Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Listed 6’5” 339 on Southern Miss website. Also played basketball in highschool. Interesting.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Southern Miss!!! My Alma mater!!

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Slated to play G. A depth signing and likely practice squad talent.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

With the way our G play has gone, anyone on the depth chart is a likely starter!

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Ouch! Sad but true

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

One question to ponder is that if both Peat and Ruiz were as horrible as some suggest then why was neither ever replaced in the lineup by someone else on the roster? Are we seeing the whole picture from our sofas at home (or from the stands)?

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

That's a perfectly legit query. Problem is that we have no idea how much of the roster is influenced by front office as opposed to coaches. The coaches must see something worthy of hanging on to.

Time will tell.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Peat can't stay healthy & Ruiz is in year #3. If Dougie M can't get this guy (Cesar) to improve on Sundays, huge red flag. The thinking by most GM's & scouts is that offensive linemen taken in the 1st rd are expected to be good. He'd probably be done as a Saint if not under contract & draft status.

Regardless, sink or swim time at the guard position.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

We could've signed La'El Collins a second time... but didn't, FWIW.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

He had no interest (Free Agent) in playing for New Orleans & he's just as injury prone as Peat.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Same diet, I suppose? Mebbe that's why Dallas let him walk.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

3 year deal. Someone liked what they saw.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

I think the CBA gives all UDFA's a thrre year deal. I read that on the other Saints board and it was repeated and confirmed by a couple of posters.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Underhill seems to be hyping his coming through in year three...

Maybe Ruiz is friends with Mark Ingram.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

I have pointed much of this out this before, but I feel it all bears repeating.

In his first season with the Saints (2020) Ruiz was converted from the position he played in all 26 of his starts his last two seasons at Michigan, center, to a new position, right guard. In this first season the off-season was totally eliminated due to COVID restrictions.

In his second season with the Saints (2021) the offseason, while existent, was still much more limited in nature than the normal NFL off-season. After the first game the season I am not sure that Ruiz played more than a couple of games with both McCoy and Ramczyk in the game at the same time on either side. Ruiz was moved from right guard to center for the second game with Throckmorton coming in at guard. McCoy didn't return to center until the Seattle game in week seven allowing Ruiz to move back to the position of right guard.

We all know that more than any other player grouping the offensive line plays as a unit depending upon each other. The whole offensive line was in total flux throughout the entirety of the 2021 season. To solely judge Ruiz on either of those first two seasons is at worst unfair, and at least misleading. I would dare say that the great Jahri Evans would have likely had issues entering the league under the exact same conditions. I'm not saying Ruiz could ever be another Evans, but I can say that Ruiz has yet to have a fair shake as compared to any other player coming into the league at any other time under normal circumstances.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Let's face it. the 2020 Draft was crap.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

How can you accurately judge any draft until, let's say, four years out? Could it be crap? Sure.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Ruiz. Three years, albeit difficult years has not played to his draft status nor to the level of players taken 10-15 picks after him.

Baun. Did we really waste a two 3rd round picks on a backup LB playing out of position?

Trautman. Look, I'm pulling for him I really am, but we traded away picks 130, 169, 203, and 244 (our entire second day) for a guy who has more drops than TDs.

Tommy F'n Stevens. LOF'nL.... Is this kid even IN the NFL still?

So I don't know what your definition of crap is Guido but in my book this is it.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Ruiz was the weakest link ... even amongst backups in 2021. Unacceptable at his draft position.

Zero awareness and looks lost out there. Almost got Ian Book & JW killed out there.

Dougie M will either coach him up, or he'll be replaced. This is his last chance.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

It has only been TWO years for Ruiz and the others. And both years have been severely impacted by COVID restrictions. The draft class may very well end up being crap. But, until given a real chance it is difficult to assign a final grade. At this point it can't reasonably be anything except for an "incomplete". As Major_K points out it is now coming up on year three and Doug Marrone is in charge of the offensive line. Let's see how it turns out.

As for Tommy Stevens, there's a ton of players drafted in 2020 that are no longer on rosters. He's one of them.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Why would they have been starting Ruiz if they felt he was weaker than all of the backups? Are they seeing something that those outside the building are not?

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Well, sometimes it;s hard to admit a mistake. I blame the Saints for doubling and tripling down in the draft for this, the backup plan wasn't much of a plan in some cases. Out of all the draft picks given up for players that don't walk the walk and to think out of all the free picks given away there was not one ( or more players) we could have drafted to take care of the Ruiz spot. Payton gambled, so does Allen, just got to watch future picks leave town.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

If you're going to blame Ruiz's performance on Covid how do you explain how many of his draft peers flourished?

Take as much time as you need Guido but IMO we'll need a 180 from those left on the roster to be even a somewhat successful draft (net 3 players).

Last thing I'll ask on Tommy - how many players who were traded UP for didn't make it through training camp in their FIRST season

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

I'm not sure. How many of them were offensive lineman switched to a completely different position than they played regularly in college? And how many of those linemen had to shift positions multiple times during their second season? And how many of those linemen had every other lineman on their squad miss significant time to injury? How well did they flourish?

As for a successful draft, I have commonly heard that getting two or three starters is considered a successful draft. Regardless of how you feel about Ruiz and Trautman they are both starters.

Once again, I'm not saying that Ruiz will definitely be a success, but in all honesty one would have to admit that the circumstances (which appear to be unique to his situation) have made it impossible to fairly judge his potential to date. Now if he stinks it up this season I'll take the seat right beside you on the bandwagon. :D

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

You are assuming that they would want to replace Ruiz. Have you considered that they take the circumstances surrounding the start of his career into consideration? Ruiz was drafted under the Payton regime. I'll guarantee you that he won't be starting at right guard this season if Doug Marrone doesn't feel he's the best choice on our current roster for the starting gig.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Excuses. That's all I hear.

Three quality starters would be a decent draft unless you gave away oh, I don't know, SIX DRAFT PICKS for THREE guys we're still not sure will be here next season...

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Patience, my friend, is a virtue. What's going to happen will happen. We'll see the eventual outcome when it gets here. I'd rather not stress over it now. Hell, I'll not even stress over it regardless. Life is too short.

:bng:

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

You go be virtuous Grasshopper. I'm sure the millions of dollars and draft capital invested don't change anything in the franchise's view either....

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Likely not. Fans (and talking heads) are far more concerned with spent picks than any GM. Some work out some don't. It's all part of the business. C'est la vie.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

The GMs that don’t worry about how draft picks work out aren’t employed for
long.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

As it should be. Owners need to stay out of the day to day franchise operations.

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Your years of experience as an NFL Executive aside, how would you come to that conclusion?

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Re: Saints sign UDFA OL Khalique Washington to 3-year deal
 

Simply look at the franchises that have owners that DO meddle in day to day operations such as the Cowboys (Jones), the Redskins (Snyder), the Raiders (Davis), the Browns (Haslam), the Bengals (Brown), the Dolphins (Ross), and the Chargers (Spanos).

Then look at four of the most successful franchises over the past two decades in the Saints, Ravens, Steelers, and Patriots who cede ALL operational decisions to the GM (and staff) and head coach.