Tag: landon young

Little potential for compensatory draft picks in the Saints’ 2025 forecast

Experts see little potential for compensatory draft picks in the Saints’ 2025 forecast. Mickey Loomis must make the most of his choices in 2024:

It’s been good to see the New Orleans Saints changing their valuation of compensatory draft picks in recent years. Acquiring extra draft picks in exchange for losing free agents to other teams has worked out for them. Just look at their past history:

  • 2021: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 105) and six (218)
  • 2022: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 101)
  • 2023: Comp pick in round seven (No. 257)

And while the Saints expect to continue that trend in 2024 (they’re projected to receive three extra picks in the fifth round, per Over The Cap) the forecast for 2025 isn’t looking very favorable. Remember, teams are awarded comp picks in the following year’s draft based off the current year’s free agency results. And New Orleans simply lacks many players who are seen as desirable qualifiers.

OTC’s Nick Korte explains:

The Saints remain devoted to keeping core players on their roster, no matter how much they amortize the cap dollars associated with their contracts to do so. This regularly leaves them with few CFA worthy players hitting free agency. But on the other hand, filling up on incumbent players also tends to make them avoid free agency. In the past couple of seasons this has generated some comp picks for them, but typically they do not care much about them, and this could be one of those seasons where they revert to their mean.

Many of the Saints’ top players expected to become available will not qualify for the comp picks formula: guys like Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas, and Andrus Peat. It’s possible that backups on defense earn better opportunities and higher salaries elsewhere, but any signings the Saints make could balance out the losses (and possible comp picks) for defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, linebacker Zack Baun, or cornerback Isaac Yiadom.

So that means the Saints must make the most of their comp picks while they have them. And fans should expect them to be traded. The Saints have traded every comp pick they’ve received in the last three years:

  • Both third-round comp picks in 2021 were packaged in a trade to move up and pick cornerback Paulson Adebo
  • The seventh-round comp pick in 2021 was traded in a move up for offensive tackle Landon Young
  • Both third-round comp picks in 2022 were traded; No. 98 was used to move up for wide receiver Chris Olave, while No. 101 was traded in the package of picks used to get another first rounder, which became left tackle Trevor Penning
  • And the seventh-round comp pick in 2023 was packaged with tight end Adam Trautman in a trade up, targeting wide receiver A.T. Perry

So this tells us that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis tends to view comp picks as trade ammunition more than anything else. He’s known as an aggressive wheeler-and-dealer on draft day, and recent history lays out his go-to strategy very clearly. We’ll see if the trend continues in 2024, but the Saints may not have the promise of extra picks to lean on in 2025, depending on how free agency plays out this March.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Dennis Allen shares injury updates on multiple Saints players after Bucs win

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared injury updates on Alvin Kamara and other players who exited Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The black and gold came away with a win, but not without cost: several players exited the game with injuries of varying severity. Afterwards, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared updates on Alvin Kamara and those other players who left Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though it may take some time before we know for certain when they’ll be able to return to the lineup.

Here’s what we do know after Allen spoke with the media after the final whistle:

Alvin Kamara among 3 Saints players ruled out vs. Bucs with injuries

RB Alvin Kamara is among 3 Saints players ruled out vs. Buccaneers with injuries, along with RT Landon Young and LB Nephi Sewell:

Of course it couldn’t be as easy for the New Orleans Saints as to walk in and out of Tampa Bay with a win over the Buccaneers. The team shared updates on several players who exited the game with injuries early in the fourth quarter — including Alvin Kamara.

After being initially ruled questionable to return, the Saints announced that Kamara would not return due to an ankle injury. That’s also the case for right tackle Landon Young, who suffered a knee injury while starting in relief of Ryan Ramczyk. A third Saints player, backup linebacker Nephi Sewell, also injured his knee on a non-contact play but was immediately ruled out.

