This warrants discussion: the New Orleans Saints could be making a change at left tackle ahead of Week 6’s road game with the Houston Texans. James Hurst, not Trevor Penning, may be protecting Derek Carr’s blind side on Sunday.
It would be a big change, and a disappointing turn for Penning’s storyline this season. The second-year left tackle has improved in pass protection each game he’s played, but he’s been a surprising liability in the run game, and patience has to be wearing thin for him. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill explored Penning’s shortcomings on zone-blocking plays in depth.
The Saints are fielding a highly inconsistent offense and Penning’s struggles at left tackle have created a ripple effect, and time isn’t on Dennis Allen’s side. He’s achieved a winning record as a head coach for the first time in his NFL career this season after starting at 2-0. And they’re lucky to have a 3-2 record right now after getting away with too many close wins to start the season.
If benching Penning allows the Saints to get who they feel are their best five blockers on the field — with Andrus Peat at left guard and Hurst starting at left tackle — then it’s a move they should feel confident in making. But it’s hard to read this as anything but a setback for Penning. Foot injuries cost him his rookie year. He’s made gradual improvement through his first five starts this season, which is commendable. But it’s worrisome that Penning can’t execute the blocks in space that a zone scheme like the one New Orleans wants to run. That’s something he could pick up with more reps, but as we said, Allen can’t wait forever.
So what are the other (hypothetical) impacts of swapping Hurst for Penning? The veteran shouldn’t need as much help from chip-blocking tight ends on passing plays, allowing guys like Jimmy Graham and Foster Moreau to run more routes and catch more passes. That goes for Juwan Johnson, too, whenever he’s able to return from a mysterious calf injury. If Hurst can hold up in pass protection without extra help while bringing more as a blocker on running plays while freeing up the tight ends to make more plays as receivers, that’s a move the coaching staff likely feels good about.
But what a disappointment for Penning. The Saints had high expectations when they drafted him. They’ve tried to spin the 2022 trade with the Eagles as a move to help them get Chris Olave, who has unequivocally helped upgrade the offense; but general manager Mickey Loomis said at the time that “For us, it’s an opportunity to get another good player a year ahead of time for a value that we like.”
Obviously that plan hasn’t worked out. Benching Penning and taking him out of the starting lineup may further limit his development. He’d be going into games as the sixth blocker in overload sets, averaging just 5 or 6 snaps each week, which is hardly enough reps for him to learn from. But as we said, time isn’t on Allen’s side. If benching Penning gives him a better shot at winning games and saving his job, it shouldn’t shock anyone to see a shakeup in the lineup.
