What’s next for the New Orleans Saints with former All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk out for the 2024 season? Their options are limited on the eve of training camp, but they knew this was coming — head coach Dennis Allen has alluded to it as a possibility as far back as NFL owners meetings in March. That’s around the same time they informed Trevor Penning he’d be moving to right tackle while making plans to pick a new left tackle early in April’s draft.
In a perfect world they wouldn’t have to make any moves: Penning would develop as hoped with a new coaching staff and hold down the job at right tackle for years to come. Taliese Fuaga would convert to left tackle with ease and be a foundational piece moving forwards. Veteran free agents they’ve already signed like Olisaemeka Udoh and Justin Herron could join young backups Landon Young and Josiah Ezirim on the bench.
But they aren’t living in a perfect world. Things don’t always go to plan. Development isn’t linear, and it’s possible either or both of Penning and Fuaga struggle after flipping sides. If Penning is a bust at right tackle and Fuaga has to go back to his college position, who covers Derek Carr’s blind side? Young or Udoh?
That’s a hard sell. And as we said, the cupboard is looking awful bare in free agency. The Saints could look into signing another experienced pro but it has to be the right fit. Older players like Jason Peters, Duane Brown, and David Bakhtiari aren’t going to be eager to sign as a backup. If they’re going to join a team for camp it’ll likely be with the expectation that they’re starting. Other free agents like D.J. Humphries and Charles Leno Jr. are coming off of serious injuries.
Then you have free agents like Donovan Smith and Billy Turner. They’re both past their prime but they’ve played valuable snaps for teams recently, and they could be upgrades over the depth on the Saints’ roster as it stands right now. The question becomes whether they would be willing to sign on for a backup role and the league-minimum salary that comes with it. If the Saints are looking for an experienced left tackle who could take over if Fuaga moves back to the right side, Smith would make a lot of sense. Turner has mainly played right tackle as of late.
If we’re guessing today, the Saints won’t sign anyone. They’ll wait until pads come on and the first few days of practice are behind them before considering new additions. Give the youngsters time to settle in with their new coaches and test the veteran players competing behind them. They’ve had all offseason to make more moves and this Ramczyk development didn’t take them by surprise. If the Saints weren’t comfortable with their depth chart they would have done more to change it during the last two or three months.