It’s been a costly afternoon for New Orleans. The Saints have dominated in all phases but they’re losing some key players. Hopefully these downgrades for Kamara and Young are just precautionary; if the Saints are going to have any hope of winning a playoff seed they’ll need all hands on deck in the regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons next week.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints place right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, ending his season

The New Orleans Saints placed starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, ending his season with just two games left before the playoffs:

The New Orleans Saints placed starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, very likely ending his season. There are just two games left in the regular season so the only way Ramczyk could get back on the field is if the Saints win those last two matchups as well as a couple of playoff games. That’s easier said than done, especially without him in the lineup.

This is a tough loss, even if fans haven’t seen Ramczyk play up to his usual standards before missing the last two games because of this injury. But it seemed to be coming after Ramczyk recently opened up to reporters about the seriousness of his injury. He has a degenerative knee condition that’s resulted in cartilage loss which may leave him with lifelong problems in the joint. He’ll explore all of his options in the offseason, including surgery and, potentially, an early retirement.

In the meantime, look for the Saints to continue to start Landon Young at the right tackle spot. The former Kentucky left tackle has learned to play on the right side with New Orleans over the last few years and has been a serviceable backup in recent weeks, with Cameron Erving backing him up from the practice squad. But if this is it for Ramczyk, the Saints may need to look into a long-term solution at right tackle.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

This player will be making his Saints debut against the Rams on TNF

Cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles will be making his Saints debut against the Rams on TNF after being called up from the practice squad:

Here’s a cool story. Cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles will be making his New Orleans Saints debut against the Los Angeles Rams after being called up from the practice squad in time for Thursday night’s prime time game, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Brooke Kirchhofer. Jean-Charles wears the No. 38 jersey for the Saints.

Jean-Charles signed with the New Orleans practice squad a few weeks ago and earned the opportunity to show what he can do, likely starting out on special teams before working his way onto the field with the defense. But we’ll have to wait and see what the team’s vision is for him. He’s an interesting player as an undersized cornerback who doesn’t fit their usual athletic thresholds; we’ll see if those limitations affect him or if he’s able to make plays in spite of it.

But he isn’t the only player coming up from the practice squad for this matchup. The Saints also elevated offensive lineman Cameron Erving (No. 77), who started at right tackle in Ryan Ramczyk’s absence earlier this year. They went with Landon Young in that role last week against the New York Giants so it’s likely Erving will be backing up Young again on Thursday night. Stay tuned for pregame warmups and confirmation of who’s lining up where as the first- and second-string units make their final walkthroughs.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Andrus Peat probable to return vs. Lions with hand injury

Andrus Peat is out with an injury. He was replaced by Landon Young at left tackle, not Trevor Penning.

New Orleans Saints left tackle Andrus Peat has went back to the locker room with what the team announced was a hand injury. Peat has dealt with injuries earlier in the season that led to him missing some time, but he’s played every snap in the last five games after taking over from Trevor Penning at left tackle.

And it was Landon Young who replaced him at left tackle, despite typically being a right tackle in the NFL. Young hasn’t played much this year. Penning remains on the bench despite being the starting left tackle and their 2022 first-round draft pick. Saints head coach Dennis Allen says they want him to learn from the bench. When injuries occur and Penning still doesn’t see the field, it feels less like a learning experience.

The Saints shared that Peat was probable to return, but look for Young, not Penning, to continue filling in during his absence.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Backup left tackle Landon Young (knee) returns to Saints practice

Landon Young returned to Saints practice on Monday, having sat out a few weeks resting a knee injury. He brings important depth at both tackle spots:

This is good to see. The New Orleans Saints welcomed third-year offensive tackle Landon Young back to practice on Monday; he had been out for several weeks resting a knee injury. He was a candidate to start the season on injured reserve but the team wanted to give him time to try out his knee before putting him on ice for four weeks. It seems like he’ll be able to dodge that.

Young has been an important depth player for the Saints at both tackle spots. He played exclusively on the left side in college at Kentucky before being picked in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft, and the team cross-trained him at right tackle last season to see if he could be a viable backup for Ryan Ramczyk.

