Tag: James Hurst

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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Could the Saints make a change at left tackle ahead of Week 6 Texans game?

Could the Saints make a change at left tackle? James Hurst, not Trevor Penning, may give Dennis Allen a better shot at winning games and saving his job:

This warrants discussion: the New Orleans Saints could be making a change at left tackle ahead of Week 6’s road game with the Houston Texans. James Hurst, not Trevor Penning, may be protecting Derek Carr’s blind side on Sunday.

It would be a big change, and a disappointing turn for Penning’s storyline this season. The second-year left tackle has improved in pass protection each game he’s played, but he’s been a surprising liability in the run game, and patience has to be wearing thin for him. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill explored Penning’s shortcomings on zone-blocking plays in depth.

The Saints are fielding a highly inconsistent offense and Penning’s struggles at left tackle have created a ripple effect, and time isn’t on Dennis Allen’s side. He’s achieved a winning record as a head coach for the first time in his NFL career this season after starting at 2-0. And they’re lucky to have a 3-2 record right now after getting away with too many close wins to start the season.

If benching Penning allows the Saints to get who they feel are their best five blockers on the field — with Andrus Peat at left guard and Hurst starting at left tackle — then it’s a move they should feel confident in making. But it’s hard to read this as anything but a setback for Penning. Foot injuries cost him his rookie year. He’s made gradual improvement through his first five starts this season, which is commendable. But it’s worrisome that Penning can’t execute the blocks in space that a zone scheme like the one New Orleans wants to run. That’s something he could pick up with more reps, but as we said, Allen can’t wait forever.

So what are the other (hypothetical) impacts of swapping Hurst for Penning? The veteran shouldn’t need as much help from chip-blocking tight ends on passing plays, allowing guys like Jimmy Graham and Foster Moreau to run more routes and catch more passes. That goes for Juwan Johnson, too, whenever he’s able to return from a mysterious calf injury. If Hurst can hold up in pass protection without extra help while bringing more as a blocker on running plays while freeing up the tight ends to make more plays as receivers, that’s a move the coaching staff likely feels good about.

But what a disappointment for Penning. The Saints had high expectations when they drafted him. They’ve tried to spin the 2022 trade with the Eagles as a move to help them get Chris Olave, who has unequivocally helped upgrade the offense; but general manager Mickey Loomis said at the time that “For us, it’s an opportunity to get another good player a year ahead of time for a value that we like.”

Obviously that plan hasn’t worked out. Benching Penning and taking him out of the starting lineup may further limit his development. He’d be going into games as the sixth blocker in overload sets, averaging just 5 or 6 snaps each week, which is hardly enough reps for him to learn from. But as we said, time isn’t on Allen’s side. If benching Penning gives him a better shot at winning games and saving his job, it shouldn’t shock anyone to see a shakeup in the lineup.

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Analyzing the final Saints injury report for Week 5 at Patriots

Analyzing the final New Orleans Saints injury report for Week 5 at New England Patriots: Who’s in, who’s out, and who has a chance to play?

There’s a lot of players listed on the New Orleans Saints injury report his week — but many more New England Patriots players are on the mend. The Saints ruled out three players and said that four more are questionable for Week 5’s game, and the Patriots announced that two of their own have been pre-emptively ruled out due to injuries; with ten others being questionable to play.

If you want a quick look at the injury report, check here. But we’re going to take a deeper dive and find who is out, who is in, and who has a chance to play on Sunday:

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 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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