Tag: Oregon State

Former Bears RB Ryan Nall announces retirement

The former Bears preseason legend is hanging up his cleats.

A former Chicago Bears running back is calling it quits when it comes to his football career. On Monday, Ryan Nall announced on social media that he was retiring from the game of football. “You never think it’s time until it is. I’m retiring from the game of football,” he said in a post on X/Twitter. “Thank you all for the love and support over the years.”

Nall had plenty of that support when he was a member of the Bears. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite during the preseason. In his rookie year, Nall rushed for 223 yards and one touchdown during the preseason and stuck around on the practice squad for the season.

The 2019 preseason was much of the same for Nall. He totaled 135 rushing yards in four games, including a 70-yard run against the Colts. It was plays like those that endeared him to Bears fans and made coaches keep him around. Those plays eventually paid off for Nall.

From 2019 to 2021, Nall saw action during the regular season, becoming a staple on special teams and as a reserve running back. His best career game came in 2020, when he rushed four times for 35 yards and a touchdown in a 17-24 loss against the Tennessee Titans.

Nall never played another down in the NFL after the 2021 season. He signed with the Cowboys in the 2022 offseason but didn’t make the team. Then, in 2024, he signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League but was released before the season started.

Though he never made much of an impact in the regular season, Nall will go down as one of the more notable preseason standouts the Bears have had over the last 20 years.

WATCH: Brandin Cooks’ 98-yard touchdown catch is the Saints Play of the Day

Brandin Cooks’ 98-yard touchdown catch is the Saints Play of the Day. His field-crossing score broke a team record that stood since the Saints’ inaugural season:

There are 98 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season, which means Brandin Cooks’ franchise-record 98-yard touchdown catch is our Saints Play of the Day.

Cooks got a step on Raiders cornerback Sean Smith that gave Drew Brees enough room to fit the pass in over the coverage; Cooks caught it in stride and used his straight-line speed to cross the field for a score. Talk about a great way to build some momentum in the 2016 season-opener.

It was a historic play, breaking a Saints record that had stood since 1967. Walter Roberts only caught 17 passes for the Saints in their inaugural season but he gained 384 yards on them, including a 96-yarder that remained the longest gain in franchise history for decades.

As for Cooks? He was traded after the 2016 season and spent time with a couple of different Super Bowl contenders including the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and most recently, the Dallas Cowboys. But he’s still chasing that championship ring. Cooks appeared in more games for the Houston Texans (44) than any team but the Saints (42), who drafted him back in 2014 out of Oregon State.

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Dennis Allen comments on rookie first-round pick Taliese Fuaga playing left tackle

Dennis Allen shared the Saints’ reasoning for first-round pick Taliese Fuaga practicing at left tackle during rookie minicamp:

One of the surprise developments coming out of New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp last weekend was the news about where Taliese Fuaga was playing. The former Oregon State starter performed so well at right tackle that the Saints picked him at No. 14 overall in this year’s NFL draft, but when he took the practice field for the first time in black and gold he was lining up at left tackle. Fuaga was seen as an easy replacement for Ryan Ramczyk on the right side, while the veteran Pro Bowler is dealing with a career-threatening knee injury, but his first action came on the other end of the line.

It makes sense to see whether Fuaga is a viable option at left tackle, which is a higher-priority position in an offense with a right-handed quarterback. If Fuaga can protect Derek Carr’s blind side, that might be where his future lies. Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared some insight to the plan for Fuaga at this early stage in the offseason during his rookie minicamp press conference.

“Yeah, so we want to take a look at him on the left side and see how he does over there,” Allen began. “I think we’re pretty confident that he can play right tackle. So getting him some work over on the left side, I think, is important, and then we’ll evaluate it as we go and see how he does.”

When asked if Fuaga would be taking practice reps on both sides of the line, Allen responded: “Starting off we’re going to work him primarily over on the left side, and we’ll evaluate it as it goes. We haven’t made any decisions, in terms of concrete decisions, but yet that’s where we’re going to start him right now. We wanted to get him a lot of work in this camp, see how he does in this camp, and then we’ll reevaluate after this camp.”

Fuaga himself described the challenge of switching sides as like learning to drive on the opposite side of the highway, so while it’s clearly something he’s confident he can do it’s going to take time for him to get used to changing hist stance and working from a different alignment.

And he isn’t the only offensive lineman the Saints are cross-training. Allen said the Saints are preparing multiple blockers to play on either the left or right side, as well as inside at guard or outside at tackle. That includes Fuaga, the team’s 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning, plus veterans like Olisaemeka Udoh and Landon Young. With so much uncertainty surrounding Penning’s development and Ramczyk’s health, the Saints need to know who can line up at different spots in a pinch. But if Fuaga is clearly their best option on the left side, he just might stay there.

