Tag: James Hurst

ESPN says the Saints still have a major roster hole ahead of 2024 draft

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell says the Saints have yet to address a major team need going into the 2024 NFL draft. It’s obvious they need more help at offensive tackle:

It’s hardly a surprise to see someone suggesting the New Orleans Saints aren’t good enough at offensive tackle — watching any of their games from last season will give them all the proof they need to back that statement up. Still, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell took a deeper dive than most in exploring why this is such a problem, and how the Saints can clean it up.

The good news is that the Saints have just one outgoing free agent at the position, and it shouldn’t be hard to re-sign them; the question is whether Andrus Peat will agree to return to New Orleans at a price point that makes sense for the team, or if he’ll try to find a better offer in free agency. Barnwell says that’s the easiest solution for their problem at left tackle, where Trevor Penning hasn’t met expectations.

But James Hurst had a rough year at left guard and Ryan Ramczyk’s degenerative knee condition makes leaning on him tricky. So far, the team has only added Oli Udoh, one of first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s former players on the Minnesota Vikings. Here’s how Barnwell laid it out:

Hurst and Ramczyk took pay cuts to stay as opposed to the sort of classic contract restructures the Saints use in which they pay a player in full but spread the money over five seasons. The only addition they have made on the edge is Udoh, who had served as a utility lineman for the Vikings before tearing his quadriceps muscle in September and missing most of the 2023 season. He’s more likely a replacement for Hurst as the swing lineman (with Hurst penciled in as the full-time left guard) than a potential starting tackle. Landon Young, who took over for Ramczyk in December before getting injured himself, is also on the roster.

Young was less-than-impressive when stepping in for Ramczyk, and he suffered his own injury that sidelined him for the last two weeks of the season; veteran backup Cameron Erving (an unsigned free agent, at the moment) came up from the practice squad to take his place. If nothing else, the Saints need more depth than they worked with a year ago. Signing Peat could achieve that but the Saints could have already brought him back if they viewed him as a priority. Head coach Dennis Allen has left the door open for a reunion but it doesn’t sound very likely.

So what’s the best path forward? Again, Barnwell argues, re-signing Peat could make the most sense. But it’s not the only option. Here’s what he proposes with the 2024 NFL draft on the horizon:

It would have made sense to agree to a deal with Peat before the start of the new league year to mitigate the dead money on his deal, but the Saints might have been more optimistic then about Ramczyk’s chances of being healthy. Peat’s market hasn’t developed, and there aren’t many other players left in free agency with a track record of playing left tackle. David Bakhtiari and Mekhi Becton have significant injury histories, and Peat might have been better than Charles Leno and Donovan Smith a year ago. Reuniting with Peat would also afford New Orleans the flexibility of moving Hurst to left tackle and bumping Peat back inside to guard.

The Saints also have the 14th overall pick and could use that on a tackle prospect, but would there be any hesitation on their end after seemingly swinging and missing on Penning? This organization has used five first- or second-round picks on offensive linemen going back to Peat’s selection in 2015, and while that’s a perfectly reasonable way to build a football team, they have needs elsewhere that they can’t fill with high-end veterans in free agency. At the same time, if they’ve given up on Penning and Ramczyk can’t play, they might need to re-sign Peat and use their top pick on an offensive lineman.

The Saints have invested a ton of draft capital into their offensive line over the years and going back to that well might be their best path forward. We’ll have to see if they make any more additions in free agency over the next month, or if they’re counting on one of their early-round picks (at Nos. 14 and 45 overall) to cure what ails them.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

4 potential Saints salary cap casualties in 2024

The Saints boxed themselves into a corner with so many contract restructures. They don’t have many possible cap casualties in 2024:

The New Orleans Saints are dealing with another challenging salary cap situation in 2024, but they’ve boxed themselves into a corner in at least one way: there aren’t many contracts they can tear up and save much money against the cap. Years of restructures and heavy guarantees have caught up to them and some players who aren’t meeting expectations don’t necessarily fit the description of a cap casualty. There just aren’t many players the Saints can let go and recoup many savings.

That’s not say everyone’s safe. There are some players who could be moved ahead of free agency and the 2024 NFL draft when salary cap resources matter most. With that in mind, here’s a look at some players who are in a precarious position:

Saints’ 10 worst offensive players in 2023, per PFF

These were the Saints’ 10 lowest-rated offensive players in 2023, per Pro Football Focus grading, including Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning:

The New Orleans Saints was out of sorts again in 2023, though they rallied late — managing to put some bandages over weaknesses and vulnerabilities at various position groups. But they must go into 2024 with a better plan for using the talent on this roster.

