Trevor Penning to start at right tackle in Saints’ season opener

Klint Kubiak says Trevor Penning has “earned the right to go out there and play really well on Sunday” in the Saints’ season opener:

Trevor Penning made his first career start against the Carolina Panthers as a rookie. That was at left tackle in the 2022 season. The New Orleans Saints made the decision to move Penning over to right tackle instead of Taliese Fuaga this spring, and they’re sticking with it as we move towards the fall.

As the Saints prepare to make their season debut with Carolina, Trevor Penning is preparing for the first start of his career at right tackle. It’s a full-on 180 as this start comes in the first game opposed to the last game of the season like in 2022.

Klint Kubiak made the announcement Thursday afternoon, declaring that Penning has “earned the right to go out there and play really well on Sunday.” Penning took the majority of the reps as the starting right tackle this summer. Olisaemeka Udoh made a late push, but it was clearly Penning’s job to lose, and the coaches didn’t see enough to warrant taking it from him.

There have been a lot of eyes on Penning’s development through the offseason. That won’t stop because he was declared the starter. Kubiak made sure to emphasize the offensive line is a unit. It’s the ultimate unit in football and is “about five guys, not one.”

A microscope is on that entire retooled unit, but Penning is likely under a microscope under another microscope going into Week 1. He needs to play well and justify the trust he’s been given.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Erik McCoy breaks down the three new starters on offensive line

The New Orleans Saints have three new starters on the offensive line and Erik McCoy lays out what each guy brings to the table.

The New Orleans Saints offensive line will look drastically different from last year. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only true constants.

Trevor Penning is a familiar face in a new position. He’ll replace Ryan Ramczyk at right tackle while rookie Taliese Fuaga will start at left tackle. Lucas Patrick comes in at left guard.

The veteran of the group, Erik McCoy, spoke about the new members of the offensive line.

McCoy praised the first-round pick saying, “I think he’s a ball player and I really believe he’ll have a great rookie year. I think he can be a really good player for this team for a long time.” He doesn’t believe Fuaga’s back injury will disrupt what is a bright immediate future.

This isn’t the first time McCoy has spoken highly of Fuaga. He has a high level of belief in the rookie.

McCoy also evaluated Penning and Patrick. He’s seen every year of Penning’s career and feels he’s been making strides and hopes this will be a good year for Penning. Patrick’s experience in a similar system has been a valuable asset for McCoy. If he has a question, Patrick has been there to answer it

Expect the Saints to add more offensive linemen soon

If there’s one place to expect the Saints to make changes after the initial 53-man roster, it’s the offensive line. Expect moves this week:

The initial 53-man roster is never the final roster. Cuts from other teams get picked up, and sometimes teams will pick up players they previously waived. One place you can expect to look different on the New Orleans Saints roster is offensive line.

First and foremost, they only kept eight offensive linemen when they typically keep nine. The versatility of some depth pieces may have contributed to this. Taliese Fuaga, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz are locked in.

Trevor Penning and Lucas Patrick will be  penciled in as the starters, but New Orleans should still look to add competition at right tackle and left guard. Those easily feel like the most uncertain positions along the offensive line.

Competition remained there until the end of camp with little optimism sparking at right tackle. The Saints may have to start Penning as their right tackle, but he hasn’t done enough to keep them from looking elsewhere.

Whether it’s a starter or depth, New Orleans likely isn’t done tweaking the offensive line room.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Trevor Penning’s progress at right tackle may be too little, too late

Trevor Penning’s progress may be too little, too late for the Saints. They can’t afford to wait much longer in finding a backup plan:

It’s tough to feel much better about the New Orleans Saints’ outlook at right tackle at the end of August than we regarded it back in May, when Trevor Penning started taking his first snaps at right tackle. He’s made some progress. But it may have been too little, too late to make a positive impact when the season starts in September.

Penning is an effective run blocker. He had some great pancake blocks in this game and we’re seeing him throw his weight around with more confidence than earlier in his career. The problem lies in pass protection. He’s significantly more inconsistent in that phase, and there are too many instances where he abandons his technique and gives ground to his opponent. Holding penalties could become a problem for him in a hurry.

Still, he’s made some progress. The question is whether it’s enough. Head coach Dennis Allen reflected on Penning’s summer after their preseason finale with the Tennessee Titans.

“I do think there was a few plays in there I thought was an improvement,” Allen said, acknowledging that he hadn’t had time to check the coach’s tape. It’s not easy to evaluate line play from his vantage point on the sideline.

Still, he did see more incremental progress from Penning in the third preseeason game: “I thought overall, I know this. I thought he played better in last week’s game (than the first preseason game). I thought he improved this week in practice. And I saw some good things tonight, too. I think there’s some improvement being made.”

