Saints should address OL needs in free agency

By Ross Jackson

It can be tempting to want to leap directly to the NFL Draft every offseason. But teams first get the advantage of diving into the free agency market a month ahead of the annual selection process. The New Orleans Saints should use free agency as a means of addressing their biggest offseason need: interior offensive line help. 

Waiting to do so in the draft might put the Saints behind the eight ball. Not only would the team then be selecting a player that might need time to develop and get ready for the NFL level, but they could end up relying on a player that can’t make the leap. 

Instead, the Saints should stick with NFL players that they know can play at an NFL level. The team can do so by going to the open market to add talent. 

New Orleans could be on the hunt for a new starting left guard as well as potential competition at right guard. 

Last year’s starting left guard, Trevor Penning, was traded away to the Los Angeles Chargers at the trade deadline, while backup Dillon Radunz proved he could be serviceable depth. 

Meanwhile, during his end of year press conference with head coach Kellen Moore, general manager Mickey Loomis threw out a thinly-veiled challenge to right guard starter Cesar Ruiz. 

“Cesar’s (Ruiz) really good player, and yet, I think we’ve got to get more out of him as well,” he said. 

With veteran options like Buffalo Bills interior offensive lineman David Edwards, former LSU Tigers guard Ed Ingram and underrated options like Isaac Seumalo of the Pittsburgh Steelers all available, New Orleans should look to make a splash in free agency at the position rather than to rely on the not-so-successful path of drafting and developing at the position.