“I think it’s more about, let’s see if he can play left tackle or not. And let’s get him over here on the left side and get him some work there, he hadn’t had a lot of work on the left side. None in game action, you know? So get him some reps over there and see what he can do,” Allen finished.

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Taliese Fuaga knocking off the rust at left tackle in Saints rookie minicamp

Taliese Fuaga was busy knocking off the rust at left tackle during Saints rookie minicamp. Now is the time to explore his options, not August:

This was mildly surprising. When the New Orleans Saints took the field for rookie minicamp practices this weekend, former Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga was lining up on the left side of the line. He hasn’t played left tackle since he was in high school, but the Saints must be prepared in case they need him there in the fall.

And it makes more sense to have Fuaga knock off the rust in May than in August or September. He told reporters after practice that “Yeah, it’s just, you know a little rusty over there on the left side. Definitely got to get those reps in again.”

Right now, the Saints should have confidence that Fuaga can continue to play at a high level on the right side after he won All-American and all-conference recognition there in college; while putting together game tape that convinced the team to draft him at No. 14 overall. But the left tackle spot is far from settled.

If Trevor Penning can’t win the job in his third year on the squad, Fuaga might be needed there protecting Derek Carr’s blind side. So it’s better to get a foundation for him to work with in his stance at left tackle than to throw him into it unprepared later this year. So how difficult is the transition?

“I don’t know, some say it’s like driving on the other side of the highway, you know what I’m saying?” Fuaga replied. “It’s just getting used to it. That’s all I can say about that.”

While this doesn’t mean the Saints are done with Penning and looking to move Fuaga around in the pros, it does mean they’re preparing for that eventuality. It’s on Penning to develop into a better player and prove that isn’t necessary. If he continues to struggle as he’s done in the past, it could be Fuaga taking his place in the line.

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Saints rookie Taliese Fuaga has a big fan in 7-time Pro Bowler Jason Kelce

They say it takes one to know one. Seven-time Pro Bowler Jason Kelce only needed a single rep to believe Saints rookie Taliese Fuaga is special:

They say it takes one to know one, so an endorsement from a seven-time Pro Bowler is worth noting. Longtime Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce only needed a single rep to believe the New Orleans Saints got a special player in Taliese Fuaga, their first round pick in the 2024 draft.

“There’s guys that even when they’re playing the highlights on draft day, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah,'” Kelce recounted on the New Heights podcast with his brother Travis Kelce. “There was one tackle that got picked early out of Oregon State. I saw like one pass set, I’m like, ‘Yep. Oh yeah.'”

Fuaga put up some impressive game tape during his career at Oregon State, lining up at right tackle against some talented opponents like Laiatu Latu (who was drafted immediately after him by the Indianapolis Colts). And the more Kelce saw of that, the more he liked.

“And then I saw him just completely demoralizing people after that. I’m like this dude is a (expletive) beast. Taliese Fuaga. Holy (expletive). Do you see like the balance, they way his hips open up?” He could have kept going, but his brother Travis steered the conversation back to other prospects.

Pro Football Focus charting found that Fuaga didn’t allow a sack in three years at Oregon State, totaling 734 snaps in pass protection. He only yielded five quarterback hits and 23 pressures in total during that time. But the Saints didn’t draft him just because of his clean hands. His rare athleticism, agility, and movement skills for an offensive lineman stood out, and they’re hoping he can bring that same dominance to Klint Kubiak’s offense in 2024. If all goes as hoped, maybe he can compare Pro Bowls with Kelce some day.

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WATCH: Back-to-back first round draft picks Taliese Fuaga, Laiatu Latu compete 1-on-1

It isn’t too often that two players competed against each other and then got drafted with back-to-back picks. So who won when Taliese Fuaga and Laiatu Latu squared up?

It isn’t too often you’ll see a pair of first round draft picks compete against each other at the college level. So it’s really impressive when you see two players picked back-to-back line up against one another.

That’s exactly what happened when UCLA kicked off against Oregon State last season, pitting right tackle Taliese Fuaga (the New Orleans Saints’ future pick at No. 14) against outside linebacker Laiatu Latu (the Indianapolis Colts’ choice at No. 15).

And it was one impressive battle. JM Football’s Bobby Skinner highlighted the battle in the trenches between these two future first-round picks, pointing out where they each got their wins. As for who won the day? You’ll have to tune in and see for yourself.

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What are the rookie year expectations for Saints RT Taliese Fuaga?