So where to start? The offensive line graded poorly across the board at Pro Football Focus, but here are the 10 players on offense (minimum 100 snaps) who received the lowest player grades from PFF:

Saints aren’t eager to explain in-game squabble between Derek Carr, Erik McCoy

The Saints are brushing off a squabble between Derek Carr and Erik McCoy. Dennis Allen says he ‘wouldn’t read too much into’ the heated altercation:

A lot happened in the New Orleans Saints’ win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday — both good and bad. But nothing caught fans’ attention more than the late-game altercation between quarterback Derek Carr and center Erik McCoy.

Carr picked himself up off the ground in a fury after being sacked by Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu, who beat right guard Cesar Ruiz to bowl Carr over as he dropped back to pass. Carr took aim at McCoy after the play, who responded in kind, and the pair had to be separated. Left guard James Hurst walled off McCoy as they returned to the sideline where backup quarterback Jameis Winston corralled Carr.

Other veterans on the team like running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. bridged the gap, and the pair eventually hashed things out together on the bench. The offense rallied to close out a 28-6 win. But there were few people in the locker room willing to discuss the incident after the game, including head coach Dennis Allen.

“These kinds of things happen on the field. I’m glad that both of them had the balls to stand up and fight,” Allen said after the game. “Guys, they get pissed. Sometimes things get emotional. I wouldn’t read too much into it. We addressed it. Let’s move on.”

Dustups do happen in pro football, but it’s unusual to see a franchise quarterback going back and forth like this with his center. The two players who touch the football on every single play should be in sync, and they clearly weren’t. Whether Carr misidentified the middle linebacker to set protection before the snap or McCoy failed to help Ruiz pick up the blitz is unclear, and they’re all more interested in moving forward than dwelling on it.

Both McCoy and Carr brushed over the issue after the game, reiterating Allen’s point that these things happen, they’re good now, and there are no divisions splitting the locker room apart (WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak shared transcripts from their postgame media availability here if you’d like to read full comments). So we aren’t likely to get any real resolution on the record any time soon.

Still: it’s near-impossible to watch this team each week, pay attention when guys are speaking on camera and into microphones, and not come away feeling that something isn’t right. Players and coaches and front office executives are not in lockstep and that discord is reflected in their losing record. Hopefully they can mend fences, build on this win, and work towards a run at the NFC South crown. There’s too much invested in these players and this coaching staff to settle for less.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints force their own fumble to give the Lions the ball

Yikes. The Saints forced their own fumble to give the Lions the ball, setting up a too-easy lead-extending touchdown:

Look, somethings the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. Sometimes your pulling guard clips the quarterback and forces a fumble right into the arms of the defense. These things happen in pro football. They just seem to happen to the New Orleans Saints more often than many other teams.

And it couldn’t have happened at a worse time on Sunday. The Saints defense held the Lions offense to a short field goal and got off the field at the start of the fourth quarter, only for disaster to strike. Left guard James Hurst right hand accidentally struck Derek Carr’s hands as he received the snapped ball from center Erik McCoy, interrupting the exchange. Carr lost his grip on the ball and it bounced away and into the hands of the Lions defense.

That let the Lions offense set up shot on the New Orleans 26-yard line. A Jahmyr Gibbs run got them into the red zone, and a creative Jameson Williams end-around reverse sent the speedy receiver rocketing into the end zone for a lead-extending touchdown.

It’s near-impossible to win football games when your team is making these kind of mistakes and compounding them with bad luck. But that’s been the story of Dennis Allen’s team far too often.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints upgrade three starters on Week 12 injury report vs. Falcons

Saints upgrade two starters on Week 12 injury report vs. Falcons

Here’s some good news: the New Orleans Saints upgraded three starters on their Week 12 injury report, suggesting quarterback Derek Carr and left guard James Hurst will play against the Atlanta Falcons, as will right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

Carr cleared concussion protocol and was a full participation at practice after receiving treatment earlier in the week. Hurst missed practice on Wednesday dealing with an illness but returned to a full day of reps on Thursday. Ramczyk, who had been out with his usual veteran’s rest day, practiced on a limited basis. Rookie defensive end Isaiah Foskey (quad) was also limited.

Just two Saints players were not participating on Wednesday and Thursday: starting cornerback Marshon Lattimore and rookie running back Kendre Miller, both managing ankle injuries.

Here’s the full injury report from Thursday for both teams:

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

This two-round 2024 mock draft has the Saints prioritizing the line of scrimmage

This two-round 2024 mock draft has the Saints prioritizing the line of scrimmage, starting with finding Bryan Bresee’s new tag-team partner:

Mock drafts are all the rage, and the bye week presents a good opportunity for New Orleans Saints fans to take a look at which prospects are impressing ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. We’ve got a two-round projection from Curt Popejoy over at Draft Wire, who has the Saints investing their first-round pick on Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III.

