We’ve already touched on two of the high-profile New Orleans Saints players likely headed for free agency in Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston, so we’ll keep it going and discuss Andrus Peat’s future with the team.
The Saints only kept Peat on the roster last offseason after convincing him to take a pay cut, and he was kicked down to the bottom of the depth chart in training camp. For a while he looked like a candidate to be released during roster cuts. But Trevor Penning’s poor performance to start the season pushed him back into the lineup at left tackle, and Peat finished the year as New Orleans’ best option to protect Derek Carr’s blind side.
But that’s simplifying things. Let’s take a deeper look:
2023 stats
It’s tough to evaluate stats for offensive linemen, but here’s one: Pro Football Focus charting found that Peat allowed just two sacks on 476 snaps in pass protection, with all but 61 of them coming from the left tackle spot. That’s impressive.
But he allowed 30 total pressures and was penalized 6 times (twice for false starts, the rest for offensive holding) — his worst numbers since the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively. Coincidentally, those years were the last seasons Peat lined up exclusively at left tackle instead of left guard prior to 2023.
Snap counts
Peat totaled 809 snaps on offense in 2023, which was highest total since the 2017 season — though he only entered the starting lineup in Week 3, and spent his first two games at left guard before moving outside to tackle. That means he was on the field for 75% of the team’s snaps in the 16 games he played, which is the lowest percentage of plays he was on the field for since his rookie year. But in this case, volume trumps percentage. It doesn’t matter if he played 83% of snaps in 2021 when he was only available for six games.
2023 season review
Peat was the team’s best option at left tackle last year — full stop. Maybe Trevor Penning would have continued to make incremental progress had he stayed in the starting lineup. But they needed to make a change fast because all of the extra help going his way, combined with his struggles in spite of it, was hurting the offense. And Peat largely held up well. He may not have performed like a top-15 left tackle, but that’s better than bottom-five (or worse). The question now: what is that worth?
Future value to Saints
Peat turned 30 in November, and if his body holds up he could play three or four more years in the NFL. But, again, what is he worth to the Saints? He’s arguably their most important pending free agent. With so much uncertainty surrounding both spots on the left side of the line — Penning’s future is looking grim, and James Hurst was a liability at left guard — it would make a lot of sense to bring Peat back. The price just has to be right.
What we haven’t asked is whether he would want to return. How he’ll fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense remains to be seen. After being forced to accept a pay cut and a demotion before earning back a job in the starting lineup last season, Peat may want to test the market and see if there are better opportunities out there waiting.
Stay or go?
This is a tough call. If Peat is seeking anything close to a double-digit average annual salary, the Saints should look to other options. Given his age and performance a realistic contract offer would probably line up with the $2.5 million to $3 million that guys like Donovan Smith, George Fant, and Cameron Fleming have been getting. At the same time, Peat should push the envelope as far as he can. This is likely his last chance to cash in and earn a significant NFL contract to support himself and his family for the rest of his life. If he can get better money elsewhere, he should pursue it.
Right now we’re guessing Peat will stay in New Orleans. There shouldn’t be a hot market for him in free agency and the contracts other comparable players are getting should be easy to fit on the books. There’s a chance he leaves to join a familiar coaching staff in Denver or Buffalo but it makes sense for him to finish his career with the Saints.
