Tag: ryan ramczyk

Saints have two draft classes rank in the top 10 of the century

ESPN ranked the best draft classes of the 21st century, with two historic New Orleans Saints hauls ranking inside the top-10:

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently ranked the 12 best draft classes of the 21st century, and the New Orleans Saints made the list twice. Not only is New Orleans on the list twice, they found themselves in the top 10 both times. Their iconic 2017 and 2006 draft classes come in at tenth and first on ESPN’s list.

The 2017 class was the first to make an appearance at tenth overall. The Saints nailed all six of their selections in the first three rounds and those players became foundational pieces for the new era of the New Orleans Saints. Running back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore are arguably the best in franchise history at their positions.

The luxury to argue who’s the best player from this class between Kamara, Lattimore and former All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is proof of how strong this class is. Free safety Marcus Williams and defensive end Trey Hendrickson were valuable assets before migrating to the AFC North.

However, the 2006 draft class came in as the best draft class of the century. Star running back Reggie Bush, Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate Jahri Evans and forever-underrated wideout Marques Colston were the headliners from the class. Evans has been a Hall of Fame finalist for the past two years and Colston remains one of the most slept-on wide receivers at his position. Safety Roman Harper was also a consistent starter for the Saints, as was right tackle Zach Strief.

The legacy of the 2006 offseason goes beyond just the draft class. Sean Payton and Drew Brees also joined the team that year. This was the beginning of the Saints’ Golden Age.

2006 was a talented year and many teams took advantage of it. The Saints class capped off the list, and the Denver Broncos started the list at No. 12. They selected Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall in this draft. The Cincinnati Bengals made their second appearance on the list at seventh with a class, led by future Hall of Famer and Louisiana native Andrew Whitworth. A lot of teams got better in 2006, but none improved as greatly as the Saints did.

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Saints have a history of moving offensive linemen around

Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga are changing positions, for now. It’s a drastic shift for the players but a frequent move for the Saints:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line will be very important to the success of the offense under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. They want to be a run first offense. That requires a level of physicality and skill that must be initiated by the front line. The starting offensive line could consist of Taliese Fuaga, Nick Saldiveri, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning.

Trevor Penning’s move to right tackle during OTAs emphasizes the Saints’ tendency to take offensive linemen away from their natural position. Of those five starting linemen, McCoy could be the only one playing in his collegiate position. The history extends beyond the current projected starters. Ryan Ramczyk and Andrus Peat both changed positions as well, with Ramczyk moving left tackle to right tackle and Peat kicking inside to guard.

Fuaga and Saldiveri played right tackle in college and are currently on the left side of the line, with Saldiveri moving from tackle to guard. Ruiz projected as a center but lost that battle to McCoy. Penning was a left tackle in college and the beginning of his professional career. New Orleans is trying him at right tackle this offseason. His move is different from the others because it was due to lack of success in the league.

Versatility can benefit players in the long run, but it isn’t always an attribute to be leveraged. Switching Fuaga and Penning could be just to assess how they look in a new position. On the other hand, it could be the Saints following their usual tendency. The latter would be dangerous if it doesn’t work out.

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What should Saints do if Taliese Fuaga doesn’t impress at left tackle?

Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning have changed positions at the beginning of OTAs, but what if Fuaga struggles at left tackle?

It is not uncommon for the New Orleans Saints to change the position of a draft pick. They’ve yet to fully commit to this tactic, but it feels like they’re leaning this way with Taliese Fuaga. When he lined up at left tackle during rookie minicamps, it was brushed off as just getting a look. Now that Trevor Penning has also flipped sides at OTAs, this feels like a vision.

The Saints have a history of this with first-round offensive linemen. Andrus Peat, Ryan Ramczyk, and Cesar Ruiz each played unexpected positions as rookies. The question is, what happens if Fuaga doesn’t look good at left tackle?

That question breaks into two parts. First off, does Fuaga then compete with Penning at right tackle? Secondly, who is your left tackle in this case? The Saints aren’t covered if this move doesn’t work. If Penning was always supposed to move to right tackle, it doesn’t sound like there’s faith he can play at left tackle moving forward. You drafted Fuaga first round due to his film showcasing a cornerstone right tackle.

It’s early in the offseason, and nothing is concrete. Fuaga being a natural right tackle makes you wonder how long will they give him to get acclimated before putting him in his natural position. As training camp rolls around, the transformation of the starting offensive line will be one to watch.

The best case scenario now feels like Fuaga performs well at left tackle and Penning shows more potential after a position change. It’s definitely a gamble, but right now Fuaga and Penning appear to be your best two options at tackle. New Orleans just has to decide who plays where.

