The move to the interior could bolster the best parts of his game which would be a major win for New Orleans.
The move inside doesn’t just maintain Penning’s physical brand of play, it may actually accentuate it. As he lines up in between Banks and center Erik McCoy, the space he’ll be asked to cover is minimized, assisting a weaker point of the former tackle’s game, making his transition into pass blocking sets more manageable.
In the run game, Penning should be very active in head coach Kellen Moore’s scheme. Not only will he be asked to be a bully in the middle, allowing him to legally assault people, but he’ll also be asked to take advantage of his athleticism.
Pulling guards and tight ends across multiple scheme types is a big part of Moore’s rushing game plan. We broke down the weakside counter that has found its way into a common rotation, with variations, in his play calling. The play asks the guard from the strong side of the pre-snap alignment to pull after the snap, leading the way for a ball-carrier to the weakside.
It’s easy to imagine that a lot of running backs would feel very comfortable following Penning as a lead blocker.
Over the last four years, the Saints have spent a first round selection on three offensive tackles. While investing in the trenches is far from a new idea for the Saints, three tackles in four years is a pretty clear indicator of interest in improving the team’s situation.
Keeping Penning in the starting five would allow the Saints to have four first-round investments (including right guard Cesar Ruiz) along their starting unit. While Penning and versatile free agent acquisition Dillon Radunz are still likely to compete at left guard, the Saints are giving themselves a chance to keep their top investments along the unit in the field together.
The Saints signed Radunz as a potential starter. Now, they could lock him in as a versatile depth piece. Radunz played tackle but has pro experience at every position but center.
That’s a valuable asset to have as a depth piece. New Orleans struggled mightily last season due to injuries along the offensive line. This move for Penning and the selection of Banks gives the Saints a chance to rebuild the depth they once had in front for the quarterback.
New Orleans has now built several paths forward with Penning in regards to his upcoming contract negotiations.
The lineman is entering the final year of his rookie deal and his fifth-year option was not picked up by the team.
Despite not picking up the option, the team could still be looking to him to be a part of their future. But had they chosen to exercise the fifth-year, it would have been at a high price tag based on tackle contracts around the league (about $16.7 million). That wouldn’t have been a steep price tag for a guard with only one year of experience at the position.
New Orleans, and its newfound and soon-realized financial freedom, can now instead negotiate a new deal that works for both sides based on his potential position change rather than agreeing upon a collectively bargained rate.
From many angles, this move is a big win for New Orleans, as long as Penning pans out at his new position. Which, per Moore, is going well so far.