That’s a positive takeaway, but it’s far from a full-throated endorsement. Penning should be much further along at this point in his career. He has too many athletic gifts and too many quality coaches working with him to where every compliment comes with a disclaimer. It doesn’t feel like the Saints can trust him to start against the Carolina Panthers in two weeks. So what’s the backup plan?

Sure, Olisaemeka Udoh is an option. But Udoh only started taking practice reps on the first-team offense a week ago, and his inexperience at right tackle (about 500 career snaps between the preseason and regular season, with just two starts) doesn’t inspire much confidence. It’s not like he’s spent his entire career at that position. But what alternatives do they have?

We’ve already looked at the options hanging around in free agency. Spot-starters at right tackle like Phil Haynes and Tyre Phillips are still available. So are Billy Turner and Matt Feiler, but they’re both on the wrong side of 30. And would any of them be better fits than Penning or Udoh? Would the Saints be willing to pay what someone like D.J. Humphries may be looking for, and would he even entertain a move to right tackle? What about Donovan Smith? It’s tough to say.

Expect the Saints to actively scour the waiver wire this week, and maybe call other teams about a trade. They could also check in with some of those free agents we just highlighted. Since they’re determined to keep Taliese Fuaga on the left side instead of his college position at right tackle, that’s still a spot that needs to be addressed. Maybe they really are comfortable lining up Penning in Week 1. But it sure would be nice to have a more convincing backup plan before they go skydiving with a parachute that’s failed before.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints to sit Derek Carr and ‘a significant number of starters’ vs. Titans

Most of the Saints’ starters, including Derek Carr, will sit out the preseason finale. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener take center stage:

Many New Orleans Saints starters will sit out the team’s preseason finale versus the Tennessee Titans. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported Saturday afternoon that Derek Carr and “a significant number of starters” will rest this last exhibition game.

The way that sounds is the majority of starters will sit out, unless they’re fighting for a roster spot. Expect Trevor Penning to play because he needs the reps, and this week of training camp shows he’s competing with Oli Udoh at right tackle. Taliese Fuaga may sit, because his spot is solidified and to continue resting his back.

Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener will both get two quarters to play. This is the main event of the Saints’ biggest training camp battle. With Carr sitting out, it makes sense to give the young quarterbacks an even amount of time. This is something they haven’t been given in either of the first two games.

Other starters who will likely play are Will Harris and Johnathan Abram. Those two are fighting for the starting strong safety spot. The kicker battle between Charlie Smyth and Blake Grupe will also be a fun one. Neither man saw much work against the San Francisco 49ers last week, so hopefully that changes Sunday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Taliese Fuaga continues to build confidence with each practice

Confidence continues to rise with Taliese Fuaga. His dominant rep against Chase Young at Thursday’s practice left media impressed:

Taliese Fuaga has shown promise the entire offseason from minicamp to New Orleans Saints training camp. The rookie then carried that momentum to the preseason game with the Arizona Cardinals, a performance for which he earned the praise of NFL analyst Brian Baldinger.

Most impressively, Fuaga did all of this while flipping from right tackle to left tackle. A back injury briefly held him out of practice, but he’s returned and may have just put on his most confidence-inspiring block yet. He stonewalled Chase Young at Thursday’s practice.

Saints News Network’s John Hendrix described the play by saying, “That Polynesian Power that Brian Baldinger talked about was on display. He stonewalled Chase Young and then he had just one hand out on him and Young wasn’t moving.”

Training camp is full of back and forth battles. It’s not about winning the rep. Young has won his fair share of reps. Young has been a wrecking ball all through training camp. Fuaga got this one in dominant fashion. To win the rep so convincingly against one of the stars of training camp means something.

The Saints’ recent offensive line selections have been less than enthusing, to say the least, but it seems they’ve hit on Taliese Fuaga.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints pick LSU star left tackle Will Campbell in 2025 mock draft

Will Campbell could be too talented for the Saints to ignore. LSU’s star left tackle stayed in-state with this 2025 mock draft:

Will Campbell could be too talented for the New Orleans Saints to ignore. LSU’s star left tackle stayed in-state with this 2025 mock draft from ESPN’s Field Yates, who has the Saints picking Campbell at No. 10 overall next year. Here’s why this would be a home-run hit:

If the Saints are picking 10th, I get that the quarterback position will probably be under the microscope. However, while New Orleans doesn’t come across many salary cap predicaments that it can’t work out of, releasing Derek Carr would incur nearly $50 million in dead money. So I’d watch for the Saints to instead address the O-line, staying local by nabbing Campbell, a native of Monroe, Louisiana.

Campbell became a Day 1 starter at LSU at left tackle and may well end up on the left side in the NFL, but this pick would allow the Saints optionality. (Taliese Fuaga, their 2024 first-round pick, has moved from right tackle to left tackle already.) Campbell has great length and quick feet, but he must improve his power and finishing ability.

