Tag: ryan ramczyk

Mickey Loomis on Saints’ 2017 draft stars Lattimore, Ramczyk

Mickey Loomis shared few details (but differing outlooks) on Saints 2017 draft stars Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk:

You can point to some moments in the New Orleans Saints’ recent history as important milestones or turning-points — one of them being the team’s historic 2017 draft class, which started with a pair of future Pro Bowlers. The Saints owned two picks in the first round that year and spent them on two instant starters in cornerback Marshon Lattimore and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

But both players’ futures with the team are in doubt. Time and injuries and drama behind the scenes have prompted speculation that neither of them could be long for New Orleans. And when Saints general manager Mickey Loomis spoke to reporters on Wednesday in his end-of-year press conference, he was short on details, but offered vastly-different messages on each of them.

Let’s start with Ramczyk. He’s missed 13 games over the last three years with a persistent knee injury, including the last three matchups in 2023. Ramczyk has been dealing with a degenerative cartilage condition and said earlier this year that career-ending surgery is an option in the offseason, and while Loomis didn’t go into details, he did share a more-uplifting perspective on the right tackle’s outlook.

“I have a positive feeling about where he’s going to end up,” Loomis said. “And I think he does as well.”

That sure suggests Ramczyk will be back in 2024, even if Loomis didn’t spell it out clearly. But what about Lattimore?

Lattimore has missed a full 17-game season’s worth of matchups over the last two years, but the injuries were unrelated. This year he got rolled up on by a teammate while helping finish a tackle, and missed the final seven games with a slow-to-heal high ankle sprain (which typically sideline NFL players for six to eight weeks). The year before, Lattimore suffered internal organ injuries in a freak accident when he collided with other players while rallying to the ball. Both times he got hurt while cleaning up someone else’s mistake.

Rumors have swirled about discord between Lattimore and Saints head coach Dennis Allen leading to a possible trade. And the Saints made that more likely by restructuring Lattimore’s contract for 2024 to center on an option bonus, not a signing bonus, which his new team would be responsible for paying.

But when asked about that decision, Loomis kept his hands close to his vest, saying the restructure was about cap management. On the unique option bonus maneuver, he responded: “There’s a reason but I’m not going to get into it.”

That’s not exactly telling the world that Lattimore is available and the Saints are open for business, but it’s awful close. Trading one of the best defenders in pro football wouldn’t make a lot of fans happy, and the optics of giving Lattimore the boot while keeping a head coach with a career-losing record would be awful. But that appears to be a path Loomis is willing to tread even if it’s expensive and unpopular.

So while we’re reading the tea leaves here, Loomis’ comments suggest that Ramczyk will be back in 2024, but Lattimore may not be, if the team can find a trade partner. Or at least the team is prepared for life without their star cornerback. Or maybe we’re reading his words all wrong. Either way, it’s shaping up for another eventful Saints offseason. Hopefully a successful season and return to the playoffs is waiting on the other side of it.

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This Bleacher Report mock draft has the Saints picking another Trevor Penning

This Bleacher Report mock draft has the Saints picking another raw offensive tackle — another Trevor Penning:

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints offensive line is in a bad spot. They struggled to pave the way on running plays and keep Derek Carr upright when he dropped back to pass. Second-year left tackle Trevor Penning was benched after failing to make much progress early in the season. Veteran right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s future is uncertain given his injury issues. And their best option on the left side, Andrus Peat, is headed for free agency.

So it makes sense for them to be looking at offensive tackle prospects in the 2024 NFL draft class. But they need to learn from their mistakes, which isn’t the case in this projection from the Bleacher Report NFL scouting department. Another raw, slow-to-develop athlete isn’t the answer. However, B/R has the Saints picking Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton at No. 14 overall.

Here’s the explanation on the pick from B/R’s Brandon Thorn:

“Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton has elite size (6’7″, 328 lbs) and athletic ability, but he’s similarly raw, so this would carry some risk. The bet is on upside, which Guyton absolutely provides with better feet and more natural movement skills in pass protection than Penning. That could provide enough comfort for the team to come back to the tackle table so quickly.”

