New Orleans Saints

Saints Offensive Line Issues - Going With What They've Got?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The New Orleans Saints better figure this offensive line out, and they better do it quick.

The initial New Orleans Saints 53 man roster has been announced, and surprisingly to me, only seven offensive linemen were retained. Maybe they’re leaving room for a free agent addition with a corresponding cut coming from a better populated area of the roster. After all, ten defensive linemen and five safeties were kept. Or are the Saints content and going with what they’ve got going into the regular season?

Assuming at least Jack Allen and Tony Hills get signed to the practice squad, the Saints go into the regular season at this point woefully undermanned on the offensive side of the trenches. Taking a chance neither of those players get scooped and can be kept available as replacements as needed is a gamble.

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The Market

The Black and Gold lost out to the Bears in the half a day long Josh Sitton sweepstakes leaving Geoff Schwartz and Jahri Evans as the only semi marquee names left at guard on the free agent market. Sifting through other teams’ castoffs is always a sketchy pursuit as the Seahawks obviously found with Evans, who was cut by the Saints, after being signed a mere four weeks prior to being waived. Similarly, Shwartz signed a deal with Detroit which lasted about as long.

Evans has been said to be out of gas by analysts and Schwartz has had recent foot and leg breaks which have set his career back. Sitton had some lower back issues which may have led to his release by the Packers and it’s doubtful the Bears had time to do due diligence on him in that area. They simply rolled the dice as the Saints likely would have done if he had made it to New Orleans for a sit down.

What Next?

So where does that leave the team going into week one of the 2016 season? From left to right: Terron Armstead, Andrus Peat, Max Unger, Tim Lelito and Zach Strief. Armstead and Unger are the only bankable commodities on that list and the former has been limited due to some unnamed injury issues. The only two backups currently on the roster are Senio Kelemete and Landon Turner. Neither has demonstrated any consistency and both have little value at tackle.

It would appear Sean Payton and the front office brain trust are either just crossing their collective fingers and hoping for no injuries or seriously scheming to bring in a free agent or two and very quickly at that.

I’d personally like to see Schwartz at least brought in for a look-see. He couldn’t be worse than Andrus Peat at guard and at the very least he has extensive experience at the position where Peat has almost none.

I’d also like to see Landon Turner plugged in at his natural position at right guard, move Tim Lelito back to left guard, sit Andrus Peat as a backup tackle, and see what happens. Let Turner learn under fire and practice with the ones. He has the tenacity and experience needed at the guard position. Peat lacks fire. It’s as simple as that. I’m not sure how that’s taught, But being a then and now questionable first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Payton seems determined to make Peat a success.

The First Test

Week one against the Oakland raiders, the offensive line will face one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL, Khalil Mack. God knows, I think everybody is already fearing a replay of the disastrous afternoon Zach Strief had against J.J. Watt in 2015. There are videos all over YouTube preserving that nightmare for posterity. The future hall of famer calling to the Saints’ sideline that somebody better help number 64. It was ugly all day and Drew Brees is lucky to have survived it. Watt was number one on the sack leader list for 2015, Mack was number two.

Blocking Mack will be high on the priorities for September 11 in the Dome. Effectively taking an offensive weapon off the table for several plays as a tight end, fullback or running back is kept on the line to help out Strief. If it’s left to number 64 to handle it on his own, it’s going to be a very long Sunday.

It’ll certainly be interesting over the course of this week to see how this is played by the Saints. Surely some new bodies will be brought in and likely one or two will be given a shot to see what can be made to work.

The 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers only dressed seven offensive linemen for gamedays. Most teams keep nine. Those Steelers, a 12-4 team in their previous season, finished 8-8. It could be argued that the current Saints roster isn’t even that good. Especially on the offensive line.

This will be an interesting week.

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