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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
John Sigler

Saints’ new coaching staff has Trevor Penning at right tackle

Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga played on the left and right sides of the offensive line in college, but the New Orleans Saints have them swapping roles early in the 2024 offseason. When the Saints gathered for voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, Penning was busy learning to play at right tackle. It’s an experiment his new coaches feel could be what’s best for him.

“All arrows are up on Trevor Penning right now,” said Saints offensive line coach John Benton, who added that the plan was to try him out at right tackle regardless of this year’s draft haul. If the Saints had selected a natural left tackle or another right tackle instead of Fuaga, Penning would still be getting these snaps.

And it isn’t just Penning moving around. Fuaga, this year’s first round pick out of Oregon State, has been working at left tackle in the spring. Saints head coach Dennis Allen explained that plan.

“You’re going to see a few things throughout the course of training camp, where we’re going to maybe try out some different things,” Allen said. “I think that’s kind of the direction we’re looking at right now, really working Taliese over at the left side, and giving Trevor an opportunity to work on the right side. We’re still waiting to see where Ryan Ramczyk is when we get probably to training camp, being potentially the first time we see him. That’s kind of the thought process.”

So the Saints aren’t putting either player down at one of those spots with a permanent marker; there’s time for either (or both) of Fuaga or Penning to emerge as a better option at the tackle spots. Just because Penning is playing right tackle in May doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be staying there come September. But if that’s what’s best for his development and the state of the offensive line, the Saints are willing to embrace it. We’ll keep track of this over the summer.

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