Announcement AMA with TCUDan, August 10 (Today): Starts NOW (1 Viewer)

[TCUDan]

Hey guys, I'll be around today (this evening for me) to answer some questions. Training camp, position battles, 'Xs & Os'... shoot em all my way.

See you then!

 

[JvilleJoe]

Shaheed. Should he shine in limited action as a PR, KR, and WR… how much would that shake things up?

Probably a long shot, but if Shaheed shines, particularly as a returner, I could see the Saints trading Harty and his salary demands! We are so deep at WR this year that we have other guys who could fill his role on offense.

 

[rsmith2783]

Are the Saints more focused on running ball this year like they did in 2017? I ask because I look at the type of backs they targeted in FA and all of them between the tackle runners instead of backs like Sproles/Bush.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Also, do you think Kirk Merritt's chances of being on the final roster are better than even? He can bring some scheme versatility and fit that wideback role Deebo does in SF.

 

[football]

I think a lot of these question regarding certain undrafted players making wave in training camp really depends on what they do in preseason game. They need to show up regardless of how well they are doing in camp. So many players in the past had done very well, "camp beast" but failed to show much of anything in preseason games.

 

[TCUDan]

Question:
Literally everyone knows Cesar Ruiz must step his game up this season.
But what has been holding him back?
Is it more physical, eg lack of size, strength or agility?
Or is mental, not understanding assignments, lack of aggression, brain farts?
Or is it simply that a young football player shifting from center to guard will have some growing pains, especially during the Covid affected NFL seasons?

Thanks! Love your contributions to the forum

Ruiz definitely doesn't have any physical issues. You could argue he's a little bit narrow/light for the guard position, but in a zone-heavy scheme that matters less. The good news is, everything I've been hearing about him from training camp is nothing but praise, with is fellow Olinemen calling him the most improved player in the group.

Some players just take longer to acclimate than others. Could've been the position switch or could have just been typical NFL adjustment. I think we'll be able to judge Ruiz and his progress much better once preseason begins.

 

[cpgm]

Ideally, what would the contract for CGJ look like?

 

[TCUDan]

What Oline position is generally considered most important/valuable?

Many say Center, others say the Tackle defending the QB’s blind side.

For the Saints this was McCoy/Armstead. Now it’s McCoy and Penning/Hurst.

Really depends on the scheme and the players. Tackles tend to be paid more because of the athletic demand of the position and the fact that they are on an island more (particulalry in pass pro) than interior players. It is definitely easier to find high-quality guards (often by converting tackles) than it is to find stellar tackles.

Center is a different animal. Typically the least physically demanding, but requires a lot more mental discipline.
Conventional wisdom is you have to have great tackles in the NFL. I always argued that when Brees was at his best, he had a great interior. He was a shorter QB but had a great feel for outside pressure, and as long as he had a solid wall inside that gave him space to climb and windows to throw through, he was extremely productive and efficient. The Super Bowl season with Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks at guard (and pretty pedestrian tackles) is a testament to that.

In short, there's no straightforward answer, but I really like the OL the Saints have right now. And that includes the depth.

 

[TCUDan]

We are hearing all about our CBs balling out but what about the new safties? I get that TM is just getting into camp but it's quiet on the Marcus Maye front, I guess no news is good news for a free safety.....

Yeah I wouldn't read too much into that. We hear about the CBs a lot because they participate more in 1-on-1s and that's when they're making a lot of their plays. Our safties are about as solid as it gets, and we have some pretty good depth there too.

 

[SaintRay]

In your opinion, where is the biggest weakness in the starting lineup on this roster?

 

[TCUDan]

I know so much has been talked about in regards to Ruiz but is this a make or break year for Andrus Peat? He always seems to be hurt. I know he has the big contract but I mean he needs to play 16-17 games to earn that right?
And second same question but about Davenport. With Turner looking good and now Granderson looking like a steal his seat has to be super hot right?

