James Hurst – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Saints OL Andrus Peat returns to practice for first time since late July

New Orleans Saints guard Andrus Peat returned to practice for the first time since late July against the Chargers | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints have been without veteran offensive guard Andrus Peat after he went down with a quad injury in late July, during the team’s fifth training camp practice. He returned to practice for the first time on Thursday morning for a joint session against the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of their preseason game on Sunday night.

Peat is in the middle of a position battle with former starter James Hurst. Hurst is moving inside with the emergence of Trevor Penning at left tackle. Saints fans have a complicated history with Peat, but the former first-round pick is an important player to have healthy. Even if he doesn’t keep a starting job, experienced and at least serviceable offensive lineman are hard to come by in the NFL.

Now, Peat and Hurst are both healthy and able to fully battle it out.

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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;

Important Saints position battles to watch in preseason Week 1

The preseason is where position battles are decided. Cornerback and left guard are just two of the intense battles to watch in Saints vs. Chiefs | @southexclusives

The preseason is best for getting young players experience and deciding position battles. These battles won’t be decided in the first week of action, but players can begin to separate themselves from the pack. The New Orleans Saints have a couple of intense position battles currently raging at training camp, which will come to a head Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are the areas you need to keep an eye on and the players you need to watch in each phase of the game:

Must-watch Saints players on offense in preseason Week 1

There’s a lot on the line for some New Orleans Saints players in Week 1 of the preseason. This is the competition for roster spots heats up on offense | @southexclusives

We’ve outlined the defensive players to watch in the first preseason game against the Chiefs this Sunday. The offense has a few players to watch as well. A lot of attention will be placed on watching if Derek Carr and his weapons are in sync. There are other players who come into Week 1 looking to capitalize on an opportunity or continue their momentum.

Here are players you should pay close attention to on offense:

Grading Bleacher Report’s preseason trade ideas for the New Orleans Saints

Grading Bleacher Report’s preseason trade ideas for the New Orleans Saints: Two duds and one smart move

We’re still a ways off from the uptick of trades and roster moves that follow NFL preseason games, but Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine shared a list of trade proposals for every team to consider while they’re still in training camp — including the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were a popular choice of trade partner in this speculation with three different player-pick swaps suggested. Let’s grade each of them:

Saints say Trevor Penning ‘day to day’ with new foot injury, could return Friday

Saints coach Dennis Allen says left tackle Trevor Penning is ‘day to day’ with new foot injury, could return for Friday practice open to fans:

There are high expectations on left tackle Trevor Penning in his second New Orleans Saints training camp, with the former first-round pick expected to win a starting job from veteran blocker James Hurst. But Penning was held out of Thursday’s practice session on just the second day of camp with a new foot injury.

Penning injured both feet in his rookie season, starting the year on injured reserve after a serious case of turf toe required surgery, and ending the season with a Lisfranc fracture in his other foot. This new ailment is unrelated to either of them. His absence is frustrating for Saints fans, but it isn’t bothering head coach Dennis Allen.

“Not related to the previous surgery, really minor,” Allen said after practice. “Probably more of a precaution to keep him out today.”

Allen described Penning’s status as “Just day to day, I expect he’ll be out here tomorrow or the next day, but we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow.”

As was the case with Penning’s predecessor Terron Armstead, rare movement skills for players their size take a toll on the body. It’s tough to support 325 pounds while maintaining elite athleticism. While he didn’t have much of an injury history at the college level, these things could trail Penning throughout his pro career just like they did Armstead. All he can do is work closely with the team training staff to manage it as best he can. Keep an eye out for him when fans are welcomed to observe their first Saints training camp session tomorrow on Friday, July 28.

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25 most important Saints of 2023: No. 22 James Hurst

25 most important Saints of 2023: James Hurst clocks in at No. 22, but will he be playing tackle or guard in the fall? | @DillySanders

The 2023 NFL offseason is in full swing, and with that, training camps edge ever closer to starting. We have seen a new wave of players enter the team both via the draft and free agency, but there is also a large group of returning players from last season as well. This has led to some debates to be had regarding which players will have the largest impact on the roster for the 2023 season.

Each day we will be counting down the 25 most important Saints for the 2023 season. This will be split up into the following categories:

Recap of their 2022 season
Projecting their 2023 success
What is the biggest question mark for them in 2023?

The 22nd-ranked player by the Saints Wire staff is a veteran tackle, entering his fourth season in New Orleans. He was a long time backup in Baltimore that got thrust into a starting role for the Saints, but he might be falling back down the depth chart this season.

74 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 74 for New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints will kick off their 2023 regular season against the Tennessee Titans at home in the Caesars Superdome on Sept. 10, which is now 74 days away.