Guyton could grow into a quality starter with time, which hasn’t been the case with Penning. It helps that he’s recorded more than 1,000 snaps at a blueblood program the last two years as opposed to making the jump from a lower level of competition. As Thorn observed, Guyton is going to the NFL with cleaner feet, which has often been Penning’s undoing.

But the Saints aren’t in a position to sit and wait for another inexperienced player to pick things up on the job, at least not on this scale. Guyton came out of high school as a three-star defensive lineman and transferred to Oklahoma after sitting on the bench for two years at TCU. They haven’t developed offensive linemen well enough since hiring Doug Marrone as the position coach in 2022 to invest in another project like this. If the Saints are going to draft an offensive tackle early, they should target someone with the right combination of experience and athletic upside. It’s not clear yet whether Guyton checks both boxes.

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No surprises on New Orleans Saints inactive list for Week 17 vs. Bucs

There are no surprises on New Orleans Saints inactive list for Week 17’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

There are no surprises on New Orleans Saints inactive list for Week 17’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: rookie draft picks Isaiah Foskey and Kendre Miller are unavailable due to injury, and backup quarterback Jake Haener is a healthy scratch again.

Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who was ruled out with an injury, has been put on injured reserve which will likely end his season (barring a big Saints playoff push). Veteran safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. was also ruled out due to injury. Running back Alvin Kamara and punter Lou Hedley, both questionable with illness, are officially active.

Here’s the full list of Saints inactives for Week 17:

  • DB Lonnie Johnson (injury)
  • RB Kendre Miller (injury)
  • DE Isaiah Foskey (injury)
  • QB Jake Haener
  • CB Cameron Dantzler
  • LB Monty Rice

And here’s the list of inactive Buccaneers:

  • CB Carlton Davis (injury)
  • OLB Shaq Barrett (injury)
  • TE Ko Kieft (injury)
  • LB J.J. Russell
  • DL Deadrin Senat
  • OL Brandon Walton
  • QB John Wolford (designated as QB3)

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Saints add reinforcements from the practice squad for Week 17 vs. Bucs

The Saints added reinforcements from the practice squad for Week 17’s pivotal game with the Buccaneers:

The New Orleans Saints filed a couple of last-minute roster moves ahead of Week 17’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, adding some much-needed help from their practice squad as we get closer to kickoff.

One of those moves was critical: backup right tackle Cameron Erving was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, taking the spot vacated by the starter Ryan Ramczyk going on injured reserve. Erving has backed up Landon Young (who has started in Ramczyk’s place) in recent weeks, but he exhausted the number of single-game elevations he’s allowed. The Saints need to keep playing him, so promoting him like this was their solution.

Additionally, the Saints elevated cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles for the second straight week. He was limited to work on special teams in his New Orleans debut against the Los Angeles Rams, but Jean-Charles ran with three different units covering punts and kicks as well as helping out in the punt return phase. If he can continue to do well there, maybe he’ll stick around.

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Saints place right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, ending his season

The New Orleans Saints placed starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, ending his season with just two games left before the playoffs:

The New Orleans Saints placed starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, very likely ending his season. There are just two games left in the regular season so the only way Ramczyk could get back on the field is if the Saints win those last two matchups as well as a couple of playoff games. That’s easier said than done, especially without him in the lineup.

This is a tough loss, even if fans haven’t seen Ramczyk play up to his usual standards before missing the last two games because of this injury. But it seemed to be coming after Ramczyk recently opened up to reporters about the seriousness of his injury. He has a degenerative knee condition that’s resulted in cartilage loss which may leave him with lifelong problems in the joint. He’ll explore all of his options in the offseason, including surgery and, potentially, an early retirement.

In the meantime, look for the Saints to continue to start Landon Young at the right tackle spot. The former Kentucky left tackle has learned to play on the right side with New Orleans over the last few years and has been a serviceable backup in recent weeks, with Cameron Erving backing him up from the practice squad. But if this is it for Ramczyk, the Saints may need to look into a long-term solution at right tackle.

