Tag: landon young

Saints’ offensive line health looking bleak with Aaron Donald up next

The Saints’ offensive line health is looking bleak with Aaron Donald up next. They could be without three of their five starters in Week 11:

Things are going from bad to worse for the New Orleans Saints offensive line. They went into their Week 10 game with the Pittsburgh Steelers missing two key starters — center Erik McCoy and left guard Andrus Peat. And then they lost left tackle James Hurst to a concussion in the second half, putting his status in jeopardy for Week 11’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

It means the Saints could hit the field on Sunday without three of their starting five offensive linemen against the Los Angeles Rams defense, anchored by a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Donald. The big-time defensive tackle is a game-wrecker. New Orleans has blocked him well in the past, limiting him to 2 sacks and 8 quarterback hits with 6 tackles for loss in their 4 previous meetings, but that was with significantly better health across the board.

When asked whether he could see one of those three injured starters returning for Week 11’s game, Saints head coach Dennis Allen told Nola.com’s Rod Walker on Monday that, “I don’t know if that’s a possibility right now.”

So that means we should expect Landon Young to start at left tackle, with either Lewis Kidd or Calvin Throckmorton getting the nod at left guard and Josh Andrews filling in again at center. Kidd and Throckmorton rotated in and out of the lineup last week so that could be the move again. It’s possible that rookie left tackle Trevor Penning is activated from injured reserve in time for this game, but he only returned to practice on a limited basis last week and it’s unlikely he’ll be ready to play a full game so soon.

It makes for a dicey situation for whoever starts at quarterback this week, whether Andy Dalton remains the starter or if the Saints pivot to Jameis Winston instead. New Orleans built its offense on the strength of its offensive line through years of careful drafting, developing, and investing through hefty contracts, but the depth they cultivated is about to experience a serious trial by fire. Let’s see if they’re up to the challenge.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=118345]

Saints rule out left tackle James Hurst (concussion), down 3 starting OL vs. Steelers

The Saints ruled out left tackle James Hurst (concussion) against the Steelers, meaning three of their five starting offensive linemen are unavailable:

This is bad. The New Orleans Saints ruled out left tackle James Hurst at halftime in their Week 10 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, meaning three of their five starting offensive linemen are unavailable: Hurst entered the NFL concussion protocol, with left guard Andrus Peat (shoulder) and center Erik McCoy (calf) each already inactive with injuries.

That meant Hurst was replaced by second-year backup Landon Young, with guards Lewis Kidd (an undrafted rookie out of Montana State) and Calvin Throckmorton rotating in and out of the lineup at Peat’s spot. Veteran journeyman Josh Andrews was signed from the Saints practice squad to replace McCoy. Only right guard Cesar Ruiz and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk remained from the nominal starting-five.

Rookie left tackle Trevor Penning traveled for the game but he hasn’t yet been activated from injured reserve after undergoing toe surgery, so he’s not eligible to play on Sunday.

It makes for a tough situation against a Steelers defensive line firing on all cylinders. T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward are well-known names, but Alex Highsmith has been having a strong season rushing off the edge. With the Saints run game struggling to get going and Dalton taking sacks and fumbling snaps, even more pressure is put on the Saints defense to compensate. We’ll see if they can overcome all of this adversity.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=118242]

How do the Saints plan to navigate so many injuries at left tackle?

How do the Saints plan to navigate their issues at left tackle? Between injuries and roster cuts, James Hurst is the last man standing:

This is far from ideal. One factor in the New Orleans Saints’ decision to let Terron Armstead walk away in free agency was the instability they had experienced at left tackle throughout his career — talented as he was, Armstead’s lengthy injury history was a problem, and they believed moving on would help settle things at that spot (especially given the lofty contract Armstead won with the Miami Dolphins).

But things didn’t go as planned in the preseason. Of the four players to line up at left tackle during their three exhibition games, only Armstead’s former backup James Hurst remains somewhat healthy, and it’s unclear if he’ll be fully recovered from a toe injury in time for the season opener in Atlanta; Hurst hasn’t practiced since leaving a joint session with the Green Bay Packers early back on Aug. 17.

