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Saints tackle Andrus Peat is in shape and playing well at his second training camp

After camp struggles last season, second-year lineman Andrus Peat has impressed for the Saints thus far

BY NICK UNDERHILL | NUNDERHILL@THEADVOCATE.COM JUL 31, 2016 - 5:13 PM

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — It was a year ago here at Saints training camp when the concerns surfaced.

Was that Andrus Peat struggling through his conditioning runs? Is he out of shape? Is he going to be able to contribute?

A first-round pick, Peat came into his first NFL training camp with outside expectations that he would compete with Zach Strief to start at right tackle. Instead, his conditioning slowed him early, and he spent his first season mostly as a reserve.

The situation is different now. Peat is in shape, and the first time he caught eyes this week was during the first practice, when he tossed rookie lineman Ryker Mathews on his backside during a positional drill.

“He’s a supremely talented O-lineman,” center Max Unger said. “He’s got himself really in a position to really do a lot of good stuff this year, just his conditioning work during the offseason. He’s done a lot.”

This is a big year for Peat — not just for his development, but for the success of the Saints. He has spent the opening days of camp filling in for left tackle Terron Armstead, who is nursing an injury, but Peat is expected to spend the season at guard.

Having that kind of versatility will be important for the Saints, especially if Peat excels at both spots. And while some observers believe an offensive lineman should be able to plug and play at any position, it’s not nearly that simple.

Moving from one side of the line to the other means changing up techniques that have become second nature. Instead of dropping your right foot first, suddenly it’s your left. That might not seem like a big deal, but when your body instinctively knows where to step first when J.J. Watt is barreling down on you, that's a major benefit.

It’s even more difficult when switching to guard from tackle. Suddenly the play is right on top of you. You’re working with players on either side. The techniques are different — clearly, there are many changes.

And if an offensive lineman is honest, he’ll admit that it can be difficult when jumping from one spot to another. Even Peat said last season that it was a process, which was shown by fluctuations in the quality of his play during a handful of starts at guard.

The idea that it’s a simple change caused New York Giants tackle Geoff Schwartz to speak out earlier this offseason. He had heard a draft analyst suggest that many of the tackles could kick inside to guard in the NFL.

“Oh no … The just move him from T to G conversations for some of these rookie OTs has started,” Schwartz wrote on Twitter. “Because it’s just that simple huh?”

Peat worked at guard throughout the summer program, and the plan is to get him back there when Armstead returns. For now, he's standing in at tackle — outside of a handful of snaps at guard — and has played well.

He struggled at times last season, especially in one-on-one drills during camp, but that has changed. He spent Sunday standing up Obum Gwacham on a pair of snaps and has had some impressive moments in run blocking. Coach Sean Payton said it's clear he's in shape this season, which has made a difference.

But tackle is Peat's natural position; guard isn't. And some players might need every snap possible to prepare for a position switch. But the Saints feel the second-year player has received a good amount of work on the inside during the summer; they aren't concerned about him losing some snaps there.

"He’s extremely talented. He is doing a good job for us at left tackle, and his versatility, athleticism and size is really something that is a gift for him athletically," Payton said. "It gives him some ability to move. I think the transition because of the amount of snaps he’s had — we don’t expect Terron (Armstead’s) absence to be a month — he’ll be able to handle that.”

If nothing else, working at both positions keeps Peat sharp if he needs to move around at some point this season. He's showing in camp that he can handle tackle. Still to be revealed is whether he will look as good at guard.

If nothing else, he has visibly grown since his rookie campaign. That should build some confidence and alter the questions asked about Peat this summer.

Source: http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orlea...87445b985.html