The draft order was determined by ESPN’s Football Power Index, which is currently down on the Saints. If they’re bad enough to be picking at tenth overall there needs to be serious conversations about whether or not they’re best served with Derek Carr sticking around at quarterback, and with Dennis Allen at head coach.

Still, the opportunity to land a prospect like Campbell could be just what this team needs to get right. He’s a surefire top-ten pick who probably won’t make it out of the first five selections next April. Campbell immediately won a starting job at left tackle and was the top-rated high school player in Louisiana. He’d bring real credibility to what’s arguably the Saints’ weakest unit. Campbell hasn’t allowed a sack in 15 straight starts, largely competing against future NFL players in the SEC.

And as Yates observed, adding Campbell would free up Taliese Fuaga to move somewhere else, either to his college position at right tackle or inside to left guard, where the Saints have expressed optimism about his hypothetical fit. If there’s any hope of Trevor Penning holding it down at right tackle, that would give the Saints the ability to truly field their five best blockers.

But those are problems for next year. Penning needs to actually win his starting job before he can worry about holding onto it. Campbell would be a huge addition for the Saints up front. Until it’s a possibility, though, it’s closer to the stuff of daydreams.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints’ starters to see ‘a decent amount of work’ vs. 49ers

The Saints will put their starters on the field for a second week in a row, which is a change from last year’s preseason strategy:

The New Orleans Saints will roll out their starting offense and defense against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Dennis Allen alluded to this earlier this week when saying Taliese Fuaga would play if possible like other healthy players.

When Derek Carr expressed his desire to play in the first preseason game, there was a curiosity of how much starters would play and if the Saints would deviate from last year’s plan.

The answer is yes. Starters played two series in the opener opposed to one a year ago. Allen rolling the first-team out there again is another deviation from last year’s preseason strategy.

The difference in success likely impacted the difference in approach. If the Saints looked like a well oiled machine offensively versus the Cardinals, they may have not seen an extra drive in the debut or an extra week of preseason action. There’s also a chance Allen saw last year’s results and deviated from last year’s plan.

Cancellation of joint practices is also a factor. The Saints’ starters didn’t get multiple days of practice against the 49ers. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill says the expectation is that they’ll get a decent amount of work in the game. It’s hard not to connect to this to the lack of days working against the 49ers in practice.

At the end of the day, the Saints offense needs this. They looked disjointed and uncomfortable last week. Carr and company could benefit from what Underhill expects to be “a decent amount of work.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Dennis Allen says Taliese Fuaga will be ready for Week 1

Saints coach Dennis Allen isn’t sure about the 49ers preseason game, but he says Taliese Fuaga will be ready for Week 1:

New Orleans Saints rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga exited Thursday’s training camp practice with a back injury, which kept him off the field again on Friday. Many were concerned about the possibility of Fuaga not being available for the start of the regular season but head coach Dennis Allen quickly put that to bed when asked about the situation.

“I would tell you, you can go home and rest at night fairly comfortably,” Allen said Friday. Fuaga will take some time to rehab his back but he’s expected to b e ready for September’s kickoff game.

Allen said that “I don’t know” if Fuaga will be able to play this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers but downplayed the injury possibly being a significant issue. He also said that Fuaga’s injury isn’t anything to worry about going into the regular season, which is a great sign for the team.

The Saints cannot afford to lose any quality players on the offensive line with the recent struggles from the unit as a whole this summer. If Fuaga were to be out of the mix, we’d be looking at a major, major issue for this team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Taliese Fuaga’s importance to the Saints offensive line can’t be understated

Taliese Fuaga leaving practice early on Thursday and sitting out Friday sparks a troubling question. Just how important is he to the Saints’ offensive line?

Taliese Fuaga left Thursday’s practice with back tightness and didn’t return to work on Friday, the final training camp session in California. Dennis Allen spoke with the media after Thursday’s practice about the injury. He didn’t have much information to give because it was immediately after practice. Allen did mention he noticed Fuaga was stretching his back prior to practice.

The New Orleans Saints can’t afford for this injury to be something more and last into the season. Though he’s a rookie, he already feels like an invaluable piece of the offensive line. If it is just some minor tightness, it likely won’t last into the season. The simple thought of it, however, has brought his value to the offensive line to the forefront.

Part of Fuaga’s importance is his talent. His performance through the entirety of the offseason produces confidence he can make the transition to left tackle. The other factor to his importance is the other side of the line. Trevor Penning is facing his own challenges with risk of failure at right tackle.

Unless the Saints add a new tackle or something changes drastically and quickly, expecting quality play at right tackle is borderline delusional. No one on that side has had a confidence-inspiring offseason or preseason so far. Penning must turn it up in a hurry.

Fuaga misses time and now you risk subpar play at both tackles. You can’t afford that in the NFL. It becomes increasingly more concerning when you see some of the defensive linemen the Saints have to face early, guys like Jadeveon Clowney, Micah Parsons, and newly-acquired Falcons pass rusher Matthew Judon.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]