Baldy thinks Cesar Ruiz’s best position is Center (1 Viewer)

[El Caliente]

I don’t disagree with you, there are failed position changes and successful position changes.

All I disagree on is selective outrage and pretending like those moves are dumb or stupid when it’s done for highly logical reasoning.

If a player is at Edge and is:

15th percentile in weight
40th percentile in 40 time
50th percentile in Vert
78th percentile in agility
40th percentile in arm length

But you move him to LB and he’s now

78th percentile in weight
65th percentile in 40 time
70th percentile in vert
90th percentile in agility
70th percentile in arm length.

You now have a better prospect and that prospect has a better chance at making it in the league. The decision is neither dumb or stupid.

Now if you want to say moving Peat to RT or drafting him to play RT when he came out of college as a LT was the wrong decision, well that’s arguable.

However, making it seem like all the saints position switches have failed and not acknowledging the ones that didn’t because they don’t support your original argument is ridiculous. Furthermore resulting to describing them as dumb or stupid because you fail to accept the reasoning behind it is worthy of me counter arguing you into oblivion

I didn’t say that all switches were stupid or failures, I acknowledged Evans and Nicks panning out.

I’m also not saying that these moves are stupid because they don’t always pan out (Plenty of players are drafted to their natural position and never pan out in the NFL). The moves are stupid because they don’t pan out AND because of the value of the assets we burned to acquire the picks.

What round was Ruiz drafted in?
What round was Kikaha drafted in?
What round was Jenkins drafted in?
What round was Baun drafted in?
What round was Peat drafted in?

Keep in mind, we traded draft capital to make some of those risky moves, which make the moves even dumber.

That’s like throwing your mortgage into penny stocks. Maybe it works out, but most likely we know how this story will end.

Now compare that to what round Evans, Nicks, Ellis were or others were drafted in. You can draft a project player and take those risks all day when you are only spending a mid or late round pick. You aren’t counting on those guys being an impact player out the gate (as you would an early round draft pick). It’s why nobody is penning Bub Means as a 1st string receiver.

It’s why we get upset when Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner don’t pan out, and are over the moon when guys like Colston, Evans, or Nicks do.

 

[GilFinnerty]

Ov

Listened to him on nofootball podcast and he gave his thoughts on a few players, mostly oline.

Fuaga - Thinks he has more power than Alt, as much power as Latham and very good balance. Doesn’t think his arm length will be a problem because he’s got good feet, and he’s not a two-hand puncher. Doesn’t know that he can’t play LT.

Penning - Thinks the scheme will hide some of his deficiencies, but 3rd and long is 3rd and long, there’s no PA for that and he has to prove he can stay in front of his guy and the QB. Has to be able to drop an anchor. Hasn’t been good, hasn’t been consistent.

Erik McCoy - other than one year he’s been available

Cesar Ruiz - Biased, he works out with him. Thinks he’s smart, best position is center. Had opportunity to play it when McCoy went down but is plenty athletic enough to fit zone scheme.
What I’m curious about is should the new OL coaches be looking at guys as set at certain positions.

Fuaga, McCoy, Ruiz, Saldiveri, Penning may be the best combo overall for OL. The unit as a whole and how it pans out will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow.

Ive watched the tape he is right.

 

[StudioSaint]

Leave no stone unturned. No man is bigger than the individual unit, putting guys where they can best make the most impact is more important than keeping guys where they've been.

As Payton used to say it's not about having the best players, it's about having the right players that perform the best together.

Even if Ruiz would be better at center than he is at guard, that's not enough of a reason to move him to guard.

The way a coach has to look at it is which gives me the best OL:

• Ruiz at G and McCoy at C or
• Ruiz at C and McCoy at G

Kubiak will do what he thinks is the best combination. He's not going to move Ruiz to C, unless that makes for the best OL on the field, not on paper.

 

[wnelson]

Listened to him on nofootball podcast and he gave his thoughts on a few players, mostly oline.

Fuaga - Thinks he has more power than Alt, as much power as Latham and very good balance. Doesn’t think his arm length will be a problem because he’s got good feet, and he’s not a two-hand puncher. Doesn’t know that he can’t play LT.

Penning - Thinks the scheme will hide some of his deficiencies, but 3rd and long is 3rd and long, there’s no PA for that and he has to prove he can stay in front of his guy and the QB. Has to be able to drop an anchor. Hasn’t been good, hasn’t been consistent.

