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I think Banks starts at guard

Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:24 am
Posted by LSUZombie
A Cemetery Near You
Member since Apr 2008
29360 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:24 am
Saints play Banks at guard (since he can play 4 positions on the line) to immediately get him on the field.

If Penning struggles, then Banks can kick out to RT or him and Fuaga can switch.

Starting O Line would be:

LT - Fuaga
LG - Ruiz
C - McCoy
RG - Banks
RT - Penning

On paper and potential, this is solid. Staying healthy will always be the challenge and of course if Penning can continue to develop in what's essentially a contract year for him and of course, Ruiz playing with a pulse.
Posted by saints5021
Louisiana
Member since Jul 2010
18127 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:30 am to
Banks is your future. You didn't draft him to play Guard. Penning can sit the bench for all I care. You put Banks at LT, Fuaga back to RT and you are set for years to come.
Posted by GynoSandberg
Bay St Louis, MS
Member since Jan 2006
73257 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:31 am to
All of Banks 2,774 snaps at UT came at LT. He has no experience playing anywhere else.

Banks is here for awhile, Penning is under contract for this season. And he’s not good.

Seems foolish to move Banks given you just took him in the top 10. That’s a big investment and screams LT of the future
Posted by BTRDD
Member since Jun 2009
3560 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:33 am to
LT - Banks
LG - Penning or trade for a 2nd rounder + a player.
C - McCoy
RG - Ruiz
RT - Fuaga
Posted by BilJ
Member since Sep 2003
160389 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:35 am to
Yeah…this is obviously a team still in transition, having him learn a new position to make room for a bum like penning makes no sense.

If we had playoff aspirations, go ahead and mix and match your best 5. With this team, let him cut his teeth this year vs. making the adjustment back 2 years from now.

It’s an awful pick if you plan to play him at G
Posted by saintsfan92612
Taiwan
Member since Oct 2008
29494 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:37 am to
no, Banks at LT and Fuaga at RT and Penning either inside or on the bench gives us our best chance at a decent line.
Posted by Ryan3232
Valet driver for TD staff
Member since Dec 2008
26784 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:40 am to
Im not opposed to drafting a guard in third round tonight with one of those picks. Gives us more flexibility/depth this season and we can kick penning to the curb if he sucks this year (and if that guard panned out)
Posted by moneyg
Member since Jun 2006
59249 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:41 am to
quote:

I think Banks starts at guard



If Banks can't play LT, this is another disastrous pick.

If the Saints know he can't play LT and still drafted him at 9 it would be as bad a move as they have ever made.

To me, the reason this pick may end up helping the team significantly is that if he starts at LT and improves that position, you also improve (significantly) the RT position because that was always Fuaga's natural spot, and potentially significantly improves the guard position (Penning).
Posted by GynoSandberg
Bay St Louis, MS
Member since Jan 2006
73257 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:43 am to
Now that you have Banks, there’s no reason to not try Penning at guard

Best case, he turns into a stud guard of the future

Worst case, he’s your backup to both tackles and your swing guy.

and tbh Penning is a lot more attractive now that you have two solid tackles. He would be a great backup. I’d look to extend him now
Posted by Suntiger
STG or BR or somewhere else
Member since Feb 2007
34545 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:43 am to
I actually agree. It’s not uncommon for a tackle to start at guard then move outside.

I think you let Penning, Brown and Fuaga all duke it out for starting tackle positions. One wins LT and one wins RT. If Penning stays at RT, Banks plays between Fuaga and McCoy and you have a dominant left side. If Penning earns a contract extension, you keep making them compete. If they let Penning walk in FA, you plug in Brown and draft a guard next year.

I don’t know if Penning can play guard. He might be too big and too slow. And we don’t have another guard. That’s why I think it might be better overall for Banks to play at guard one year then move outside next year.
Posted by msstate7
Member since Oct 2014
11898 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:43 am to
Even if penning can't play lg, he's still valuable. The saints have oline injuries every year, and having a decent backup tackle is huge.
Posted by Chad504boy
4 posts
Member since Feb 2005
171689 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:45 am to
Truly ideal for me:

LT Banks
LG McCoy
C Ruiz
RG Penning
RT Fuaga

Posted by goatmilker
Castle Anthrax
Member since Feb 2009
70509 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:47 am to
Perhaps. Because pairing Penning next to Banks seems less than ideal lol
Posted by LSUZombie
A Cemetery Near You
Member since Apr 2008
29360 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 9:50 am to
quote:

Now that you have Banks, there’s no reason to not try Penning at guard


Maybe Penning's "nasty" attitude will translate better to a punishing guard.

Regardless, this was a smart pick for the future of this team and for the future QB.
Posted by GynoSandberg
Bay St Louis, MS
Member since Jan 2006
73257 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 10:05 am to
We will have fresh eyes on the OL room this year. You got Paganetti who has worked under Stoutland in Philly. They made Becton (who is huge) into a guard, they moved Dickerson (who is huge) to guard, they morphed a rugby player into one of the best tackles in the game etc. Nugent has led guys around, Jahiri was a college tackle who moved to guard

I actually have trust in this staff to get creative and improve this unit. Because lord knows we’ve invested in it heavily
Posted by htran90
BC
Member since Dec 2012
31385 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 10:07 am to
Fuaga looks to fit the bill for LG too.
Posted by DBG
vermont
Member since May 2004
75604 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 10:15 am to
Trip mentioned a while back that he’s never, ever heard Penning at guard from anyone with the saints. He’s never played guard.

Maybe he can and do well but whatever he does honestly has zero impact on Banks or the team going forward. There’s only a slightly better than 0% chance he’s even on the team after 2025.

I’m more interested in whether or not Nick Saldiveri can play. Penning is a non factor.
Posted by goatmilker
Castle Anthrax
Member since Feb 2009
70509 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 10:21 am to
Saldiveri was a RT in college as well.
Would be shocked if we don't draft a center/guard.
Saldiveri I think was meant to play RT. The knock on him was his build being thought lite from the hips down.
This post was edited on 4/25/25 at 10:24 am
Posted by touchdownjeebus
Member since Sep 2010
25310 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 10:30 am to
He’s playing LT. You and the Saints need to stop thinking of creative ways to play people out of position. Sure, he can play G, but he is an LT and we need an LT.
Posted by moneyg
Member since Jun 2006
59249 posts
Posted on 4/25/25 at 10:48 am to
quote:

Worst case, he’s your backup to both tackles and your swing guy.



They woudl move Fuaga back to LT in case of injury and play Penning at RT. He will never play LT.

But effectively, you get the same impact.

But,, if he can't play guard, he's done with this team after next year.
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