Upgrade Guard and trade Cesar Ruiz (2 Viewers)

[Trey W.]

You're probably one season away from being able to move on from Ruiz. I also think his biggest issue, and Baldie spoke on it, is that his best position is Center. He aint beating out McCoy though. Ironically, Ruiz despite the time missed, had his best season per PFF. He's an average G in the league, basically our new version of Andrus Peat.

And widge is accurate. Moving guys around leads to success all the time, perhaps it's not always for there betterement but it's not like the league isn't littered w/ success stories.

While I agree with your statement of moving Ruiz to C, apparently our coaching staff doesn’t think he’s that great at C either. When McCoy went down they move journeyman Patrick from LG to C, then when Patrick went down they moved Lemieux to C, then when he went down we picked up McGovern off the streets to play C. I’m pretty sure Ruiz didn’t take a single snap at C this season. I would think, if he was any good at C, he would have been moved there given the importance of the position and his experience playing the position.

 

[GeneHansen]

I think he really meant "Hole Filled".. what do I know.

Yes, I’m sure that’s what he meant.

That was the joke… and not a very good one.

 

[DSnfla]

and he's the most most penalized player on the Saints roster this year. But, hey, he stayed healthy which you are correct is a positive note.

It's almost always an OL and he has 1 more than Fuaga. But Fuaga's flags have cost us the most, example a TD last game with a holding call

 

[DSnfla]

CR is an avg RG 65.7 PFF and 43 out of 130 OGs. The thing to do is since McCoy gets hurt so much lately is to upgrade the RG position and make R the backup C/OG . yeah it's a high price to pay for a backup but if we can find a good prospect IOL then that may be the way to go

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

We need two new starting guards

This. Ruiz is also not even decent, wouldn’t get a high pick for him.

We will need to start thinking about center in the next couple of years too.

 

[JackDiesel]

If a true left tackle is there in the first round, draft him and move Penning to left guard. Put the rookie at left tackle and move Fuaga back to his natural spot at right tackle. McCoy can help Ruiz for one year, then upgrade that spot. Penning will sink or swim.

There fixed the o-line like the state fixes roads, is it gonna hold? Who knows. Penning will hold, that's for sure.

It was Penning's first year at right tackle and he did alright and now you want to move him again? Both our tackles were basically rookies and while they weren't studs did fine. Leave them alone and focus on the interior. Sign a guard in FA instead of extending Juwan Johnson and then draft another in the 3rd to eventually take over for Ruiz. Patrick can be a backup where he belongs and not a starter.

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

I was thinking O line could quickly become a strength of this team if we found a couple of maulers at guard. Fuaga is solid, McCoy is above average, penning is average. I wish we could trade Ruiz for a 2nd or 3rd and he could go to his natural position at center somewhere else. He’s okay here but I wonder if it is because he’s not in the right position?

If Ruiz was good enough to garner a second round draft choice, why would we want to trade him?

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

Ruiz has little trade value. He is a below-average guard who was drafted because of position.

 

[Sumdude34]

Ruiz is solid in some stretches, but he has serious lapses in strength and blown assignments that have gotten our QBs and RBs killed for years. This was very evident even before his extension. Much like when we extended Peat - I didn't understand it.

We have (and have for a while) a major strength issue in the middle of our line. We get no push inside, and we have been watching Kamara run into a brick wall of his own players for years. I don't know if we can do anything about Ruiz right now, but he should not be in our 2+ year plan.

 

[Vision]

We need two new starting guards

Some big jokers too.

 

[MikeyF]

Penning has the brain and self discipline of an angry turnip.

I love his nasty streak...
He reminds me of Conrad Dobler.

Of course I'm older and I played football in a different era.