We’ll be counting down the days until kickoff by looking back on every Saints player who wore the corresponding jersey number.

Former Saints defensive lineman Derland Moore (1973-1985) wore No. 74 well for a long time as one of the team’s first star players in their early days, and in the modern era it was prominently used by offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod (2007-2012, 2018). It currently belongs to James Hurst (with the team since 2020), a versatile starter at both tackle and guard. Here’s the full list from Pro Football Reference:

Bleacher Report’s Saints trade proposal would be wildly irresponsible

Bleacher Report’s New Orleans Saints trade proposal would be wildly irresponsible. Whittling down their offensive line depth wouldn’t be wise:

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This New Orleans Saints trade proposal at Bleacher Report missed the mark. While listing trade candidates for every team around the league after the June 1 deadline, B/R’s Kristopher Knox suggested the Saints move starting left tackle James Hurst so they can save some salary cap space — when they’re already under the cap by more than $11 million, ranking in the top half of the NFL.

Knox wrote:

The New Orleans Saints used the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft on offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who appeared to be the team’s left tackle of the future. However, Penning didn’t see the field until November because of a foot injury, and he made just a single start.

The Saints are still very high on the 24-year-old, though, and should finally get an extended look at him in 2023.

“The sky’s the limit in terms of what he can do,” head coach Dennis Allen said, per Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. “He’s big, he’s physical, I love his play demeanor. He’s athletic for a guy his size. We’re excited about the player.”

With Penning set to take over on the left side, New Orleans should seriously consider trading James Hurst, who started 36 games for the Saints over the last three seasons. While he could be a valuable depth piece, he’s also 31 years old and entering the final year of his current contract.

Because of New Orleans’ propensity for kicking contract dollars down the road, the Saints are projected to be $77.3 million over the cap next offseason. It’s virtually impossible to see a scenario in which Hurst returns, and trading him now would save $5.5 million in 2023 cap space.

The Saints would recoup $3.25 million in 2024 salary cap space by trading Hurst now, but that’s something they’ll worry about in 2024. Keeping Hurst in the building whether or not he’s starting at left tackle is worth the price. Until Penning can prove he can hold up and start 17 games (plus postseason matchups) and play at a high level, they need a real insurance policy here.

Frankly, the offensive line performed too poorly last year to let veteran depth walk away. Saving a little more cap space when they’re already well in the clear would be wildly irresponsible. There are too many young players and guys managing injuries to move on from Hurst unless another team badly overpays, and that isn’t a realistic expectation.

And Hurst has positional versatility to line up everywhere, which is important when starting guards Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz are both returning from injuries, too. Even if he isn’t starting in Week 1 at left tackle, odds are strong that Hurst will start games for the Saints in games later in the season, either at tackle or inside at guard. That was his role when the Saints first signed him to back up Terron Armstead.

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Trevor Penning dubbed Saints’ biggest X-factor in 2023

PFF dubbed Trevor Penning the New Orleans Saints’ biggest X-factor in 2023. It’s time to see what he can do to help the team, via @DillySanders:

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The New Orleans Saints made a huge splash in the 2022 NFL Draft after taking both Chris Olave and Trevor Penning in the first round, sacrificing their first round pick in 2023 in doing so. While Olave has clearly worked out, the jury is still more than out on Penning.

No one expected him to start at left tackle last season, but an early injury really stunted his rookie season development window. He wasn’t able to reach 200 snaps played last season before going down with another injury, but he’s been participating at minicamp practices while finishing his recovery.

Pro Football Focus lists Penning as the X-Factor for the Saints success this season, with this reasoning:

He showed flashes of his natural aggressiveness, posting an 80.2 run-blocking grade. His 38.7 pass-blocking grade is ugly, but it rises to 56.2 if you discard an ugly first appearance against San Francisco. Penning has talent and could change the look of this offensive line if he holds up well in pass protection. He’ll have to compete with James Hurst (63.2 overall), but the opportunity is there for the taking.

Having Penning emerge as a starting-level left tackle would be massive for the team. At just 24 years old, finding a lock down left tackle for the foreseeable future helps the immediate team and for years to come.

He did go through some growing pains, which can be expected from any rookie, but overall I think looked solid in his first year without having as much time to train while healthy as most rookies. It’ll be exciting to see what he can do with a full offseason and preseason process. His run blocking was immediately impressive, but needs to grow as a pass blocker.

It would be smart to throw him into the lineup next year and see how he does before going back to James Hurst. Hurst is an okay depth piece that can be serviceable as a starter, but you know what he is at this point in his career. It’s time to see what Penning can do to help the team.

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