Asim Richards has started one game in Kelvin Banks Jr.'s absence, and the New Orleans Saints have already shown he doesn't have a long leash. Richards notably struggled in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game and was on the wrong side of two of the worst plays of the game for New Orleans.
The Saints brought in 10 players for tryouts on Tuesday, and there was a specific focus on offensive tackles and defensive back. The team brought in four offensive linemen, and every one of them is a tackle. The tryout players were right side dominant, but it's not like Taliese Fuaga is in danger of losing his job.
One of the most interesting names to tryout for the Saints is Cornelius Lucas. He spent the 2014 season as Kellen Moore's teammate with the Detroit Lions, yet another reminder that Moore isn't that far removed from his playing days. Just last week he had to coach against his fellow 2012 draft classmate Kirk Cousins.
This is officially Kellen Moore's warning to Asim Richards
Bringing in four offensive tackles for tryouts after Richard's critical struggles wasn't coincidental. It doesn't mean they're going to sign one of them this week, but it does officially start the clock on the left tackle. The Saints aren't going to just ride this thing out until Banks returns, and they can't.
Banks is going to miss too much time for the Saints to do that, and this was Kellen Moore's way of telling Richards that he'll need to deliver quickly or they will find someone else for the job. And that timeline may be quicker than you think.
Sometimes, teams will bring in players for a tryout just to motivate the guys already on the roster. It's a bit of a scare tactic. It's like a boxer throwing a feint to see the reaction, and though it wasn't thrown, their opponent still has to respect the threat.
It's smart by Moore because in addition to putting Richards on notice, Moore is also familiarizing himself with some of the options on the market. The rapid fire nature of the pressure allowed late was concerning, and this is the right call by Moore.
Of the four offensive tackles New Orleans brought in, only one of those players doesn't have starting experience, and he's a rookie. There's a reason they're available at the market, but it can't hurt to gather information.
Richards isn't out of rope, but the pressure is on. The fourth quarter of Week 3 can't be indicative of his interim run. Otherwise, the Saints may have a new starting left tackle before they get to Paris.
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