Peat is who he is. You can't really punish a player just for being injured. I don't see anyone on the roster who is going to push him.

Davenport isn't remotely on the hot seat in terms of snaps. He is a serious impact player. I don't think Payton Turner is a challenge at this point (especially given he has injury issues of his own) and while I like Granderson, he is NOT on Davenport's level. I mean, the dude had his finger amputated.

I think the big takeaway here is that while injuries to one player do offer an opportunity for other players to step up and earn more snaps, injuries are NOT, in and of themselves, a reason to be down on a player--no matter how frustrating they be for fans.

Worth remembering that football is an unbelievably phsyical sport, and the guys who avoid injuries are typically just plain lucky more than anything.

 

[Stew 2.0]

Peat is who he is. You can't really punish a player just for being injured. I don't see anyone on the roster who is going to push him.

Davenport isn't remotely on the hot seat in terms of snaps. He is a serious impact player. I don't think Payton Turner is a challenge at this point (especially given he has injury issues of his own) and while I like Granderson, he is NOT on Davenport's level. I mean, the dude had his finger amputated.

I think the big takeaway here is that while injuries to one player do offer an opportunity for other players to step up and earn more snaps, injuries are NOT, in and of themselves, a reason to be down on a player--no matter how frustrating they be for fans.

Worth remembering that football is an unbelievably phsyical sport, and the guys who avoid injuries are typically just plain lucky more than anything.

I guess it was more about Davenport getting a new contract or Peat being traded next offseason

 

[TCUDan]

Will depth at LB be a concern for the defense?

Maybe. I like Eric Wilson a ton as a backup at Will and Kaden Ellis has looked good. I think we're OK in terms of depth and definitely wouldn't start panicking. The biggest issue right now is that D'Marco Jackson is injured.

Remember that the Saints typically just play 2 LBs in their base defense.

Also, a lot was made about not re-signing Kwon Alexander, but I said from the beginning that I thought that was more Kwon's decision. My hunch is that he preferred to go somewhere where he was more featured (rather than splitting time with Werner) and thus would get more money.

It's hard to convince a starter to come play for you as a backup if they have starter opportunities elsewhere.

 

[TCUDan]

Hi Dan, I look forward to your always insightful and enlightening perspective on many questions. Am confident of our starting linebackers, but would love to hear your thoughts on the depth at lb. Many thanks.

Copy/paste from the same question in an earlier post:

I like Eric Wilson a ton as a backup at Will and Kaden Ellis has looked good. I think we're OK in terms of depth and definitely wouldn't start panicking. The biggest issue right now is that D'Marco Jackson is injured.

Remember that the Saints typically just play 2 LBs in their base defense.

Also, a lot was made about not re-signing Kwon Alexander, but I said from the beginning that I thought that was more Kwon's decision. My hunch is that he preferred to go somewhere where he was more featured (rather than splitting time with Werner) and thus would get more money.

It's hard to convince a starter to come play for you as a backup if they have starter opportunities elsewhere.

 

[TCUDan]

What are your thoughts on Jordan Jackson?

I like him. See a little bit of La'Roi Glover in the way he plays. That said, there is a lot less training camp film of the trench guys floating around, so I need to see him in preseason before I go hard in the paint.

 

[TCUDan]

Do you believe Cesar Ruiz has what it takes to be a successful guard in this league? I worry that he's not nearly aggressive enough. He doesn't seem to have the dawg in him.

He definitely as what it takes to be an NFL Olineman in terms of physical skills. Hard to measure someone's fight without a first-hand account. A perceived lack of aggression could just be his head swimming (much easier to fire off balls to the wall if you don't have to think about your assignment).

There's a lot of questions about Ruiz here and I don't really have much to go off of in terms of camp (don't get a good look at the line until the preseason). But I've seen multiple sources reporting that he's been the most improved lineman of camp, and a lot of these sources are the other Olinemen in the room. So I'm optimistic.