Early Injury for Saints Offensive Line Surprising, but Not Yet Concerning

Fourth-round rookie offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri missed the first OTA practice with injury, but is expected to be back for training camp.

Author:
Ross Jackson
Publish date:
May 25, 2023 9:07 AM EDT

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New Orleans Saints

Only ten players were not spotted by media during the New Orleans Saints' first day of voluntary organized team activities (OTAs). Of them, players recovering from injuries like wide receiver Michael Thomas, offensive guard Andrus Peat and even offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk who consistently battled injury throughout 2022 were not surprising.

But one surprise absence was fourth-round rookie offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri. The former Old Dominion tackle was drafted less than a month ago and has now missed the first day of OTAs. Why? Head coach Dennis Allen filled in the media following practice on Tuesday.

Mar 5, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Old Dominion offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri (OL38) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

"He's got a calf injury," Allen said plainly when asked about Saldiveri's absence. A follow-up question then inquired about the timelines for fellow linemen, tackle Trevor Penning and guard Cesar Ruiz. "Look I'm not going to get into a bunch of the injury issues," Allen answered. "But my expectation is that they'll be ready to go for training camp."

Whether or not the training camp timeline was specific to Penning and Ruiz or included additional injury timelines such as Saldiveri, Peat and others is a little unclear. But regardless, there does not seem to be a wealth of concern around the rookie's injuries. Calf injuries, if treated quickly and not drawn out, do not present the same level of re-injury risk as groin, back and knee injuries. So there is reason to play it safe here.

However, getting Saldiveri out on the field as soon as possible should be in the team's best interest. With some of the offensive line not expected to participate in OTAs, there will be a lot of opportunity for young and veteran depth pieces to get valuable reps with starting quarterback Derek Carr.

If there is anything you can always bet on in the NFL, injuries on the offensive line are atop the list. Having depth is important, but having depth that has time on task with your starting signal caller is even more beneficial.

Hopefully Saldiveri is either included in the training camp timetable as we expect, or on a faster track to returning to the field. But one way or another, it does not seem that there is a lot of concern around the situation. At least not for now.