Tag: Nick Saldiveri

Saints offensive line depth being tested early at training camp

The New Orleans Saints’ offensive line depth is being tested early at training camp, with position battles heating up and injuries hitting the unit:

The New Orleans Saints have been shuffling the offensive line around for most of training camp, with left guard and right tackle primarily being the positions where battles are taking place. At Friday’s practice, according to NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett, “Lucas Patrick spent much of the day as the starting LG, with Nick Saldiveri with the 2s. A competition there.”

Left guard has been a battle between Patrick, Saldiveri, and Shane Lemieux, the latter of whom suffered an ankle injury recently and was held out of Friday’s practice. Right tackle is also seeing some competition, with Trevor Penning running with the starters but Landon Young getting reps in walkthroughs. Olisaemeka Udoh has also been getting reps at right tackle occasionally, and the other competitor Justin Herron has been sidelined with a knee injury as well.

Outside of those two positions, the presumed locks for the remaining spots are Taliese Fuaga at left tackle (pending the need to move back to right tackle if it does not work out), Cesar Ruiz at right guard, and Erik McCoy at center. The backups for those positions, as well as the starters at right tackle and left guard, are essentially up in the air for now as the training camp battles continue to become more and more intriguing. We will see who ends up starting where come the preseason games, but there could be changes on the horizon with how much movement there has been thus far.

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Finding the best starting offensive line is a tall task for Saints

Of all the challenges facing the New Orleans Saints, this NFL Media writer says finding the best starting five in the trenches is the biggest:

There are many challenges the New Orleans Saints are facing heading into this season. Of all of them, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm listed finding the right starting offensive line as the biggest.

Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are locks at center and right guard, respectively. Taliese Fuaga feels close to that category (we can’t rule out the possibility he has to move back to right tackle), while Nick Saldiveri and Trevor Penning are fighting for their spots in new positions. As of today, those five appear to be in the lead at their respective positions. There are backups fighting for snaps like Landon Young, Olisaemmeka Udoh, and Lucas Patrick, too.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of offensive line play. There’s a strong argument it’s the engine of any offense. You want your quarterback to have time to throw and your running back, at the worst, to not be swarmed in the backfield before he can make a move. Both of these rely on the unit up front.

In Klint Kubiak’s offense, the offensive line will need to be on point. The wide zone system is based in the offensive line giving the running backs multiple options. Poor performance in the trenches will muddy the picture for those running backs and limit production.

Building trust and familiarity will be important for this unit. The offensive line is the greatest example of a unit in football. They rely on each other every play to do what is expected so there are no exploitable gaps.

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ESPN ranks Erik McCoy among the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen

ESPN’s positional rankings listed Erik McCoy among the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen, and third-best among centers around the league:

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is continuing his series of positional rankings as voted on by dozens of anonymous sources around the NFL — everyone from team executives and general managers to position coaches and regional scouts shared their input on highlighting the game’s best players. And with interior offensive linemen coming up next, it’s time to focus on New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy.

Fowler lumped guards and centers together for this exercise, and while McCoy was listed as only an honorable mention he was one of X centers to make the list at all. Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Creed Humphrey (No. 7) and Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow (No. 8) were the only centers to make the top-10, and McCoy was slotted ahead of other guys on the list like Lloyd Cushenberry III, Ryan Kelly, Tyler Linderbaum, Ted Karras, and Drew Dalman.

Here’s why Fowler’s sources say McCoy stands apart from the rest:

After five NFL seasons, McCoy owns a 93.7% pass block win rate and a 70.4% run block win rate. “You could make an argument he’s been the best center for a while. He gives us problems. Plays like a guard as far as power and physicality,” a high-ranking NFL personnel man said.

The Saints are certainly banking on McCoy continuing to anchor their offensive interior again in 2024. He’s coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance and figures to play a key role in Klint Kubiak’s new system as the pivot between veteran right guard Cesar Ruiz (who has experienced an up-and-down career thus far) and whoever starts at left guard, whether it’s second-year pro Nick Saldiveri or a journeyman like Shane Lemieux, Lucas Patrick, or Olisaemeka Udoh.

