A potential reunion could be the answer to Saints’ offensive tackle problem

The New Orleans Saints are facing issues at both offensive tackle positions, but the solution may be reuniting with one of the team’s former players.

Jacksonville Jaguars v New Orleans Saints / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

The New Orleans Saints entered the offseason knowing that offensive tackle was a position they desperately needed to address. Unfortunately, that remains a need for the Saints after a few weeks of free agency. Not only does it remain a need, but the tackle situation in New Orleans has gotten worse after some recent news.

Head coach Dennis Allen announced that Ryan Ramczyk’s knee did not respond to surgery the way the franchise hoped. Now, Ramczyk’s availability for the season is really up in the air, with it being reported that New Orleans is preparing for the possibility that Ramczyk will be medically unable to play in 2024.

If that’s the case, the Saints need to address both right and left tackle this offseason. Not including Ramczyk, New Orleans only has three tackles on the roster: Trevor Penning, who hasn’t panned out yet, Landon Young, and the recently signed Oli Udoh. All draft analysts expect New Orleans to take a tackle with the 14th-overall pick, but that won’t be enough.

That’s why ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes New Orleans should reach out to Andrus Peat and get him back on the roster.

Saints should re-sign Andrus Peat to address offensive line issues

Barnwell laid out his argument in a recent ESPN+ piece looking at the remaining roster holes for teams after free agency. Explaining that a market hasn’t materialized for Peat, who provided solid play last season, Barnwell said it makes a ton of sense for New Orleans to re-sign him. That will allow for Peat and James Hurst to hold down the left side of the line. Then, New Orleans will also be able to use the 14th pick on another tackle.

It may not necessarily be the high-profile overhaul of the line that fans were hoping for, but this path would give the Saints a solid offensive line in 2024’ offering them the chance to have a competent offense that could win games.