And that’s likely his role moving into the fall. Young can (hypothetically) fill in at either tackle spot in relief of Ramczyk or Trevor Penning, though it remains to be seen whether he can hold up for an extended look in the starting lineup. He’s only started four games in his career: 2021’s road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles (in which he suffered a season-ending injury) and 2022 matchups with the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers at home, also playing the majority of snaps in last season’s rematch with Philly. Two of those games have been at left tackle and the other two on the right side.

The Saints must be feeling optimistic after his return to practice. They released another backup lineman from the practice squad in Mark Evans II, one of their highest-valued rookie free agents. That leaves them with Trevor Penning expected to start at left tackle against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and Young as his backup, though Andrus Peat or James Hurst is an option depending on how heavily they want to shake up the line in the event of an injury. Veteran right tackle Storm Norton is also still on the roster as a backup for Ramczyk.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints offensive line depth takes another hit with Landon Young injury

The Saints offensive line depth took another hit with Landon Young’s injury, which Dennis Allen says is an MCL sprain:

The hits keep coming for the New Orleans Saints offensive line, which is going to be without Landon Young while he recovers from a knee injury suffered at Friday’s training camp practice. Young went down late in team drills at the Caesars Superdome with what head coach Dennis Allen said was an MCL sprain, though Young needs to complete further evaluations to determine the severity.

In a best-case scenario, Young could expect to return in as many as three weeks, missing the Saints’ preseason games but in time for their Week 1 home opener with the Tennessee Titans. If it’s a severe strain, Young could need four or more weeks to recover. The good news is that these injuries rarely require surgery.

Still, it’s a tough break for a unit that’s already been banged up to start the season. The Saints had to put starting left guard Andrus Peat on ice early in training camp with a quadriceps injury, which followed a season-ending injury to his backup Trai Turner. Other backups Scott Lashley (a right tackle) and Koda Martin (a guard) were also waived with injury designations, and rookie draft pick Nick Saldiveri has missed time this summer managing his own ailments.

Young primarily lines up at tackle on both sides of the line, having played left tackle in college at Kentucky before cross-training at right tackle in New Orleans. He also saw some snaps at guard this summer. Hopefully he’ll be able to return in time for the start of the season, but stay tuned for updates.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Looking back on every sixth-round Saints draft pick since 2002

We’re looking back on every sixth-round New Orleans Saints draft pick since 2002, an area the team has struggled to find great value under Mickey Loomis:

We’re looking back on every sixth-round New Orleans Saints draft pick since 2002, a round the team has struggled to find great value under longtime general manager Mickey Loomis. The Saints have made 16 picks in Round 6 in this span, but there aren’t many memorable players to choose from. It’s important to keep that in mind when looking at the draft capital available to the team and which prospects are on the board in next week’s 2023 NFL draft.

You can find our previous breakdowns by round below:

Ryan Ramczyk (hip) ruled out with injury for the rest of Saints vs. Eagles

Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (hip) has been ruled out with injury vs. Eagles, leaving the Saints with just two starting offensive linemen available:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

This is tough. The New Orleans Saints initially said starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk was questionable to return during Sunday’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering a hip injury early in the first quarter, but they later downgraded his status with news that he would not reenter.

That’s a big loss. Ramczyk has been their steadiest lineman this season, and the Saints were already missing two starters up front — right guard Cesar Ruiz and left guard Andrus Peat were both preemptively ruled out with injuries, putting backups Calvin Throckmorton and Josh Andrews into the lineup. Second-year pro Landon Young stepped in for Ramczyk at right tackle. Erik McCoy remains in place at center with James Hurst at left tackle.

It’s odd to have not seen more of Trevor Penning in this game. The Saints were getting pushed around in the trenches with Andy Dalton taking six sacks midway through the fourth quarter, and the rookie first-round pick has progressed really well in recent weeks. He maybe shouldn’t be starting over Hurst outright, but in light of these injuries having Penning at that spot with Hurst at left guard (where he’s started extensively in the NFL) might have been a better move. Hopefully the Saints can hold onto their lead in spite of the protection issues.

[listicle id=120219]