McCoy has been a great player for the Saints ever since they traded up to draft him back in 2019. He has started all 74 games he’s appeared in and suited up for all 17 games last season after missing some time with injuries inn 2021 and 2022. Maybe Kubiak’s emphasis on movement and blocking in space can help him level up even further in 2024. It would be good to see McCoy take his place inside these top-10 rankings this time next year.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Nick Saldiveri is the Saints Player of Day 64

Countdown to Kickoff: Nick Saldiveri is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 64. A successful season for Saldiveri has him playing well in the starting lineup:

We’re counting down to the days to the start of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 regular season by highlighting each player to own the corresponding jersey number, and Day 64 brings us to a very important name: Nick Saldiveri.

What are realistic expectations for the second-year pro? What does a successful 2024 season look like for him? And what road brought him here? Let’s answer all those questions:

  • Name (Age): Nick Saldiveri (23)
  • Position: Offensive line
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 316 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.47
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $1,188,570
  • College: Old Dominion
  • Drafted: Fourth round in 2023 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 1 year

Saldiveri played right tackle almost exclusively in college, but the Saints converted him to left guard as a rookie last year and the new offensive coaching staff is keeping him there. And the early returns are encouraging. Saldiveri initially split reps at left guard with veteran pickup Shane Lemieux at organized team activities before dominating first-team snaps at minicamp. He did leave the final day of minicamp practice early with a soft-tissue injury (either a hamstring or groin muscle) but it isn’t expected to be serious, and he should be full-go when the Saints regroup for training camp.

A successful season for Saldiveri will have him playing well in the starting lineup. All of the offensive linemen drafted after him in the top half of Round 4 played more snaps than he did as a rookie, though we should remember Saldiveri’s rookie season ended with shoulder surgery, which he opted to undergo sooner so it wouldn’t disrupt his offseason. He also missed part of the spring last year with a calf injury, so durability may be a concern here. It’s at least something to monitor moving forward. Hopefully he’s as strong a fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense as the Saints envision. If Saldiveri can be part of a much-needed youth movement along the offensive line, that’s a win.

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PFF says the Saints have the worst offensive line in the NFL

The Saints launched a massive overhaul for their offensive line this offseason, but PFF ranks the unit worst in the NFL:

Pro Football Focus’ Zoltán Buday doesn’t believe there is an offensive line in the NFL worse than the New Orleans Saints. PFF is significantly less bullish on the Saints’ offensive line than positional expert Brandon Thorn, who ranked the unit at 19th amongst their peers.

Buday placed them 32nd out of the 32 teams. Here’s why PFF is so low on the big men up front in New Orleans:

On paper, the Saints’ offensive line features four former first-round picks. But their performance says otherwise.

Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk will likely need to miss the entire season, which will force New Orleans to play Trevor Penning at that spot after benching him in 2023.

Right guard Cesar Ruiz has failed to rank among the top 50 guards in PFF overall grade in any of his first four seasons. As a result, the Saints have to hope that Oregon State product Taliese Fuaga will hit the ground running at left tackle to improve the unit.

Last-place feels harsh, but this is also the hardest unit to project. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only truly known commodities on the offensive trenches, and PFF hasn’t graded Ruiz too highly through his career. Penning was benched after limited action and now he enters what is essentially a restart at right tackle.

On the left side of the offensive line, the Saints will likely start two players who haven’t taken significant NFL snaps. Taliese Fuaga at left tackle and Nick Saldiveri at left guard. If you like the Saints offensive line, you’re enamored by potential. There’s too many unproven players for belief to stem from much else.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Olisaemeka Udoh is the Saints Player of Day 74

Countdown to Kickoff: Olisaemeka Udoh is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 74. Can the veteran earn a starting job in 2024?

The countdown to the New Orleans Saints 2024 regular season kickoff is underway as we highlight every player who wears  the corresponding jersey number of the day. With now 74 days remaining before the Saints’ Week 1 game against the Carolina Panthers, offensive lineman Olisaemeka Udoh is today’s Saints Player of the Day.

