State of the Saints: Offensive Line

One of the areas the Saints don't have to worry about too much going into the new league season is the offensive line, but things could certainly shift.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Feb 28, 2023 9:12 AM EST

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

This week sees the NFL Scouting Combine take centerstage and be the focus for all 32 teams, as we're just over three weeks away from the start of the new league year. The Saints have plenty of aspirations going into 2023, but they're going to have to figure a good bit of things out in March and April to be able to get where they want to go.

We've been doing a 'State of the Saints' series that focuses on each position for the black and gold. We pick that back up by looking at the offense, specifically the guys in the trenches.

Offensive Line Overview

USATSI_19382053_168388561_lowres — Nov 7, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71) blocks against New Orleans Saints linebacker Andrew Dowell (50) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Players Under Contract: James Hurst, Trevor Penning, Andrus Peat, Lewis Kidd, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Calvin Throckmorton, Ryan Ramczyk, Landon Young, Yasir Durant (reserve/future), Koda Martin (reserve/future)

Free Agent Outlook: Ethan Greenidge

Priority Level: Low

The team made a couple of moves ahead of free agency, extending Calvin Throckmorton (ERFA) on a one-year deal and restructuring the contracts of Erik McCoy and Ryan Ramczyk. Overall, the Saints are presumably rolling into next season with the same familiar offensive line. When they were on their game, they were dominant in the trenches, particularly in their rushing attack. Like past seasons, depth was key for New Orleans, as they had to use a combination of looks due to injury.

From a coaching perspective, losing Zach Strief will certainly hurt, as he left to join Sean Payton in Denver. He was instrumental in helping develop the tackles, particularly Trevor Penning. The team did bring in Kevin Carberry, so it'll be interesting to see what a second-year leap looks like for Penning. Doug Marrone returns for his second season with the Saints under Dennis Allen.

What to pay attention to here with the offensive line is what happens with the health leading up to training camp. Trevor Penning is coming off of a Lisfranc injury, which required surgery. Cesar Ruiz also suffered the same injury, but will be ahead of Penning's recovery timeframe and estimated June return.

Another area of interest and intrigue is what happens on the left side. The team is going to have to deal with Andrus Peat's $18.37 million cap hit. He's appeared in 17 games in the past two seasons, and has never gone a full season without injury. Whether they release him, trade him, or try to negotiate a pay cut, New Orleans has a decision to make here. Moving Peat could pave the way for Penning and James Hurst to anchor that side for the offense.

Cesar Ruiz was having such a good rebound season until he got hurt, and was the lone stable player on the line for 14 games. Call it bad luck for the Saints, but the injury bug bit them in a horrible way at multiple positions. The importance of having quality depth matters, which makes players like Lewis Kidd, Calvin Throckmorton, and Landon Young so important.

Things seem pretty concrete on the offensive line for the Saints until they don't. Who they ultimately end up opening run lanes for and protect at quarterback remains to be seen.