Tag: left tackle

Saints re-sign practice squad OL/TE convert Nate Wozniak

The New Orleans Saints re-signed Nate Wozniak, a collegiate tight end they converted to left tackle, to their practice squad on Wednesday.

[jwplayer MZXmVA0r-ThvAeFxT]

The New Orleans Saints offensive line received some added depth on Wednesday, with Amie Just of Nola.com reporting that the team re-signed offensive lineman Nate Wozniak. Wozniak, the former 6-foot-9 Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end, learned to play left tackle while with the Saints from May 2018 to August 2019. He spent the intervening months with stints on the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons practice squads, as well as trying out for a handful of teams.

Wozniak clearly has the size and length to play in the NFL, but rehearsed technique has eluded him so far. He never progressed beyond lining up at left tackle with the third-string offensive line while in New Orleans through two offseasons, and probably still needs a lot of work before he’ll be game-ready. The good news is that stepping into a game against NFL pass rushers shouldn’t happen for a while, with several players between him and the starting unit.

Here’s a projection of what the Saints depth chart looks like right now at offensive tackle:

  1. LT Terron Armstead (injured)
  2. RT Ryan Ramczyk
  3. LG/LT Andrus Peat (injured)
  4. LG/LT Patrick Omameh
  5. LT Ethan Greenidge
  6. OL John Leglue (practice squad)
  7. RT Derrick Kelly (practice squad
  8. LT Nate Wozniak

We’re still waiting on news of who left the Saints practice squad to create room for Wozniak, who would be the third offensive lineman on the unit along with Leglue and Kelly, both rookies. So stay tuned for the official NFL transactions wire to update with that information.

[vertical-gallery id=23720]

LT Laremy Tunsil continues to prove his worth to Texans

The Houston Texans traded a treasure trove of draft picks to acquire left tackle Laremy Tunsil in August. That is paying off tenfold.

When the Houston Texans shipped over two first-round picks, a second and change to South Beach for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills, skeptics were enraged. The package, to many, was far too much for a 25-year-old tackle without a Pro-Bowl bid to his name.

Those skeptics are waning. Tunsil has proved his worth. Those over at Pro Football Focus can prove it.

According to PFF, Tunsil has a 92.3 pass-blocking grade since Week 2 of the 2019 campaign, best among all offensive players. His 90.8 pass-blocking grade for the entire season is the best in Texans franchise history, since the debut of PFF (2006).

Though missing one game and earning his fair share of false start penalties, the trade to acquire Tunsil has paid off for the Texans. He, by all means, is a franchise blindside protector at just 25 years old. Houston would pull the trigger, to send a treasure of picks, again in a heartbeat.