OTAs Week 1’s Practice Notes & Highlights: Trevor Penning moving to Right Tackle (1 Viewer)

[TruSaint]

Fuaga gonna be so good they can just put him anywhere

 

[SuperSaint]

These are just experiments, don't read too much into them.

Saints have always cross-trained their linemen as much as possible for versatility...

 

[schuetter]

Eating crow on this. Figured they’d start them out in their original tackle positions and cross train them a bit, but sounds like they’re pleased with what Fuaga showed at LT in rookie camp. I can dig it.

 

[WhoDat?DrewDat]

Eating crow on this. Figured they’d start them out in their original tackle positions and cross train them a bit, but sounds like they’re pleased with what Fuaga showed at LT in rookie camp. I can dig it.

you and everyone else

 

[SonOfNOLA]

These are just experiments, don't read too much into them.

Saints have always cross-trained their linemen as much as possible for versatility...

DA and Benton aren’t calling their reps cross-training. Their statements in their post practice pressers shows that they plan on further exclusively installing Fuaga at LT and Penning at RT going forward. Benton sees Penning as a Right Tackle in this scheme. They can’t afford to put Fuaga and especially Penning through any experiments. They have to fully learn where they’re going to start.

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

Benton even states that it was the plan for Penning to work at RT even prior to drafting Fuaga.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

Thanks OP as always for the great updates.

 

[DSnfla]

Eating crow on this. Figured they’d start them out in their original tackle positions and cross train them a bit, but sounds like they’re pleased with what Fuaga showed at LT in rookie camp. I can dig it.

Eating crow may be a bit pre-mature. I think the only reason most of us thought they would work TP @ LT was to make it easier on him and not to learn a new position , even though this cross training is nowhere near written in stone. But it seems that Benton and Dennison have more faith in TP than the ones that do have faith in him if they think he'll do fine @ RT. And by all reports so far he's taken to having a clean slate. I don;t care where he plays on the OL as long as he plays well

 

[Belfast Saint]

I'm a bit surprised by the LT/RT switch but what I love is that they did their assessment, made a decision and are going with it. No hedging bets, no 'we're not sure' - just a bit of clarity and let's go.

This switch doesn't make Penning good all the sudden, that's still something that he needs to prove and coaches need to get out of him, but if the switch gives him a chance to do that, and maybe takes 10% of the pressure off of him, then great.

 

[saint_drago]

DA and Benton aren’t calling their reps cross-training. Their statements in their post practice pressers shows that they plan on further exclusively installing Fuaga at LT and Penning at RT going forward. Benton sees Penning as a Right Tackle in this scheme. They can’t afford to put Fuaga and especially Penning through any experiments. They have to fully learn where they’re going to start.

In theory cross training seems like a great idea. Nobody is going to argue that versatility isn't a good thing, but sometimes it's better to let guys focus on one thing and get a firm grasp on it. So in this case we have a rookie and a third year player who struggled at LT. Let them focus on where they are projected to play and give them as many reps as you can so they can learn that position.

 

[TCUDan]

Time has passed and that ship has sailed but it wasn't such a crazy thought at one time. Due to Taysom's value in the joker role, he never got to fully prep for being a full-time QB except for one off-season and that wasn't until he was what...around 30 years old? I know TCUDan mentioned several times that he thought Taysom had QB1 potential. I don't mind being in that same company. Regardless, I am very much looking forward to seeing what Kubiak does with him this season.

Taysom Hill absolutely had starting QB potential in the NFL. He has two glaring weaknesses in his game.

1) He doesn't throw a great deep ball (not an arm strength issue, more about timing and placement... i.e. correctable)

2) injuries - a bigger issue due to his playing style.

 

[MikeyF]

If Kyle Hergel end up being a 2nd Team RG, what a great UDFA signing by our FO!

 

[MikeyF]

In theory cross training seems like a great idea. Nobody is going to argue that versatility isn't a good thing, but sometimes it's better to let guys focus on one thing and get a firm grasp on it. So in this case we have a rookie and a third year player who struggled at LT. Let them focus on where they are projected to play and give them as many reps as you can so they can learn that position.

This is how football on lower levels is played everywhere in the US usually when a new coaching staff comes in.
All jobs are up for grabs and all positions have to be earned!

It is very open minded for DA to let John Benton come in and start over.
As a Saints fan you can't ask for a better start to a new season!

Moving Penning to RT in order for him to get his mind right is a career saving move!

I like what Benton said that in order to be successful in today's NFL you need 2 athletic Tackles;
that they are basically interchangeable & the Saints are employing that dimension to their OL!

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

Taysom carries a wide assortment of tools in his arsenal that have never before been used. Hopefully Klint will sample a lot more of them than what has been used in the past.

To which skills are you referring? He's been used as a qb, rb, te, lined up wide, and on special teams.

 

[saint_drago]

To which skills are you referring? He's been used as a qb, rb, te, lined up wide, and on special teams.

Lol for real. What else can the man do? Fly? If he still has secret tools in his arsenal that he hasn't unveiled yet then the dude is Neo and this is the Matrix.

SP and Pete were pretty creative when it came to using Taysom. We've seen him do everything. I'd like to see him do everything more often. Except maybe special teams. I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze on that one. Line him up all over the place on offense and get him the ball. Use him as a decoy. He's such a unique weapon. It will be interesting to see how he's used going forward.

Fullback is an interesting idea. He can get a short yardage carry here and there but he could be lethal sneaking out of the backfield. Nobody thinks that much about the Fullback and they end up open with no defender in sight. But I'm sure defenses will pay more attention to Taysom Hill. He's not exactly Tom Rathman getting lost in the shuffle.