The New Orleans Saints did a lot of retooling to their offensive line this offseason. First round pick Kelvin Banks was the only new addition, but Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga also moved positions. An injury to Penning may keep the Saints from seeing their revisioned line in Week 1, but there's more optimism around the idea than previously thought after Thursday.
Penning suffered a toe injury in the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was an admittedly small sample size, but before that he looked good at guard. For the first time since that injury, Penning was seen walking without a boot. NewOrleans.Football's Mike Triplett noticed this welcomed improvement.
Kellen Moore gave a positive update but was still noncommittal to the idea of Penning starting the season. He told reporters, “we’ll see about the Week 1 thing. We’ve got a few days off this weekend, and we’ll see what kind of timeline presents itself for some of these (injured) guys."
Time isn't a commodity Trevor Penning can afford to waste
The truth is the Saints can deal with Penning missing time a little better than Penning could deal with it. They have Dillon Radunz on the team. For the struggles Radunz had in the preseason opener, it's important to note those issues were primarily at tackle. He was much better when playing on the interior in the last two games.
Having a player with starting experience at backup gives you the confidence to go to your depth without much concern. It's a security blanket that has the potential to turn into a long term solution. Radunz won't unseat Penning after a game, but the presence of a starter behind Penning adds slight pressure to perform.
Additionally, this is a make or break season for Penning. There's no moving to center after this. He's gone through three positions over the last three seasons. There is a belief that playing on the inside plays towards his strength. Penning needs to get in and get as many reps as he can quickly.
Mekhi Becton spent one year at guard in this system and received a good payday, so the financial benefits are there for Penning too. Being in a contract year makes a speedy return from injury and overall healthy season for Penning all the more important.