Tag: Trevor Penning

Saints’ rebuilt offensive line is their biggest Week 1 pivot point

Taliese Fuaga is the player with the most potential to raise the ceiling for the Saints’ offensive line. But Trevor Penning’s struggles make it a pivot point:

Taliese Fuaga is the player who has the potential raise the ceiling more than any other man along the New Orleans Saints offensive line. If that seems like too much pressure to put on a rookie then blame Erik McCoy. His consistent praise of Fuaga this offseason has elevated the expectations heading into Year 1.

Fuaga will be tested to face some of the most talented pass rushers in the NFL. After the season opener, there’s a four game stretch where Fuaga could line up against Micah Parsons, Bryce Huff, Matthew Judon, and even Chris Jones occasionally.

Trevor Penning is on the other side of the line, and his struggles have made the unit a pivot point. Penning’s development is key to the improvement of the offensive line. If he can’t meet expectations, their floor drops out beneath them. Just as Fuaga can improve the unit, Penning risks crippling it.

Fuaga set himself apart plainly because there’s more belief he can go the distance. Both men’s performance affects the ceiling of the unit dramatically, but Fuaga shown more this offseason and preseason than Penning. The higher the talent, the more the ceiling gets raised.

Additionally, a new left guard means more pressure on the left tackle. Penning has Cesar Ruiz to give assistance. The left guard will still help Fuaga, but he has less of a safety net. It’s likely going to be Lucas Patrick in that spot but thee Saints have viewed Nick Saldiveri as their best option, so the veteran won’t have a very long leash. Each of these players must do well and prove the five-man lineup is not as vulnerable as it may appear.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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WATCH: Spencer Rattler throws must-see touchdown pass vs. Titans

Shout out to Spencer Rattler and Equanimeous St. Brown. They combined for a must-see touchdown pass against the Tennessee Titans:

Whew. This New Orleans Saints big play was a dime from Spencer Rattler, and a great catch by Equanimeous St. Brown. The two Saints backups combined for a must-see touchdown pass against the Tennessee Titans in their final preseason game.

Rattler put enough air under his throw to place the ball where only St. Brown had a chance at catching it — helped by a pancake block from Trevor Penning at right tackle, which bought Rattler enough time to step up and deliver his pass. Six points for New Orleans. Not a bad way to hit paydirt from 21 yards out.

It’s exactly the type of play they both needed. Rattler is pushing Jake Haener for the opportunity to back up Derek Carr and be the first passer up from the bench this season. St. Brown is battling with a handful of different wideouts to round out the depth chart behind Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Cedrick Wilson Jr. We’ll see how this highlight factors into that calculus with roster cuts on the horizon.

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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.

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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.

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Saints shaking up their offensive line before preseason finale

The Saints are shaking up their offensive line before the preseason finale. Oli Udoh is splitting snaps with Trevor Penning at right tackle:

It’s taken some time, but the New Orleans Saints are shaking up their offensive line before Sunday’s preseason finale with the Tennessee Titans. Olisaemeka Udoh is splitting snaps with Trevor Penning at right tackle, and rookie standout Kyle Hergel is getting looks on the first-team lineup at left guard.

Change needed to happen, but some of this is due to injuries. Nick Saldiveri hasn’t been able to practice since July 29 which opened a hole at left guard. His replacement Lucas Patrick exited Wednesday’s practice with what head coach Dennis Allen described as muscle cramps. At right tackle, Penning’s progress has remained incremental. Udoh was already taking the second-team snaps on that side. After stepping in for Penning during a single series at Tulane’s open practice session, Udoh and Penning split reps evenly on Wednesday. Now it’s a real competition.

It’s business as usual at the other spots. Taliese Fuaga is still shaking off a back issue so Landon Young is filling in for him at left tackle. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz remain the only starters returning from last year at center and right guard. Hergel’s case is interesting, though. He’s taken almost all of the  second-team reps behind Ruiz at right guard this summer but now he’s earning practice time with the starters at left guard and, occasionally, center on the second team. He’s put himself in great position to make the team and dress out on game days.

Allen has stressed the need to identify the five best linemen to start up front. Could that combination include Udoh and Hergel instead of Penning, Patrick, or Saldiveri? Maybe, maybe not. Time is running out for these late entrants to make their case in those competitions. But so long as Penning is struggling to handle his assignments and Saldiveri is unable to get on the practice field, it’s anyone’s game.

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It’s now or never for Trevor Penning in Saints’ second preseason game

Trevor Penning has to start trending upward. Immediately. As in Sunday’s 49ers game. Or the Saints’ search for another right tackle starts now:

Trevor Penning may be learning a new position, but his struggles in previous years have led to him garnering no patience from the fanbase and likely little patience from the coaching staff.

When the New Orleans Saints face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, this may be Penning’s last chance to convince the staff of his potential before they begin searching for another option.

That option won’t be available until after the preseason when teams begin to trim down their roster. One could even make the argument the team should already be beginning their scouting process. Penning has struggled, and the fact no one on the roster has overtaken him speaks volumes.

After being benched early last year and struggling with the transition to right tackle, the time is now to show reason to believe. Penning doesn’t need to be great. He does need to show some growth. His progress to this point has been too slow to truly help him or the team.

Penning was bad against the Cardinals. It may only be one game at right tackle, but it’s a part of a three-year process. At this stage, doubt is warranted. The benefit of the doubt is not. Banking on him to bounce back from a poor preseason is a risky investment at best. It’s now or never for Trevor Penning, and it starts on Sunday night versus the San Francisco 49ers.

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