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Tampa Bay is without two starters on final Saints-Bucs injury report

Tampa Bay is without two starters on final Saints-Bucs injury report ahead of Week 17’s matchup

The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released the final injury report ahead of their Week 17 matchup.

Few surprises on the report for the Saints, with Ryan Ramczyk and Lonnie Johnson being the only two players listed out. Jordan Howden was upgraded to a full participant in practice on Friday. Alvin Kamara made his first appearance on the injury report this week as he missed practice on Friday with an illness.

An interesting story to watch will be the punter situation for New Orleans. Like Kamara, Lou Hedley missed practice on Friday with an illness and was listed as questionable. Hedley is the team’s only punter and Blake Grupe does not have punting experience.

For the Buccaneers, five players are listed as out for this game. Noteworthy abscesses will be star pass rusher Shaquil Barrett and starting cornerback Carlton Davis. Tight end Ko Kieft, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett and defensive tackle Mike Greene are also listed as out. Wide receiver Chris Godwin returned to practice on Friday and looks good to go for Sunday’s matchup.

Here is the full injury report for this week:

Ryan Ramczyk weighing options with career-threatening injury

Ryan Ramczyk is managing a career-threatening knee injury. All options are on the table, including offseason surgery and an early retirement:

Ryan Ramczyk’s injured knee isn’t getting better. The New Orleans Saints right tackle spoke with reporters on Thursday and shared some insight on the uncertainty he’s facing after missing the last two games (and likely a third this week). All options are on the table. That includes offseason surgery and, worryingly, an early retirement.

The 29-year-old has been managing cartilage loss in his knee for years. He wasn’t able to play in seven games during the 2021 season because of it and was only able to suit up last season after receiving regular injections. This year he’s been given a rest day to start each week’s practice. But time and wear and tear have taken its toll. It’s a really tough break for a player who was so durable to start his career, having missed just one start in his first four years (when he and the rest of the starters were pulled from the meaningless 2018 season finale) before signing a landmark contract extension.

For now Ramczyk is trying to remain patient and follow doctor’s orders. He isn’t expected to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and is considered week-to-week while resting and receiving treatment, so he at least has a shot at dressing out for the regular-season finale with the Atlanta Falcons.

But the future is unclear. Ramczyk’s career could be over. There’s a possibility he’ll have lifelong knee issues because of this injury. If so, that’s something he’s already accepted, telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell that “it’s what we sign up for. It’s part of the game, the passion we have to put ourselves through this. It’s worth it.”

What happens if Ramczyk is forced into retirement? Right now, he’s got a salary cap hit counting for north of $27 million in 2024. If the Saints release him outright they would take on more than $32 million in dead money. Their most realistic path forward would be treating his retirement just like they did Drew Brees’ and Malcolm Jenkins’: reducing Ramczyk’s $17 million base salary to the veteran minimum (in his case, $1.21 million) and processing his release as a post-June 1 cut, spreading out the remaining payments from his signing bonus over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

That would ultimately result in about $16.3 million in dead money for each of those years, saving $15.79 million against the cap in 2024. But it’s by no means a simple solution. The Saints would have to carry Ramczyk’s $32 million dead-money figure against the salary cap through the offseason up until June 2, limiting the moves they could make in free agency ahead of the draft.

Another possibility: asking Ramczyk to return some of his signing bonus. It’s a dirty move for someone who’s already experiencing something as difficult as the premature end of his playing career, but the NFL can be a cold business. There’s precedent for it with players like former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland returning most of his signing bonus after a series of concussions, but some teams have taken players to arbitration over it. An arbitrator ruled that former Detroit Lions superstar Barry Sanders had to do just that, and another ex-Lions great, Calvin Johnson, publicly feuded with the team over a similar situation. None of those cases dealt with as much money as what sits between the Saints and Ramczyk. At the same time, an arbitrator may not rule in the team’s favor, making it a fruitless endeavor.

