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METAIRIE, La. -- The optimist and pessimist could have a pretty good debate over the state of the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line.

True, it was a shakier-than-usual season for the Saints up front in 2013, with some early-season struggles in the middle of the line and some late-season struggles at left tackle.

However, the Saints’ line was playing its best at the end of the year, especially in the playoffs, offering some glimpses of hope for 2014.

Not only are the Saints counting on second-year left tackle Terron Armstead and center Tim Lelito to make big leaps in their sophomore seasons, but they’re also encouraged that longtime veterans like right tackle Zach Strief and Pro Bowl guards Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs showed steady improvement as the season went along.

“I think it got better, and I think there’s still plenty to work on,” Strief said last week, in advance of the start of OTAs today. “I think more than anything, we really got comfortable with what we were good at. The running plays that we were good at, we really just found 10 ways to run the same play, and that was real effective for us. And I think we’ll take some of that into next year knowing what this group in particular is good at.

“Not the group of (former Saints Jermon) Bushrod and Carl Nicks. Not the groups that we used to have that were good at certain things. Now there’s a new group, and we’re good at some other types of things. And I think we’re kind of figuring that out.”

Read more: Saints line: Reasons for hope, concern - New Orleans Saints Blog - ESPN

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.