The trade deadline is a little less than two weeks away, but the blockbuster trades are already rolling in. The Indianapolis Colts are sending their top trench players to the NFC West, and the Chicago Bears just acquired Jeffrey Simmons. The Saints aren't making a move that big, but Cesar Ruiz is a player who will be a common topic of conversation around the deadline.
ESPN analysts Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen joined together to discuss potential trade targets, and believe there's a 25% chance to be traded. Not great odds, and Fowler describes this as "hardly a slam dunk, but there is reason to believe Ruiz still has value on the market.
"Ruiz is a capable player in pass protection, using his foot quickness and technique to slow interior rushers. He has posted a pass block win rate of 90% or better in five of seven pro seasons. However, Ruiz isn't a natural displacer at the point of attack in the run game, which impacts his ability to create consistent movement. His career run block win rate sits at 66.8%."
Saints may want to keep Cesar Ruiz around to give Jeremiah Wright some time
The Saints seemingly have Ruiz's heir apparent Jeremiah Wright waiting in the wings, and he even started the Saints game in Paris. For many, that makes this a much easier decision to make, but ultimately the Saints will need to gauge both Wright's readiness and Ruiz's performance when considering a deal.
Wright was the talk of the town after the Saints played the Giants, and he had his opportunity to steal that job from Ruiz. It wasn't great, and it leaves the Saints in a bit of a strange position. Do they let Wright stay in the lineup and take his lumps?
The answer to that is probably no. Wright didn't play well enough to take the job, so it'll be on the coaches to decide if they've seen enough to want him to grow with live reps. Honestly, the plan was always for Wright to have time to develop but behind Ruiz.
The Saints staying with that plan despite one start is likely based on how Kellen Moore has approached making changes. While some may believe Jeremiah Wright could nudge the Saints to trade Ruiz, it could be the opposite. Keeping Ruiz on the roster gives them time to work with Wright until they feel he's ready.
Add us as a preferred source on Google