Stinchcomb could be ready to take big leap
 

Stinchcomb could be ready to take big leap
Presence of fans helps to enliven battles for the ball Sunday, June 03, 2007By Mike Triplett
It's a little early to define any "breakout players" in Saints camp, with the team still practicing in shorts and shells, not yet playing at full speed.

But offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb could be one of those guys who makes an even bigger leap this season.

Last year at this time, Stinchcomb was rehabbing from a major knee injury. This year, with a full offseason of weight training and conditioning, he is noticeably bigger, stronger and more athletic.

"Well, I didn't have rehab. So that made a huge difference," said Stinchcomb, who was one of the Saints' most pleasant surprises last year, starting all 16 games at right tackle. "It's great, not having to worry about, 'Can I run? Am I going to be physically able to do stuff?' Instead, you're training to improve on where you're at. That's a huge advantage."

Stinchcomb figures he added at least 10 pounds from the end of last season, and he feels like he's "holding it on pretty well."

The 6-foot-5 tackle weighs about 310 pounds. He said he expects to report to training camp about 312 or 314, then he would like to play about 305 this season. That's 5 or 10 pounds above last year's weight.

Stinchcomb, who turns 28 in August, has a great combination of power and athleticism, making him equally competent as a run blocker and a pass blocker.

A second-round pick out of Georgia in 2003, Stinchcomb was stuck behind veteran Wayne Gandy during his first two seasons in New Orleans. Then he ruptured a patella tendon during training camp in 2005 and missed the entire season.

He worked his way back, though, and finally earned an opportunity last year after the Saints overhauled their roster. He rewarded the organization in a big way for its patience, holding down the right side of the line all season.

Stinchcomb became a free agent in March, but he quickly re-signed a two-year deal with the Saints. With all five starters returning on the offensive line, Stinchcomb said the Saints' coaching staff can put "more of a burden on our shoulders" this year.

http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...430.xml&coll=1

Great read.

Hopefully Stinchomb is just a late bloomer and is ready to come into his own. Needless to say, physically he is a lot younger than his age.

Adding 10 pounds at age 28 is a little suspicious, but not rehabbing might justify that. Stinch is a very smart guy, let's hope he continues to improve.

I like this. The O-line seems to be our most solid postion(behind QB and RB) with everyone coming back and some raw talent picked up in the draft, I can't wait to see what this team will do.

All of the this great play by the O-line, proves that some people(fans and sports media) don't know any about sports. They kept saying that the O-line was going to be the weak part of the team.

I love Stinchy... barring injury, we're going to be set at the tackle position for quite a while. We'll have good depth with Strief and Bushrod too.