Let’s talk about his objectives for 2024 and how important his play will be in the weeks leading up to the season.

  • Name (Age): Oli Udoh (27)
  • Position: Offensive guard/tackle
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 320 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 8.14
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $2,000,000
  • College: Elon
  • Drafted: 6th round in 2019 (Minnesota Vikings)
  • NFL experience: 6 years

Udoh started 18 games for the Minnesota Vikings over a 5-year period after being selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. In 2021, he started 16 games (14 at right guard, two at left tackle) allowing only one sack that season. This would be the same season where new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak spent his lone year calling plays for the Vikings.

As far as his role with the team, Udoh is expected to compete for a starting job, possibly at right tackle along with former first-round pick Trevor Penning. Although the team would much rather prefer Penning to start in terms of their investments, Udoh was brought in to be a guy with starting experience who you can plug in if needed. He’s also a candidate to push Nick Saldiveri at left guard.

If not as a starter, Udoh will likely play the role as the team’s swing tackle/guard. Similar to Andrus Peat’s role last season before he ended up as the teams starter by seasons end. Much of this will be decided during training camp as the team heads to Irvine, Calif. in July. With the uncertainty at the right tackle position still looming, Udoh’s play in these next couple months will be extremely crucial for the outlook of this team.

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Saints offensive line ranked 19th in the NFL

Brandon Thorn ranked the Saints as the 19th-best offensive line in the NFL. It’s a ranking that’s actually not as concerning as it sounds:

Establish The Run’s offensive line expert Brandon Thorn ranked the New Orleans Saints as the 19th best offensive line in the NFL heading into the season. That puts them below the average in terms of pure ranking among their peers. For this conversation, we’ll use Taliese Fuaga, Nick Saldiveri, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning as the starting lineup

That’s objectively not good. If the Saints walk out of 2024 with the 19th-best offensive line, the season likely wasn’t a success. Contextually, however,  the ranking shouldn’t be too concerning. 19th is an acceptable and almost favorable ranking heading into the season.

The phrasing, heading into the season, is the most important part of this conversation. McCoy and Ruiz are returning starters. Outside of those two, there are massive question marks on every other potential starter. Penning clearly wasn’t working at left tackle. Is flipping sides enough to rectify his issues or is he just not meant to play on the outside?

Fuaga is a rookie who is changing positions. He may be a first round pick, but changing sides can be difficult for any player. He has impressed thus far and there should be a hope that continues. Saldiveri is the hope at left guard. He didn’t take an offensive snap last year.

This is all best case scenario starting. Anything other than this will pose even more questions. Being barely below average would be a bad end point. With all the unknowns around the unit, it should be viewed as a starting point though. If Fuaga can deliver on his promise, the ceiling for this unit rises much more.

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Nick Saldiveri leads Saints’ left guard battle heading into training camp

Nick Saldiveri handled most first team reps at left guard and will look to cement his place in the starting lineup at Saints training camp:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line was arguably the position filled with the most uncertainty this offseason. Some clarity has been gained after minicamp and organized team activities, but there will be three battles fought along that unit in training camp.

Nick Saldiveri seems to be in the lead to start at left guard and complete the interior unit along with Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, the only returning starters. New Orleans traded up to draft Saldiveri in the first pick of Day 3 of the 2023 draft. A year later, Andrus Peat and James Hurst are out of the picture leaving the starting left guard position vacant.

Walking out of minicamp, Saldiveri appeared to be first in line to fill that vacancy. In the second open OTA practice, he took all the first team reps. That continued until he exited with a hamstring or groin injury during minicamp that isn’t expected to sideline him through the summer. This points to him being in the lead in the battle.

Saldiveri will have to firmly clinch the starting role once pads are put on and preseason starts. He’s battling with Shane Lemieux, who he was originally splitting first team reps with. Oli Udoh will join the competition upon his return from an injury, and Lucas Patrick completes the group. The left guard position has a lot of contenders, and Nick Saldiveri stands at the top heading into training camp.

