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State of the position

The competition for the New Orleans Saints' left tackle job is wide open heading into training camp after the team opted to let two-time Pro Bowl selection Jermon Bushrod leave for the Chicago Bears in free agency. Fourth-year pro Charles Brown will get first crack at the role since he's been in the Saints' system the longest. But the former second-round pick out of USC needs to prove he can stay healthy after being plagued by a variety of injuries throughout his career so far.

Newly signed veteran Jason Smith also is hoping to resurrect his career with the Saints. The former No. 2 overall draft pick never lived up to his potential with the St. Louis Rams, both because of inconsistent performance and a series of concussions. He was solid as a backup last year with the New York Jets.

And don't count out rookie third-round draft pick Terron Armstead. He's the long shot of the group since he's a rookie from a small school (Arkansas Pine-Bluff). But he's a sensational athlete, and the Saints have proven in the past that they will throw small-school rookies into the fire if they outshine their veteran teammates during the preseason.

At right tackle, veteran Zach Strief appears to be more firmly entrenched. But he had a disappointing season in 2012, battling injuries and a handful of poor performances. So he needs to prove he's back on track during camp, or else he could risk losing his job to one of several promising young candidates on the roster. All of the left tackle candidates could cross over to the right side. The Saints also love the potential of second-year pro Marcel Jones. And second-year pro Bryce Harris looked decent in a brief audition with the Saints last year.

Unofficial depth chart

No. Player Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

Left tackle

71 Charles Brown 6-5 297 26 4 USC

78 Jason Smith 6-5 310 27 5 Baylor

72 Terron Armstead 6-5 304 22 R Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Right tackle

No. Player Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

64 Zach Strief 6-7 320 29 8 Northwestern

70 Marcel Jones 6-7 320 24 1 Nebraska

79 Bryce Harris 6-6 300 24 2 Fresno State

Analysis

The Saints took a big gamble by letting Bushrod go in free agency. Although many NFL analysts seem to agree with the Saints that he was more a product of the system than an elite left tackle, I think he was underrated as an athletic and durable big man who held up consistently for a team that threw the ball so often.

The Saints, however, chose to invest their big dollars in both of their guard spots rather than follow the conventional wisdom that left tackle is the most critical position on the offensive line. And they're banking on the potential of three candidates who all have intriguing upside.

If I had to choose a favorite in the left tackle derby, I'd go with Brown. I think the Saints want him to step up and win the job because they like his skill set, and he knows the offense best. But there's no way to predict whether his body will hold up to a full workload after he's struggled to make it through a full month of regular snaps at any time in the past. The good news is that none of the injuries has been serious, and they've all been mostly unrelated.

If I was a gambler, however, I might place a bet on Smith at slightly longer odds. The natural talent and athleticism is obviously there. He has now been healthy for a full two years after battling some serious concussions. He's now been removed from the intense pressure that comes with being that No. 2 draft pick. And if it's true that the Saints' offense made Bushrod look better by design, then it could possibly do the same thing for Smith.

Armstead is probably the future at the position, and he could absolutely win the job if he outplays his veteran teammates. But I think it's more realistic that he'll be on a two- or three-year plan (think Bushrod or Strief instead of Jahri Evans).

As for the right tackle spot, I'm still higher on Strief than most because I think he ran into injury issues and the same offensive stresses that made everyone have a "down year" on the Saints' offense. I think he'll keep the job and get back to being a solid producer.

New Orleans Saints positional analysis: offensive tackles | NOLA.com