Taylor is a perfect fit at a listed 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, and he’s disruptive with 22.5 tackles for loss in his 28-game career thus far. Bryan Bresee looks like the real deal and pairing him with someone like Taylor could set the Saints up at defensive tackle for years to come. They could lose Malcolm Roach in free agency in the spring which opens a slot in the rotation. Nathan Shepherd has played the most snaps at defensive tackle this season but he’s going to turn 31 next year in the second year of his three-year contract. Adding Taylor could help the Saints get younger and faster up front.

But the Saints’ pick in the second round of this mock draft would be a good get, too. Popejoy has them taking Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at the No. 45 pick coming back from the Denver Broncos. Fautanu is someone we highlighted in our own recent five-round projection as someone who could help the Saints out at either left tackle or left guard, where things are very uncertain moving forwards.

Andrus Peat has looked like their best player at left tackle after taking over for Trevor Penning after he was benched, but he’s a free agent in the spring, and James Hurst hasn’t been that impressive at either spot. Maybe Fautanu can help the Saints figure out a long-term plan at one of those positions. Either way, the Saints are not winning at the line of scrimmage often enough on either side of the ball this season, and it’s clear that they should continue to invest in their offensive and defensive lines to get better up front.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

James Hurst (ankle) won’t return, Trevor Penning re-enters vs. Texans

Saints say James Hurst (ankle) questionable to return after injury, Trevor Penning re-enters at left tackle vs. Texans

Welcome back, Trevor Penning. The New Orleans Saints left tackle re-entered the starting lineup after James Hurst left Sunday’s game with the Houston Texans due to an injury. Hurst was rolled up on by other players during a play and needed assistance to leave the field for evaluation in the blue medical tent on the sideline; he was later transported to the locker room for further treatment on a medical cart.

The Saints announced that Hurst was questionable to return after injuring his ankle. They had previously decided to bench Penning for this game in favor of Hurst, who started at left tackle last season, envisioning Andrus Peat moving back to his old spot at left guard (where Hurst had been playing). But Peat suffered a strained groin muscle in practice late this week, so neither of the starters at left tackle nor left guard ended up playing against the Texans as the Saints planned.

The only other available linemen in Houston include rookie draft pick Nick Saldiveri and Peat, who the team activated but did not start. They must feel confident he can play on short notice but not fur an entire game. Stay tuned for updates on Hurst’s status.

Update: The Saints downgraded Hurst and announced that he would not return against the Texans due to his injury.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints shake up their offensive line with two new starters vs. Texans

Saints shake up their offensive line with two new starters vs. Texans

The New Orleans Saints shook up their offensive line with two new starters in Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans: James Hurst at left tackle and Max Garcia at left guard. Hurst had been starting at guard but poor performance by left tackle Trevor Penning prompted the coaching staff to make a change.

Garcia getting the starting nod is a little odd. Andrus Peat had been expected to start at his old left guard spot with Hurst moving to tackle, but a groin strain injury held him out of practice on Friday and likely impacted this decision. Peat was active on Sunday so the coaching staff must have believed he would be healthy enough to play in a pinch, but not to start an entire game.

It’s an odd choice to shake up the line this much coming off a 34-0 shutout win where the offense finally seemed to get its act together. But head coach Dennis Allen doesn’t have the luxury of time on his side, and he can’t wait for Penning to develop into a reliable starter at left tackle. Allen’s team had to fight and claw its way to a poor 7-10 finish last season and the 3-2 record he took into Week 6 on Sunday was the best of his career to this point in the season. Hopefully Penning can watch and learn and still turn into a player who can help this offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Dennis Allen met with left tackle Trevor Penning to discuss his role

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen had a sit-down meeting this week with left tackle Trevor Penning to discuss his role in the offense:

The New Orleans Saints have struggled mightily with their offensive line play this season, and some of that burden falls onto second-year left tackle Trevor Penning. While the offensive line has improved the last two weeks, that has come primarily in the form of scheme changes to help out Penning, such as lining a tight end to his outside to help take some pressure off of him.

Regardless, Penning’s struggles have been obvious to any who have watched the Saints this year. Through five games, he has given up 14 pressures, 3 sacks, and has drawn 4 penalties. That ends up being roughly one pressure per every 24 snaps.

This week, the Saints are looking to change up the offensive line, putting Andrus Peat back at left guard and James Hurst at left tackle. This will move Penning out of the starting rotation, and could end up causing issues with his development long term.

The Times-Picayune’s Jeff Duncan reported Sunday morning that Dennis Allen had a meeting with Penning earlier in the week, discussing why this move is taking place.

It is a good sign overall that Allen was able to talk to Penning about this move, and discuss why it may be in the best interest of the team this season. However, moving Penning out of the starting lineup is relatively controversial, as it could end up hurting him in the long run to not get snaps for some of his first full season. We will see how it pans out, but for now, Penning will seemingly not be in the starting lineup.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]