Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Was Cameron Erving the guy that stepped in for Ram at RT at the end of the season? I thought he did a pretty good job considering he was pulled off the street and was thrown in the starting roll. Maybe the Saints should resign him as a back up if he's not already on the squad. What are ya'lls thoughts?

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

He's back out on the street. The Saints may keep him on quick dial until after they see how the draft shakes out. Looks like we have 65 players on the current contract so we still have 25 slots open.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

I didn’t mind him. Thought he did pretty well.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

I’d resign Irving.

I also thought Young was decent @ RT as well … specifically in run blocking dept. He just can’t stay healthy.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

I don't know how they don't bring him back. Especially with all of the question marks on the OL! It would be nice to keep a guy like that in your back pocket.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

The Saints have been very puzzling this offseason with the OL. So many issues and very little news about it. Are they confident that the new system will improve everyone they already have, or will they do something real silly and hope a bunch of OL draft picks will instantly fix everything?

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Prolly will pick up developmental prospects from the UFL.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

They are probably thinking Penning can develop better under our new O-line coach, and Ramz may be a go, Peat may be resigned, they have numerous stop-gap veteran FA's they're looking at, etc.

It does sound very risky though. Most of the top OT's in the draft are RT's.

If Ramz is done I think Latham is our pick at 14. We'd still need a LT.

The only way Carr gets better is if we give him more time in the pocket, which we didn't do last year.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

If Ram is already in doubt why not draft a RT now?

To your point Danno, let Penning develop under a new (improved) line coach.

Sign Peat as insurance for LT or LG.

Saldiveri can play almost anywhere along the line as well although I believe is strength is right side.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Seems like a lot of what if's to build your team around. I would love to be a fly on the wall in their war room to hear their logic.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Ramz is likely done folks.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

I think so as well. The team doc said that his condition is not something that repairs over time. They can basically put a band-aid over it with treatment and he will see a lot of "veteran day's off" of practice. Each time he's active, the knee inflames and causes bone on bone friction.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Hopefully he retires.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Wonder how retirement impacts our Cap?

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

We still don't know what Saldiveri brings this season But we invested heavily to move up and pick him to start day three. But, with good coaching maybe even Penning will be able to play and we'll go from a weakness to a strength. Nonetheless we gotta' draft an OT in the first round unless Bowers falls. If we do go with the O line then I'm hoping we double dip in the later rounds on a good developmental project as well. If we sign bowers I'm expecting an immediate trade back into the first or early second round for the next best OT.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Ramczyk would carry a $35,359,969 hit if he chooses to retire. His 2024 hit according to Spotrac is $12,860,321 as is. As a post June 1st his 2024 portion of the dead money would be $11,650,323 saving the team $1,209,998 this year. We'd still have a 2025 cap hit of $23,709,646 in dead money.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

If he retires, they'll rework his contract for cap relief, a la Brees when he retired.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Not sure what they can do now that the season is underway. Brees' deal was done prior to the league year.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Talise Fuaga if we're fortunate to have him fall to 14

Latham is my second choice.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Latham is growing on me. I was under the impression that he was a little slow footed but apparently I was wrong. He comes from a strong program with lots of competition and has been well coached. He's not a developmental prospect thank goodness.

All I know is that Kubiak likes linemen who can move and block well in open space. They don't need to be as beefy as the old athletic profile needed to be but they still need to be able to run block efficiently to set up the pass.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Surely you just get him to sit on IR for the year and retire next year. Gives the team more time to redo the deal and split it over 2025 and 26

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Fuaga is agile and explosive. Ideal fit in the wide zone scheme.

I want that Polynesian Power in our Run Game.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

I am learning a lot about how the cap works too. You are close but missing a more likely scenario I think. If Ram is inactive all year he will earn only 1.21m base salary with no incentives cashing in plus his 11.65m existing prorated money. Since he is under contract already for 2025, we don't need to rework his deal like we did with Thomas or Winston to allow him to still be under contract when a post-June-1 cut could be executed. So we could just pay Ram the 1.21 million salary + 11.65m prorated bonus in 24, designate him a post-june-1 cut in March 2025, and then 11.65m would hit the cap in 2025 and 15.86m in 2026, spreading out the dead cap hit.

If Ram retired against the teams wishes during the season, it could trigged a greater cap hit. But I believe Ram got some sort of bonus when he restructured his contract this March. If he retired against the teams will early in a way that would needlessly hurt their cap rather than waiting until March 2025, the Saints might be able to recover that bonus, arguing that he already had the same injury when he signed the deal, and that the deal was structured with the intent for him to try to play in 2024 and then if he could not, to give the team the option to move on in 2025.

Re: Cameron Erving Right Tackle?
 

Polynesian Pancake Power Player! Fuaga is a finisher with a nasty streak. He wants to pancake everyone in his way. Tee Hee!!! :cool: