New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - The Advocate These 5 guys up front deserve tons of credit for Saints' offensive success

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes against the Washington Redskins as New Orleans Saints guard Larry Warford (67), New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71) and New Orleans Saints center Max Unger (60) provide protection during the first half Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Advocate staff photo by SCOTT THRELKELD

BY JOEL A. ERICKSON | jerickson@theadvocate.com Sep 6, 2018 - 8:41 am

The New Orleans offense is full of stars — big, bright stars who can take up the entire night sky.

Drew Brees is a legend, a future Hall of Famer. Alvin Kamara was the breakout star of the 2017 season, both on and off the field. Mark Ingram's been in the spotlight since he won the Heisman Trophy, and Michael Thomas is the game's best young receiver.

All of those stars shine so bright that they sometimes mask the mammoth giants who make it all possible.

New Orleans has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, not simply by lore or acclamation, but by production. Working with a group forced to battle through injury, the Saints finished second in the NFL in yards per carry and second in the NFL in sack percentage allowed.

None of those numbers are by accident.

"I think that, generally, when you look at a good football team, you’re seeing the team that has a good offensive line, both with the protection, and also with the running game," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "It’s obviously a position group that we feel strongly about, whether it's in free agency or in the draft, using resources to improve."

New Orleans has invested heavily in the five guys projected to start the season. First-round picks landed left guard Andrus Peat and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk; left tackle Terron Armstead is playing under a five-year, $66.7 million contract extension; right guard Larry Warford was handed a four-year, $34 million deal in free agency; and Max Unger was the player the Saints wanted back from Seattle when they traded away Jimmy Graham.

For the past couple of seasons, critics have spent a lot of time talking about the lack of decent line play in the NFL and the problems teams have finding good linemen in the draft.

For the Saints, it's simple economics. When there's less of a supply, the demand drives up the price, and smart teams are willing to pay.

"One of our philosophies here is that you have to be strong on the line offensively and defensively,' general manager Mickey Loomis said. "Some of it’s a little bit of luck, and obviously, conscious awareness that you're always trying to improve that area of your team and are always trying to create depth."

Depth might be the only thing that can sink the Saints this season. With do-everything backup Senio Kelemete gone to take over a starting role in Houston, New Orleans brought back veteran Josh LeRibeus and is counting on second-year prospect Cameron Tom and seventh-round rookie Will Clapp to develop into the kind of player Kelemete has been, at least on the interior.

If the five starters play the majority of the games in 2018, this offense shouldn't miss a beat.

"We want to dominate up front," Armstead said. "We feel like we have the ability, the talent, and the experience to."

That's exactly what the Saints wanted to get when they invested resources into the men up front over the course of three years.

"It’s a position group that permeates your team,' Payton said. "I think it's one of the more, if not the most, important position groups. There’s so much they're responsible for. They can bring an attitude to your team, and that can kind of permeate through the locker room."

Maybe the stars need to make a little more room in the Superdome sky.