Two of the other three Saints left tackles are down with injuries. Undrafted rookie backup Sage Doxtater was injured in that same practice and initially landed on injured reserve, only to agree to a settlement that made him a free agent. And the heir-apparent, first round draft pick Trevor Penning, was knocked out of the preseason finale with a turf toe injury that may cost him his rookie year. The third member of the group, journeyman reserve Derrick Kelly II, was waived during final roster cuts in a move that looks kind of bizarre in context of all these other losses.

Let’s put it a different way. Hurst, who hasn’t practiced in nearly two weeks, is the only somewhat-available Saints player to line up at left tackle (10 snaps) in the preseason. Penning (113 snaps) may be lost for the season — the team just won’t know until they see how his body is responding to surgery. Doxtater (6 snaps) and Kelly (76) have both already been released. So what’s the plan?

Maybe the Saints are moving Landon Young back to left tackle after training him all summer to back up Ryan Ramczyk on the right side. Young started last year’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles in Armstead’s place and saw more than 2,500 snaps at left tackle in college at Kentucky. But he’s been out of action since Aug. 16 with his own injury, promoting undrafted rookie Lewis Kidd (a former left tackle at Montana State) into the role of Ramczyk’s understudy. Reversing course for Young two weeks before the season starts is hardly ideal, but what’re you gonna do? At least Saints head coach Dennis Allen was optimistic when recently discussing Hurst’s status.

What about Ramczyk? Another former left tackle himself (noticing a trend here?) at Wisconsin, he had significant incentives written into his contract should he earn All-Pro recognition at the left spot rather than his customary right tackle role. So it’s an option, but maybe one that should only be used out of desperation if Hurst isn’t ready to go. One of the enduring problems with Armstead’s absences was that the Saints often had to move multiple starters around to accommodate the hole in their lineup. Moving Ramczyk out of the spot he’s played his best football in the NFL just creates a vulnerability in another area. If they can find a way to plug the hole at left tackle and keep Ramczyk as an anchor at right tackle, that’s the path they should take.

So reinforcing the depth behind Hurst may be the best path forward. If the Saints feel they can trust Kidd to back up Ramczyk, flipping Young back to his natural position makes sense. If they don’t like that notion, adding another body at left tackle is a smart strategy. It’s unclear whether a veteran free agent like Jason Peters or Eric Fisher would be interested in signing to play backup, but it’s worth exploring anyway. The team could also consider trading a late-round pick for a highly-drafted prospect on the outs with their current team like Alex Leatherwood or Isaiah Wynn, or wait and try their luck with the waiver wire. Either way, they have a starter in Hurst. The objective is adding a player they can either rely on to fill in for him and/or develop in Penning’s place.

It’s a difficult knot to untangle. The best left tackles aren’t going to be moved from their teams any time soon, and any options that would move the needle for Saints fans would be too expensive. Again, the goal is to support Hurst as the starter, not to replace him. That was the vision the team had in drafting Penning in the first place, and it remains the best course forward. Let’s see what develops on this front in the days ahead.

[pickup_prop id=”24464″]

[listicle id=114960]

Saints re-sign Kevin White and Ken Crawley, send two others to injured reserve

Saints re-sign Kevin White and Ken Crawley, send two to injured reserve

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”AwPvhb3CwD-1636981-7498″]

Tuesday’s update to the New Orleans Saints injury report included a couple of roster moves, with two young players going on injured reserve: tight end Adam Trautman, recovering from a knee injury, and left tackle Landon Young, who is expected to undergo season-ending foot surgery.

And a couple of players who were let go last week in wide receiver Kevin White and cornerback Ken Crawley. Let’s run through the list:

Rookie Saints LT Landon Young expected to need season-ending foot surgery

Rookie Saints LT Landon Young expected to need season-ending foot surgery

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”AwPvhb3CwD-1636981-7498″]

The hits just keep coming for the New Orleans Saints. Already bruised and battered by a series of injuries to their starting lineup, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that a Saints backup is on the mend: rookie left tackle Landon Young, who is expected to require season-ending foot surgery. Pelissero added that Young suffered an injury in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and only missed one snap, returning to gut it out to finish the game.

It was Young’s first start of the year, having been called up after both starting tackles — Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk — missed the game with their own injuries, forcing the usual backup James Hurst to slide over to the right side. Young had his ups and downs against a good Eagles defensive line while drawing two penalties and allowing a couple of quarterback pressures, but he wasn’t charged with yielding a sack.

