SmashMouth

Rick Leonard had never met Zach Strief until last weekend.

But he knew Strief's work well.

Leonard has been watching Strief and the rest of the New Orleans Saints offensive line for the better part of two years, ever since he decided to make the transition from defensive end to offensive tackle.

Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett made sure of it.

"My coach liked to put on Saints film, he liked to put on the Cowboys, the Redskins," Leonard said. "Teams that our offense kind of mimicked."



Leonard, a right tackle at Florida State, obviously kept his eyes on Strief, the veteran who retired in March after 12 seasons in New Orleans. Up until a torn ACL and MCL cut his final season short last fall, Strief was one of the best right tackles in the NFL.

"I watched the Saints offensive line a lot," Leonard said. "I knew who he was, and I knew he was a really good player."

So Leonard was excited when Strief jumped into the fray at the team's minicamp last weekend. Initially there to observe practice, Strief jumped into an impromptu role as a coaching consultant for the rookie offensive linemen.

As knowledgeable and intelligent as any offensive lineman in the NFL, Strief is the perfect resource for a rookie tackle.

"He's so willing to help," Leonard said. "It's just huge to have a guy around like that, that I can learn from and pick his brain."

Strief might be even more perfect for Leonard. A seventh-round draft pick who spent five years as the swing tackle and the extra offensive lineman in the Saints' jumbo packages, the 6-foot-7 Strief needed time to develop into an NFL starter.

Leonard, another 6-7 prospect, played defensive end at Florida State for two seasons before making the shift to the offensive line. With Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk entrenched as the starters at tackle and Andrus Peat a frequent replacement at left tackle in case of injury to Armstead, Leonard's early NFL career might look a lot like Strief's.

"Right away, I can see a jumbo role," coach Sean Payton said. "I could see him compete to be a gameday backup tackle."

Leonard's tools for the position are obvious.

Beyond his length and the athleticism necessary to play defensive end at a school like Florida State, Leonard has the right disposition, something the Saints saw on film in their evaluation.

"There’s a physicalness about him," Payton said. "We think that there is still some growth because of his lack of experience. He’s a big body, he’s physical."

Leonard knows he has a lot to learn.

Landing in New Orleans should help the curve. Under Jimbo Fisher, the Seminoles ran a pro-style offense, and although the terminology has changed, Leonard already feels at home in the plays the Saints introduced at the rookie minicamp.

"Everyone's got the same plays," Leonard said. "It's just that the terminology's a lot different."

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