.@saints @_OverCees has to be one of the most i@proved players at any position in the NFL. From never playing OG, to becoming a force up front to rebuilding and reshaping his body….and it shows. This league will always be about player development #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/s5gggAtPRd
Buy Saints Tickets— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 21, 2022
It’s taken some time, but Cesar Ruiz is beginning to turn the corner. The third-year New Orleans Saints right guard didn’t exactly hit the ground running — his first two years in the starting lineup were full of frustration for him and his team’s fans, and his name was brought up in trade talks early in the offseason. But nothing came of it, and Ruiz has since gone on to play the best football of his pro career.
Right now, Ruiz ranks fourth in total snaps played at right guard (479) around the NFL going into Week 8, and seventh in pass-blocking snaps among players at his position (289). He’s been penalized just once all season, and that was on a bogus foul for being an ineligible receiver downfield (which didn’t hold up under postgame video review, but wasn’t a play that could be challenged during the game). Pro Football Focus play-by-play charting found he’s allowed just 5 pressures (2 sacks) on those reps in pass protection, which is kind of stunning. Ruiz is tied with Pittsburgh Steelers left guard Kevin Dotson for the fewest pressures allows among the top 21 guards (left or right) in total pass-blocking snaps.
The gulf between Ruiz at No. 17 and New York Jets right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker at No. 21 is just as wide as that between Vera-Tucker and the No. 22-ranked player in pass pro snaps played at guard (New York Giants right guard Mark Glowinski), hence the sample size. But let’s get back to Ruiz.
The former Michigan Wolverine is playing really well right now, and not just as a pass blocker. New Orleans is averaging 5.2 yards per carry as a team, and 5.8 on runs to the right side where Ruiz and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk are most responsible for paving the way. He’s moving well on both gap and zone running plays. It’s taken a lot of patience and some coaching changes — the Saints brought back Doug Marrone as their offensive line coach this spring, retaining Zach Strief as his assistant, with former All-Pro right guard Jahri Evans joining them for training camp as a coaching intern — but Ruiz is finally coming into his own.
So good for him. Sure, the Saints are 2-5 and struggling in some facets of the game, but Ruiz has been a surprising bright spot for them. He’s looking like a dependable player who can hold down his spot and continue to work well between Ramczyk and longtime center Erik McCoy, who just signed a multiyear contract extension. The Saints have a decision to make on Ruiz’s contract in March 2023 with his fifth-year option coming up, which Over The Cap estimates will be valued at more than $13.9 million for the 2024 season (those options must be picked up a year in advance). If Ruiz keeps this up, he’ll make that decision an easy one for New Orleans, and maybe earn a long-term contract.