What are the rookie year expectations for New Orleans Saints first-round right tackle Taliese Fuaga? Here’s where we set the bar:

The New Orleans Saints drafted their right tackle of the future in Taliese Fuaga in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night, but what does it mean for them immediately? Where do you set the bar for a successful rookie season for Fuaga?

Well, he will be the team’s starting right tackle this season, if Ryan Ramczyk retires as expected. The expectation for him is to come in as a pro-ready mauling run blocker while he progresses as a pass blocker. Obviously, needing some improvement, doesn’t mean he will be a turnstile in pass protection next season. It just means that is where he is further away with in his development.

It’s harder to set realistic expectations for an offensive tackle, as there aren’t as many stats on paper as there would be elsewhere. All that the Saints can really ask for is that he is a better immediate option than Trevor Penning has been early on in his career, which honestly shouldn’t be that hard.

The bottom line is, he will be expected to perform right away in the run game. He was the highest-graded run blocker in college football according to Pro Football Focus. However, he should definitely be given some room to improve in the passing game. If he can quickly work his way into the starting lineup he’ll have every opportunity to develop into a quality pro.

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Taliese Fuaga can keep wearing his college jersey number with the Saints

Taliese Fuaga hasn’t chosen his New Orleans Saints jersey number, but his college number is open. It just might not make Andrus Peat too happy:

Taliese Fuaga hasn’t chosen which number he’ll wear with the New Orleans Saints just yet, but his college number is open if he wants to keep wearing it. There’s just one little thing: Fuaga claiming the No. 75 jersey might not make Andrus Peat too happy.

That’s the number Peat wore for nine years with the Saints. His contract voided in March, making him a free agent and making No. 75 available. The team hasn’t expressed much interest in bringing him back. Both Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen shared lukewarm responses when asked about his availability.

So Peat may not be interested in re-signing with the Saints anyway. Having his jersey hanging in someone else’s locker (assuming the Saints don’t give it to Fuaga anyway) wouldn’t make it very appealing. Teams will be looking to sign veteran linemen after the draft, once they know what their depth charts look like, and Peat could have better opportunities waiting than what he’d find in New Orleans. We’ll have to wait and see where he ends up, and which number Fuaga ultimately chooses to wear.

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Brock Bowers would have been in consideration for Saints at No. 14

Drafting Taliese Fauga ended up being an easy pick for the Saints. But it would’ve been contentious if Brock Bowers had made it to them, says Dennis Allen:

Few prospects in the 2024 NFL draft caused more discussion among New Orleans Saints fans than Brock Bowers. The Georgia Bulldogs tight end is a phenomenal pass catcher, and it was fun to envision him bringing those skills to New Orleans.

It just wasn’t meant to be. The Las Vegas Raiders picked Bowers at No. 13, one spot ahead of the Saints, making New Orleans’ decision easier. But it was a near thing. If Bowers had lasted one more pick, it would’ve led to a debate in the war room. Just ask Dennis Allen.

“Brock Bowers was in consideration for us. And that he got all the way to,  pick 13, wasn’t it, right? So, I mean, certainly there was some discussion going on,” Allen said during his press conference after Round 1. Bowers caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns in just three years at Georgia. Neither Juwan Johnson nor Foster Moreau made a big impact in the passing game for the Saints last year.

Instead, Bowers is going to Las Vegas, and Taliese Fuaga is coming to New Orleans. The Saints will be set at right tackle. It’s just tempting to think about where things would stand if they had landed such a unique pass-catching threat at tight end.

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WATCH: Saints make the call to draft Taliese Fuaga

Jeff Ireland and Dennis Allen shared the news with Taliese Fuaga that he would be joining them on the New Orleans Saints:

It’s always cool to see new NFL players receive a life-changing phone call. These are arguably the best moments of the draft each year. And the New Orleans Saints made sure to share the moment that their new first-round pick received his phone call. Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga will be wearing black and gold.

College scouting director Jeff Ireland made the call before passing the phone to head coach Dennis Allen, who greeted Fuaga warmly.

“Taliese, how are you doing brother?” Allen grinned, seated next to Gayle Benson in the team’s war room. “I can’t wait to get you here. You’re a tough SOB and that’s what I love about you. That’s thee way we’re going to play. We’re excited about getting you here, we can’t wait to have you.”

Fuaga was a dominant blocker in the same wide zone scheme that Klint Kubiak will be running with the Saints, so it’s easy to see why Allen is so excited to add him. He’ll compete for a starting job from his first day in the building. If things go as planned, he’ll be a big part of their success for years to come.

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