2020 rookies might figure into plan
Saints Wire
Who starts at center and guard?
New Orleans sent both guards to the Pro Bowl last year, but its offensive line got even deeper in the 2020 draft when it picked Michigan center Cesar Ruiz.
While Andrus Peat is entrenched at left guard (having signed a five-year contract extension earlier in the offseason), the center and right guard spots are not settled. If anything, they might be the most competitive roster battles we’ll see in training camp.
Ruiz and Erik McCoy, the incumbent, will compete for the right to start at center. They’ll also work into the lineup at right guard.
Three-time Pro Bowl alternate Larry Warford was cut, clearing the Saints of about $7.75 million in spending room. Poor performance last season and the bloated contract spelled the end of his Saints career. Releasing him allows the Saints to work around the salary cap a little easier while getting Ruiz and McCoy on the field together.
Ruiz can help the Saints right now and offers long-term stability. While McCoy was graded very well by Pro Football Focus in 2019, Ruiz is one of the best center prospects in years. He was allowed to make the offensive line calls for the Wolverines and did it extremely well.
How does the linebacker rotation shake out?
Another area of heavy competition figures to land in the middle of the defense. While Demario Davis, named a firstteam All-Pro by The Associated Press last year, is a no-doubt starter at weakside linebacker, the Saints can attack the spot next to him from several different angles.
Unlike some NFL teams, the Saints use their nickel package as the base defense, fielding just two linebackers at a time for long stretches during games.
Enter Zack Baun, a rookie out of Wisconsin who figures to push both Alex Anzalone and
Kiko Alonso for playing right out of the gate.
Anzalone and Alonso both ended the 2019 season on injured reserve (as did Kaden Elliss, last year’s seventh-round pick who quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff as a time
Sports Weekly is taking a look at each NFL franchise, where it stands and what’s in store for the 2020 season. We started with teams that finished 2019 with the worst records and are moving up.
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Adding to the drama is the long-term vision of the unit. Davis, Anzalone, Alonso and firstman-up Craig Robertson are each going to be free agents next year, barring an early contract extension. The Saints need
Baun to outright win a starting job right away so the team knows it has a building block for the future.
Who rounds out the wide receiver corps?
The top of the depth chart is locked in with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. The thought of what Sanders will be able to do with Thomas demanding lopsided coverage from defenses is exciting.
Things get questionable after those two, though. Third-year pro Tre’Quan Smith has plenty of physical ability and has caught 10 touchdown passes in his first two seasons. But Smith has struggled to nail down his responsibilities with consistency. He also missed five games in 2019 after rushing back from a high ankle sprain.
We should expect more touches for Deonte Harris, the returns specialist, but he’ll be pushed by Marquez Callaway, a rookie free agent who offers great size and agility. Krishawn Hogan and Lil’Jordan Humphrey also return.