With Young likely going to injured reserve soon, the Saints are left with Armstead and Ramczyk (who are both managing injuries and working to return) ahead of Hurst and veteran backup Jordan Mills on the depth chart. They don’t have any tackles in reserve on the practice squad so look for an addition or two to be on the way.

Hopefully Young can enjoy a quick and full recovery so that he can get a full offseason’s worth of work. A sixth round draft pick out of Kentucky, Young totaled 67 snaps on offense (64 of them against Philadelphia as a starter) and 42 reps as a blocker on special teams. The Saints need as many of their young draftees to work out as possible, so the sooner he’s able to get back on the practice field, the better.

[listicle id=59586]

Report: Saints to let Terron Armstead test free agency in 2022

Report: Saints to let All-Pro LT Terron Armstead test free agency in 2022

[mm-video type=video id=01fft8bqn4ydargzet5e playlist_id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fft8bqn4ydargzet5e/01fft8bqn4ydargzet5e-184f9238868996ff039f6de139cc8bff.jpg]

Well that’s disconcerting. We’ve known the New Orleans Saints had been preparing for the possibility of life without Terron Armstead, but now we’ve got news that it could be more likely than not. Losing their All-Pro left tackle would be very difficult to recover from.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday that the Saints are effectively finished negotiating big-money contract extensions this season after signing star cornerback Marshon Lattimore to a five-year deal, months after right tackle Ryan Ramczyk was also extended. Here’s what Fowler wrote:

“I’m hearing he is set to play out the final year of his deal and hit the open market in March. Armstead is still a premier left tackle at age 30, and he can’t be franchise tagged because a recent contract restructure includes voidable years. So unless the Saints come up with a massive offer commensurate with top tackles in his age and price range, they’ll need to find a new edge protector next season.”

Fowler has been on top of Saints news this summer — he was first to report Lattimore’s interest in a new contract before the season started, and he reported several insightful contract details in New Orleans’ new deal with backup tackle James Hurst. While Hurst has been a great backup for the Saints, his contract increases in value if he wins a starting job.

That’s also true of Ramczyk if he earns All-Pro recognition at left tackle. Take those two factors together and it sure looks like the Saints are prepared to let Armstead go while sliding Ramczyk to the left side and giving Hurst an opportunity to start at right tackle (the same position promising rookie Landon Young has been training at). The salary cap crunch is expected to continue until 2023, when new media contracts send the cap sky-high. Good players like Armstead are going to get squeezed out.

Maybe Armstead considers a hometown discount, but it’s in his best interest to look for a big payday. He’s 30 and not likely to get another significant contract after this. If he can land something comparable to the $23 million per-year that top tackles Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari, and Laremy Tunsil are getting, he owes it to himself to pursue it. And that’s a number that stretches the limits of the Saints’ creative accounting. They’re right to prepare for his departure.

But Fowler’s reporting reflects how the Saints feel in September. It’s very possible they feel differently next March after self-scouting and getting a better idea of what the 2023 salary cap looks like. In-season extensions are rare for New Orleans, but let’s hope they find a way to keep both sides happy.

[listicle id=50435]

6th round pick Landon Young earns best preseason PFF grade among Saints rookies

Former Kentucky left tackle Landon Young earned the highest preseason PFF grade among the Saints rookie class:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It’s tough for a rookie to crack the New Orleans Saints’ 53-man roster. It’s tougher for a late-round pick at a position group already swarming with veteran backups. But Landon Young played well this summer — really well. He displaced his competitors like Derrick Kelly and Jordan Mills and earned a spot on the initial opening-day depth chart. Whether he can hold onto it in the days ahead as the Saints navigate the next phase of roster construction remains to be seen, but so far the sixth rounder out of Kentucky has held his own.

And he’s received high marks for his performance in two preseason games, as illustrated by Pro Football Focus analyst Michael Renner. Here’s what Renner had to say about Young’s rookie debut:

“The Saints have developed offensive linemen at a higher clip than just about anyone else in the NFL over the past decade. With Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk manning the starting tackle spots, Young quite obviously won’t start anytime soon, but he played well enough to secure a roster spot. He allowed only one pressure on 26 pass-blocking snaps in two games.”