It’s unfortunate that this is what things have come to. Hopefully Ramczyk and the doctors he’s meeting with in the spring can find a way to better manage his knee and help him continue to play at a high level. But there’s a deadline. Ramczyk’s base salary includes $6.5 million that will become guaranteed on March 15 (the third day of free agency), and the Saints must reach salary cap compliance sooner than that, by March 13 (the start of the new league year). This won’t be a decision anyone involved can put off until the eleventh hour.

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Ryan Ramczyk (knee) misses another practice on Saints-Bucs injury report

Ryan Ramczyk (knee) misses another practice on the updated Saints-Bucs injury report:

There isn’t much good news on Thursday’s update for the New Orleans Saints injury report. While rookie safety Jordan Howden (illness) returned to practice after resting on Wednesday, starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) and veteran safety Lonnie Johnson (knee) were still missing. It isn’t looking good for either of them as we approach Sunday’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who could be without top defenders Carlton Davis (concussion) and Shaquil Barrett (groin).

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that several young draft picks are practicing on a limited basis for the Saints after having missed some time with injuries. Rookies Isaiah Foskey (quadricep) and Kendre Miller (ankle) have both been active this week, and defensive end Payton Turner (toe) is progressing well in his return from injured reserve. Win or lose, it would be great to see something positive from the three of them down the stretch.

Here’s a quick look at Thursday’s injury report from both teams:

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Saints pick a controversial quarterback in this 2024 mock draft

The Saints picked a controversial quarterback in this two-round 2024 mock draft, but not before addressing their offensive line:

The New Orleans Saints made a splash in the latest 2024 mock draft from Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy by picking one of the most divisive quarterbacks in the upcoming class, but not before addressing their offensive line. Between Trevor Penning’s struggles to get in the lineup and Ryan Ramczyk’s worsening health, improving protection out at the tackle spots has to be a priority.

And Popejoy has the Saints picking Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga in the first round at No. 11 overall. Fuaga would be a good pick — especially with Ramczyk’s degenerative knee condition slowing him down and causing him to miss more games — but the real story here centers on the second-round pick, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy has yet to beat the Saturday player allegations after cruising through Michigan’s 2023 schedule without facing many challenges. He was asked to throw more than 30 passes in a single game just once all year with the Wolverines’ stout defense and effective running game dominating opponents. There just wasn’t much pressure on McCarthy’s shoulders and it’s unclear how effective he’ll be in the NFL because of it.

A halfhearted (but aggravating) Heisman Trophy campaign didn’t exactly help his image. McCarthy has only thrown 19 touchdown passes in 13 games going into Michigan’s pivotal Rose Bowl matchup with Alabama. His coaches have talked him up as the next Andrew Luck, but he hasn’t produced anywhere close to the level Luck did at Stanford more than a decade ago. McCarthy does a good job reading the defense and throwing with anticipation (and protecting the football), but he hasn’t shown enough to deserve this kind of early-round buzz.

Now, the Saints do need a plan for the future at quarterback. Derek Carr hasn’t impressed anyone but the coach who convinced the front office to overpay him. It’s hard to believe that McCarthy would take a big leap in New Orleans and develop into someone the Saints can lean on as their defense continues to age out. But they lack for draft picks and may have to settle for less here or there. If that’s the case, they’d be better off looking at other positions in the second round.

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Rookie safety Jordan Howden (illness) misses practice on first Saints-Bucs injury report

Rookie safety Jordan Howden missed practice with an illness on Wednesday. More from the first Saints-Bucs injury report:

Three players did not practice on Wednesday, per the first New Orleans Saints injury report ahead of Week 17’s pivotal game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The most important absence was right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee), who has missed some time dealing with a recurring knee injury. But he’s not the only player not at practice.

Two safeties were unavailable Wednesday — rookie standout Jordan Howden (illness) and veteran backup Lonnie Johnson Jr. (knee). Johnson is expected to miss more time recovering from a recent injury but Howden could return later this week while dealing with an undisclosed illness. It’s worth monitoring their progress closely with Marcus Maye still on injured reserve.

Here’s the initial injury report from both teams to start the week:

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