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Saints linked to big-time offensive lineman in 2025 mock draft

The Saints were linked to a big-time offensive lineman in Touchdown Wire’s latest 2025 mock draft. Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. would be a good get:

The 2025 NFL draft is a long ways away, so it’s better to use mock drafts like this one from Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar as advanced scouting reports on players to watch during the 2024 college football season. And this time Farrar has the Saints picking Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr.

A former five-star recruit with the rare combination of size and athleticism pro scouts look for, Banks has been exceptional through two years of play. He’s lined up exclusively at left tackle and allowed just three sacks on 1,006 snaps in pass protection per Pro Football Focus charting. After being selected for the All-Big 12 second team in 2022, he was promoted to the conference’s first team in 2023.

Here’s why Farrar sees him as such a great fit with New Orleans:

Back in Sean Payton’s salad days, the Saints were all about getting the best guards possible to assist Drew Brees in throwing the ball in the ways that were best for him. Now, Dennis Allen’s crew is just looking for a front five that works. The selection of Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 draft helps, but there’s so much that’s still undefined along the line. Kelvin Banks Jr. would be a nice fit in New Orleans because he can play both guard and tackle, and he does it all with serious attitude. Last season for the Longhorns at left tackle, Banks allowed one sack and 12 total pressures in 550 pass-blocking snaps, and when it was time to hit the second level, Banks was looking to HUNT opponents.

It’s tough to fault that logic. The Saints need to keep pouring resources into their offensive line until it isn’t a problem anymore. If they can’t get it right, it won’t matter who the quarterback is or which weapons he can throw to, or whether it’s Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, or someone else leading the backfield next year. Drafting Fuaga was a good start. If things don’t work out with Trevor Penning switching to right tackle, a first-round left tackle like Banks could allow Fuaga to move back to his college position. But if Penning does flourish in his new role, either Banks or Fuaga could move inside to guard. Another talent injection could be just what this unit needs.

Still, it’s a problem for another day (if not another year). Right now the Saints are betting on Fuaga and Penning bookending the line while Nick Saldiveri steps into the lineup at left guard, with Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz returning from last year’s team. Hopefully that combination works well and wins them enough games to where they can look to address another position of need in 2025.

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PFF ranks the Saints’ roster among NFL’s bottom-10 depth charts

Pro Football Focus ranked the New Orleans Saints’ roster among the NFL’s bottom-10 teams. The Saints have a lot of work to do in changing that perception:

Is there a 9-win team drawing more criticism than the New Orleans Saints are right now? Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 rosters from best to worst, and the Saints didn’t just fall inside the back half of the league — they were all the way down at No. 24, between the 8-win Las Vegas Raiders and 6-win Tennessee Titans. That suggests they were less than impressed by the Derek Carr-led Saints.

PFF analysts Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman identified the Saints’ offensive line as their biggest vulnerability, expressing pessimism that 2021 first-round pick Trevor Penning can be relied on even after moving to right tackle. Here’s why they’re taking the under on 7.5 wins for the Saints in 2024:

New Orleans’ struggles in the trenches make it very difficult to project a high ceiling for the team. While they are talented at the skill positions, especially in the secondary, their lack of pass rush and pass protection could create the same inconsistency that hurt them last season. They won nine games in 2023, yet it’s difficult to find areas where they have improved heading into 2024.

It’s tough to argue with that assessment. On paper, the Saints’ pass rush should be mightily improved after signing Chase Young; but his long recovery from offseason neck surgery and the news of a torn Achilles for backup defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon sullied that outlook.

And the offensive line is what everything hinges on for the other side of the ball. Outside of Penning, the Saints are banking on rookie first-round pick Taliese Fuaga playing left tackle at a high level while second-year pro Nick Saldiveri earns the starting job next to him at left guard; both players lined up at right tackle in college, so there’s a lot of projection in that plan. The only starters returning from last year are Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz.

At least the Saints have a weak strength of schedule that should tee them up for some winnable games. But that was the case last year. We need to see Dennis Allen’s team stack up wins and prove their doubters wrong in order to believe they can do it. They’ve run out of goodwill.

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