I’ll have to agree with Renner in guessing that Young doesn’t see the field much as a rookie. James Hurst is ahead of him on the depth chart as a swing tackle backing up both Armstead and Ramczyk, while Will Clapp and Calvin Throckmorton have shown the versatility to slide inside to guard or even snap the ball themselves at center. Young is probably a healthy scratch on game days for much of the 2021 season.

But that’s okay. It gives him time to continue getting his body right for the demands of NFL combat, as well as a potential position-switch to right tackle. The Saints had him cross-train on the right side over the summer and for much of training camp. There’s good reason for that.

While Ramczyk signed a mega-deal earlier this summer tying him to New Orleans for years to come, Terron Armstead’s future is less clear. The Saints put an incentive into Ramczyk’s contract that boosts his base salary if he is named an All-Pro specifically at left tackle, replacing Armstead if he leaves in free agency. Additionally, Hurst was signed to a three-year extension with pay escalators should he be named a starter.

All of these factors combined suggest the Saints are preparing a contingency plan for Armstead’s departure, with Ramczyk moving to the left side while Hurst and Young compete to start on the right side. That’s hardly an ideal fit, but it’s going to be tough to re-sign everyone in the spring with Armstead, Marcus Williams, Marshon Lattimore, and Jameis Winston all headed for free agency. Hopefully the Saints find a way to make it work with Armstead. But it’s still wise to be prepared, and Young appears to be on the right path to doing his part.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Jaguars?

Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Jaguars?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The next wave of NFL roster cuts is just hours away, meaning the New Orleans Saints must continue to whittle down their depth chart from 85 players to just 80. Next week’s final deadline will see teams trim down to the 53-player limit for the regular season, which raises the pressure on players on the roster bubble across the league.

So these preseason games are great opportunities to build a case for a job. And several Saints players on the bubble seized their chance with both hands. Here is who impressed during New Orleans’ win against the Jacksonville Jaguars:

Saints draft pick Landon Young has played 2,500-plus snaps — almost all at left tackle

The New Orleans Saints continued to add to their depth chart by selecting Kentucky left tackle Landon Young, an experienced All-SEC pick.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

There are a lot of draft prospects who come to the NFL raw and inexperienced, but Landon Young isn’t one of them. The New Orleans Saints traded up in the sixth round to bag the first-team All-SEC left tackle, and for good reason: he’s put 2,529 snaps behind him at the college level. He’s started 30 of the 49 games he’s played for Kentucky, almost entirely at left tackle.

But he’s been preparing for other responsibilities in case his new team asks him with sliding to a new spot. Whether that would mean flipping to right tackle or moving inside to guard (which is a possibility; NFL coaches are notoriously nervous about guys with sub-34 inch arms playing tackle, and Young measured in at 33 and 3/4 inches), he said in his introductory conference call that he’s comfortable doing what’s needed.

Even if he never dresses for a game  as a rookie, it’s important for the Saints to continue stocking up on options. Both of their All-Pro bookend tackles are entering the final year of their contracts in 2021, and it’s very possible one of them doesn’t return next summer. Whether that’s Terron Armstead or Ryan Ramczyk possibly moving on, it’s good to see the Saints proactively adding depth in Young and veteran backup James Hurst, who signed an incentives-laden three year contract extension.

[listicle id=45058]

Saints trade up again, select Kentucky left tackle Landon Young at No. 206

The New Orleans Saints traded up again for Kentucky left tackle Landon Young at the No. 206 pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

The New Orleans Saints grew impatient as the 2021 NFL draft wore on, and chose to trade up from their sixth-round pick at No. 218 to the Indianapolis Colts’ choice at No. 206, giving up one of their two seventh rounders (No. 229, originally bagged in the Jacksonville Jaguars-Malcom Brown trade) to make it happen. And they selected Kentucky’s Landon Young, a three-year starter at left tackle.

Young started 30 of the 49 games he appeared in for Kentucky and posted a great Relative Athletic Score at the Wildcats’ pro day. He’s a candidate to compete for a spot on the depth chart behind Terron Armstead and James Hurst as one of the Saints’ immediate backups. New Orleans still has another seventh round pick way back at No. 255, so they aren’t finished yet. Stay tuned as the draft continues.

[listicle id=45058]