What’s the move here? The New Orleans Saints were already thin along the offensive line, but on Wednesday they opted to waive backup blocker Tommy Kraemer, per ESPN’s Field Yates. It’s a bit of a surprise after Kraemer played an important role last season, backing up both Cesar Ruiz (at right guard) and Ryan Ramczyk (at right tackle).
But the team’s new coaching staff must feel differently about him, or at least see better options available in free agency. The Saints now have an open spot on the 90-man roster after waiving both Kraemer and quarterback Kellen Mond, so another addition should be on the way. We’ve identified some possible fits given their experience in Klint Kubiak’s system or other connections to the coaching staff.
Here’s the state of the offensive line after waiving Kraemer, with rookies’ names underlined for emphasis:
- Tackle: Ryan Ramczyk (injury), Trevor Penning, Landon Young, Justin Herron, Taliese Fuaga, Josiah Ezirim
- Guard: Cesar Ruiz, Nick Saldiveri, Oli Udoh, Shane Lemieux, Mark Evans II, Nouri Nouili, Kyle Hergel
- Center: Erik McCoy, Since Haynesworth
