovery is expected to progress on a week-to-week basis. So the Saints could be without him a while longer, which is bad news considering the San Francisco 49ers will visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in two weeks.

Fortunately, the Saints don’t lack for options to step in for Armstead. They just aren’t the preferred options. In the past, their go-to move was shifting left guard Andrus Peat over to left tackle (his college position) in Armstead’s absence. But Peat is in the middle of a six-week recovery from surgery on his broken arm, with his own backup (veteran guard Nick Easton) running in his place.

When Armstead exited Sunday’s game with the Panthers, journeyman Patrick Omameh was the initial choice. Omameh has played six years in the NFL for teams including Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants, starting full seasons at both left and right guard. That experience made him an easy choice for the Saints to name as their top backup, which is the role he’s filled this season. But he’s never played left tackle for more than a handful of snaps (as he did on Sunday in a pinch), so the Saints could look elsewhere.

It’s the same strategy they took in replacing Peat. Second-year pro Will Clapp was the preferred reserve ahead of Easton in all nine games before he was activated, but the Saints didn’t hesitate to name Easton the starter in Peat’s place ahead of Clapp thanks to his extensive experience at the position.

And there may not be a more-seasoned true left tackle on the team than Ethan Greenidge, a rookie out of Villanova. Greenidge’s collegiate career began with nine starts at left tackle as a true freshman, and he held onto the spot for 43 games (barring three appearances at right tackle as a senior). While Omameh has spent more time playing against pros in the NFL, he hasn’t done it at left tackle, which is where Greenidge might have an edge. Greenidge has been a healthy scratch in all 11 games this year, but much like Easton, could be ready for his call-up.

There’s always the possibility that the Saints flip star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to the left side. They did just that early during his rookie year, putting Ramczyk at left tackle (where he lined up in college) with longtime right tackle Zach Strief in his accustomed spot, while Armstead was working his way back from an injury. Strief went down with his own injury and forced New Orleans to put Ramczyk at right tackle ahead of schedule, but it worked out well for them.

However, asking Ramczyk to swap sides this late in the season (and for maybe as few as two or three weeks) could do more harm than good. It would require someone else stepping into the lineup on the right side, forcing veteran right guard Larry Warford to work quickly to establish communication with a new face.

One injury to Armstead shouldn’t impact multiple starting spots like that, so the Saints may need to keep a narrow focus on Omameh, Greenidge, and maybe their practice squad candidates — rookies such as Tulane’s John Leglue (who has started college games at all five positions) and Florida State’s Derrick Kelly (who the Saints tried out at right tackle during their preseason games).

For a refresher, here’s what the Saints depth chart looks like at tackle, based off the official team roster and where players have lined up this year:

  1. LT Terron Armstead (injured)
  2. RT Ryan Ramczyk
  3. LG/LT Andrus Peat (injured)
  4. LG/LT Patrick Omameh
  5. LT Ethan Greenidge (inactive in 11 games)
  6. OL John Leglue (practice squad)
  7. RT Derrick Kelly (practice squad)

Who do you think should start in Armstead’s place? Vote in the poll below and make your voice heard.

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