METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead spent part of his offseason in the boxing gym.

Not fighting -- just finding a creative way to improve his hand technique in the trenches.

Armstead, who said he added the workouts to his repertoire along with current teammate Tim Lelito and former teammate Ben Grubbs, is expanding his horizons heading into his third NFL season.

Suddenly, the third-round pick from Arkansas-Pine Bluff has gone from a rookie with his head swimming to one of the experienced vets on the line.

“I know what to expect now. Especially going into my rookie year, it was a big surprise," said Armstead, who played in only four games as a rookie before becoming a full-time starter last season. "But my second year was a lot better. I was a lot more comfortable.”

The Saints made revamping their offensive line a major priority this offseason, but that didn’t apply to the left tackle spot.

The Saints are high on Armstead, a supremely athletic big man who still holds the NFL scouting combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash by an offensive lineman (4.71 seconds). Veteran right tackle Zach Strief singled him out after last year’s disappointing 7-9 season as one of the young guys you want to build around.

NFL analysts, including ESPN’s Matt Williamson, are similarly impressed. Williamson said this offseason: “I think they have somebody in Armstead, and he’ll only get better. I think they have their franchise left tackle.”

Armstead’s 2014 season was solid, though it wasn't quite the breakout year that many anticipated.

The 6-foot-5, 304-pounder helped protect quarterback Drew Brees' blindside while the QB tied for the NFL lead with 4,952 passing yards. But he was credited with three sacks allowed by various statistical services and he allowed pressure on two of Brees’ costliest interceptions. Worst of all, Armstead's season ended too soon when a neck injury sidelined him for much of December.

However, now that he’s got a full year of experience under his belt, Armstead is even better equipped to have that breakout season.

“It was definitely a good experience,” Armstead said of last season. “That’s the only way to get the experience, is playing, so the more and more I was playing, I felt more and more comfortable. Kind of learning more about the NFL, learning guys, what they like to do. So the more I play, I think it’s just going to keep getting better and better.”

The Saints drafted another left tackle in Round 1 this year in Stanford’s Andrus Peat. But for now, Peat is projected to work primarily at right tackle behind Strief. There has been no indication that the Saints would want to flip-flop Peat and Armstead in the future. But no matter where they line up, the plan is to build the foundation around both young pillars for years to come.

Armstead laughed at the idea that he’s suddenly the veteran presence, with the rookie Peat learning behind him and a new left guard being broken in next to him. (Lelito is the current front-runner to replace Grubbs, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.)

“I think it’s going to be like that every year,” Armstead said. “I see that’s how it’s going to be my whole career, something new every year.”

Maybe at the other positions around him, anyway.


Terron Armstead has more than puncher