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Saints’ new coaching staff has Trevor Penning at right tackle

The New Orleans Saints’ new coaching staff has Trevor Penning auditioning at right tackle, and the early returns are encouraging:

Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga played on the left and right sides of the offensive line in college, but the New Orleans Saints have them swapping roles early in the 2024 offseason. When the Saints gathered for voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, Penning was busy learning to play at right tackle. It’s an experiment his new coaches feel could be what’s best for him.

“All arrows are up on Trevor Penning right now,” said Saints offensive line coach John Benton, who added that the plan was to try him out at right tackle regardless of this year’s draft haul. If the Saints had selected a natural left tackle or another right tackle instead of Fuaga, Penning would still be getting these snaps.

And it isn’t just Penning moving around. Fuaga, this year’s first round pick out of Oregon State, has been working at left tackle in the spring. Saints head coach Dennis Allen explained that plan.

“You’re going to see a few things throughout the course of training camp, where we’re going to maybe try out some different things,” Allen said. “I think that’s kind of the direction we’re looking at right now, really working Taliese over at the left side, and giving Trevor an opportunity to work on the right side. We’re still waiting to see where Ryan Ramczyk is when we get probably to training camp, being potentially the first time we see him. That’s kind of the thought process.”

So the Saints aren’t putting either player down at one of those spots with a permanent marker; there’s time for either (or both) of Fuaga or Penning to emerge as a better option at the tackle spots. Just because Penning is playing right tackle in May doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be staying there come September. But if that’s what’s best for his development and the state of the offensive line, the Saints are willing to embrace it. We’ll keep track of this over the summer.

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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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Saints waive backup OL Tommy Kraemer despite thin depth chart

The Saints were already thin along the offensive line, but on Wednesday they opted to waive backup guard/tackle Tommy Kraemer:

What’s the move here? The New Orleans Saints were already thin along the offensive line, but on Wednesday they opted to waive backup blocker Tommy Kraemer, per ESPN’s Field Yates. It’s a bit of a surprise after Kraemer played an important role last season, backing up both Cesar Ruiz (at right guard) and Ryan Ramczyk (at right tackle).

But the team’s new coaching staff must feel differently about him, or at least see better options available in free agency. The Saints now have an open spot on the 90-man roster after waiving both Kraemer and quarterback Kellen Mond, so another addition should be on the way. We’ve identified some possible fits given their experience in Klint Kubiak’s system or other connections to the coaching staff.

Here’s the state of the offensive line after waiving Kraemer, with rookies’ names underlined for emphasis:

  • Tackle: Ryan Ramczyk (injury), Trevor Penning, Landon Young, Justin Herron, Taliese Fuaga, Josiah Ezirim
  • Guard: Cesar Ruiz, Nick Saldiveri, Oli Udoh, Shane Lemieux, Mark Evans II, Nouri Nouili, Kyle Hergel
  • Center: Erik McCoy, Since Haynesworth

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WATCH: Taliese Fuaga’s family learns he’ll be picked by the Saints

NFL Network cameras were on the scene in Hawaii when Taliese Fuaga’s family learned he had been picked by the New Orleans Saints:

This is always a fun moment in the NFL draft. Players gather with their families and close friends for a life-changing moment in which they’ll learn they’re being drafted and officially turning pro.

And we got to see Taliese Fuaga and his family experience that on Thursday night. The New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick was in Hawaii with family watching the television broadcast like everyone else, and cheers broke out when he found out where he’d be playing pro football.

Good for him. Fuaga is a perfect fit for the wide zone rushing offense that Klint Kubiak is installing in New Orleans, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t start from Day 1. We’ll see if starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is able to recover from offseason knee surgery in time to return to the lineup, and if so Fuaga could excel at guard. If not, the Saints just landed an ideal succession plan. Either way, Fuaga’s family will be cheering him on.

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James Hurst retiring exacerbates Saints’ woeful offensive line

The Saints offensive line was already in rough shape before James Hurst called it a career. His absence exacerbates a bad situation:

It’s tough to think of a setup worse than the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line right now. Of last year’s five starters, only two are locks to return in their spots for 2024: Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz.

Left tackle is undecided with the Saints expected to draft competition for Trevor Penning this weekend. Right tackle is an open wound with Ryan Ramczyk facing the very real possibility of a medical retirement. And left guard is now looking worse with James Hurst retiring from pro football.

The Saints need more reinforcements than they can afford with their current draft picks (just two selections inside this year’s top 100) and salary cap space (a little over $8 million). They need to find at least two starting-quality linemen, but three would do a lot to help build confidence in the group.

