NFL training camp: Best battle to watch for each team
By John Buhler
New Orleans Saints: Khalif Barnes vs. Ryan Ramczyk
We know that the New Orleans Saints are going to do two things this upcoming season, one at a high level and one not so much. That Saints passing game will remain elite as long as Drew Brees is still playing at a perennial Pro Bowl level. We also know that head coach Sean Payton doesn’t care about defense and his secondary will likely be atrocious.
What we don’t know is the two key components that will offset that Saints’ perpetual 7-9 woes: the pass rush and the offensive line. Cameron Jordan is an elite edge player, but he can’t do it alone. If he has help up front, the Saints could create the pressure defensively to be in position for a playoff berth.
As for the offensive line, that unit will be the litmus test for how New Orleans’ season plays out. If this is a top-quarter offensive line in football, the Saints can outscore anybody in a shootout with a balanced offensive attack. With tackle Terron Armstead dealing with a shoulder injury, who steps up in his absence: the veteran Khalif Barnes or rookie Ryan Ramczyk out of Wisconsin?
Barnes can do enough out on the edge for the Saints protection schemes to tread water in Armstead’s extended absence. However, he doesn’t feel to be a long-term solution at starting tackle for New Orleans. Ramczyk was the last pick of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In essence, the Saints traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the New England Patriots for the former Wisconsin standout. Ramczyk has the chance to be the best offensive linemen on New Orleans not named Max Unger.