There’s uncertainty at left tackle for the New Orleans Saints for the first time in a decade. With three-time Pro Bowler Terron Armstead off to join the Miami Dolphins, it’s time for the Saints to test their contingency plans and see whether they’ve prepared well enough for moving on without him. At one point, it seemed that the move would be flipping All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk back to the left side, where he starred in college at Wisconsin. But now it’s looking like he’ll stay where he’s played his best football, and the Saints are instead putting Armstead’s backup James Hurst in that spot.
It makes sense. Hurst played more snaps at left tackle (557) than Armstead did last year (467). He’s a versatile player who can step in to tackle or guard on each side of the line, but the Saints found some success with him protecting their quarterbacks’ blind side. Now that he’s re-signed to start in 2022, Jameis Winston has made it clear that he’s in Hurst’s corner.
“I wish we could have gotten Terron back, but I’m excited for him (in Miami),” Winston said during his Monday media availability session, per our own Ross Jackson. Unprompted, Winston continued: “I’m excited for James Hurst to get the recognition that he deserves.”