Look further into their depth chart and you’ll see names like Olisaemeka Udoh (who has played both tackle and guard under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak), Nick Saldiveri, Landon Young, Mark Evans II, and Tommy Kraemer. No disrespect to those guys but this group isn’t ready to handle 17 games and a playoff run.

Drafting a first-round offensive lineman isn’t enough to get them there, either. Picking a new starting right tackle (like, say, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga) won’t cure what’s ailing them at left tackle or left guard. The Saints should continue to explore their options later in the draft and in free agency. There are starting-quality linemen still available with experience in the system New Orleans wants to run like Mekhi Becton (who has started at both left and right tackle) and Dalton Risner (a career left guard). They should really look at bringing back Andrus Peat at some point, too, if nothing else than to reinforce the depth chart.

They can patch some holes in the hull, but it feels like a certainty that the Saints will have to set sail with some concerning vulnerabilities and hope for the best. We’ll see how far hope takes them.

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B/R drafts the Saints ultimate draft class over the last decade

You get one Saints draft pick from each round over the last 10 years. Who misses the cut in building the team’s ultimate draft class?

The New Orleans Saints have had on-and-off success over the last eight years in the NFL draft. The hiring of Jeff Ireland coincides with this trend. It’s typically pretty solid with some deathly lows. The second round has arguably been their best round in that time frame. Leave Foskey as TBD and Ireland’s worst second rounder is Pete Werner. That’s a pretty strong hit rate.

As this year’s draft rolls around, Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler took a look at each team’s highs over the last ten years. Fowler formed an ultimate draft class of each team’s best selection from each round over the past decade. The range has expanded but you won’t see any pre-Ireland draftees on this list. Here are his picks for the Saints:

Round 1: OT Ryan Ramczyk (2017)

Round 2: WR Michael Thomas (2016)

Round 3: RB Alvin Kamara (2017)

Round 4: DL David Onyemata (2016)

Round 5: DT Tyeler Davison (2015)

Round 6: OT Landon Young (2021)

Round 7: LB Kaden Elliss (2019)

The Saints’ 2017 draft produced a legendary draft class. That class, somewhat surprisingly, is tied with 2016 for the most selections in this exercise. When you take a deeper look at the Saints 2017 draft, it features two 1st round picks and three players third round picks. The majority of the ultimate draft class were easy decisions, but there were a few tough calls.

Fowler highlights Marshon Lattimore as the player who missed the cut. The battle between him and Ramczyk was decided by the offensive tackle’s 1st team All Pro in 2019. C.J. Gardner-Johnson is another player who has a strong case to be on the list. The fourth rounder was a big part of the defense, but Onyemata’s longer tenure may have given him the edge.

Other quality players who didn’t make the list are Trey Hendrickson. He steadily improved before hitting double-digit sacks in his final year in New Orleans. However, no third round pick was beating the Saints all time leader in touchdowns, Alvin Kamara. Michael Thomas’ dominant stretch led to Marcus Williams, Erik McCoy or Vonn Bell receiving the second round slot.

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Making the case for the Saints to pick a right tackle at No. 14

Ryan Ramcyzk’s knee is enough reason to pick up a right tackle, but should the position be the Saints’ first-round pick?

This is a tough situation to be in, a week away from the 2024 NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints need help at both offensive tackle spots: Trevor Penning and Ryan Ramczyk each go into 2024 with their own set of questions, but the Saints only own a single first-round pick. So which side of hte offensive line should they address? We’ve already heard the argument for replacing Penning at left tackle, but here’s the case for targeting Ramczyk’s heir at right tackle.

You need a right tackle to replace Ramczyk, who may not play another snap of football after a degenerative knee condition didn’t respond to offseason surgery as he and the team expected. The question at right tackle isn’t about skills, unlike left tackle. Ramczyk has been limited by his knee injury but he still performed well. It just wasn’t to the standard he previously set. Penning’s development is seemingly more hopeful than Ramczyk’s health. It’s plausible that Ramczyk has little to no time left remaining in the NFL. Replacing him is about when it happens, not if.

The other crucial part of the conversation on his health is that this is a fluid situation. Saints head coach Dennis Allen was initially optimistic on his status in February before doing a complete 180 a month later in March. Even if you think Ramcyzk could play this year, how confident can you be in another month after the draft in May? What does this situation look like when training camp starts in July, or when the regular season kicks off in September?

Even if it isn’t taking shape with a first round draft pick, a Ramczyk insurance plan must be put in place this offseason. High-end options could be available at the 14th overall pick like Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) or JC Latham (Alabama). This is a deep class at offensive tackle, especially the right side, and the Saints could find a great player in Round 2. But given how high a priority this is and the quality of prospects expected to be picked in Round 1, the Saints shouldn’t wait around and deal with this another day.

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