Erik McCoy - other than one year he’s been available

Cesar Ruiz - Biased, he works out with him. Thinks he’s smart, best position is center. Had opportunity to play it when McCoy went down but is plenty athletic enough to fit zone scheme.
What I’m curious about is should the new OL coaches be looking at guys as set at certain positions.

Fuaga, McCoy, Ruiz, Saldiveri, Penning may be the best combo overall for OL. The unit as a whole and how it pans out will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow.

good read

that right side with penning and sal looks scary but not like the usual use of scary in a sports setting. like we are trying to kill our qb whoever it is.

 

[bobad]

Fuaga, McCoy, Ruiz, Saldiveri, Penning may be the best combo overall for OL. The unit as a whole and how it pans out will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow.

Unlike moist, I think that lineup sounds promising. Those are big, strong, physical guys that just need better coaching, a RB that is enough of a threat to slow down the rush. and a QB that keep them focused.

We'll see how many of those needs can be filled.

 

[Hedon James]

good read

that right side with penning and sal looks scary but not like the usual use of scary in a sports setting. like we are trying to kill our qb whoever it is.

And now the Rattler selection makes a lot more sense, eh? Dude has a LOT of experience with "escapability" and "throw on the run" skillsets.

 

[St4ever]

Ever wonder if McCoy is at center because he’s a better center than guard? Maybe Ruiz’s play at Guard is so much better then McCoy’s that they have to leave it that way to get the better players on the field?

 

[Plow]

So why should McCoy lose his starting spot at Center, which he locked down via demonstrated performance, just because Ruiz is 'average' at RG? It's basically saying Ruiz is 'less bad' at Center, than he is at RG, therefore he should displace the starting Center. This isn't fantasy football.

 

[DSnfla]

Listened to him on nofootball podcast and he gave his thoughts on a few players, mostly oline.

Fuaga - Thinks he has more power than Alt, as much power as Latham and very good balance. Doesn’t think his arm length will be a problem because he’s got good feet, and he’s not a two-hand puncher. Doesn’t know that he can’t play LT.

Penning - Thinks the scheme will hide some of his deficiencies, but 3rd and long is 3rd and long, there’s no PA for that and he has to prove he can stay in front of his guy and the QB. Has to be able to drop an anchor. Hasn’t been good, hasn’t been consistent.

Erik McCoy - other than one year he’s been available

Cesar Ruiz - Biased, he works out with him. Thinks he’s smart, best position is center. Had opportunity to play it when McCoy went down but is plenty athletic enough to fit zone scheme.
What I’m curious about is should the new OL coaches be looking at guys as set at certain positions.

Fuaga, McCoy, Ruiz, Saldiveri, Penning may be the best combo overall for OL. The unit as a whole and how it pans out will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow.

C may be Ruiz's best position but I doubt he's going to be as good as McCoy there, now maybe McCoy will be better @ RG than Ruiz so it's a trade off either way

 

[los226]

He’s proven it on the field as well IMO. Some of his best games came when he filled in for McCoy at Center in 2022. It was a truly head scratcher to draft two high round centers in back to back years. But it’s a Saints thing to take a good college OL no matter where he played and put him to play where he’s needed.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

I didn’t say that all switches were stupid or failures, I acknowledged Evans and Nicks panning out.

I’m also not saying that these moves are stupid because they don’t always pan out (Plenty of players are drafted to their natural position and never pan out in the NFL). The moves are stupid because they don’t pan out AND because of the value of the assets we burned to acquire the picks.

What round was Ruiz drafted in?
What round was Kikaha drafted in?
What round was Jenkins drafted in?
What round was Baun drafted in?
What round was Peat drafted in?

Keep in mind, we traded draft capital to make some of those risky moves, which make the moves even dumber.

That’s like throwing your mortgage into penny stocks. Maybe it works out, but most likely we know how this story will end.

Now compare that to what round Evans, Nicks, Ellis were or others were drafted in. You can draft a project player and take those risks all day when you are only spending a mid or late round pick. You aren’t counting on those guys being an impact player out the gate (as you would an early round draft pick). It’s why nobody is penning Bub Means as a 1st string receiver.

It’s why we get upset when Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner don’t pan out, and are over the moon when guys like Colston, Evans, or Nicks do.

I could rebuttal, I'm not. You have made your point.

 

[El Caliente]

I could rebuttal, I'm not. You have made your point.

Cool

 

[liveoakh]

Ruiz was a center at Michigan. He was the top center prospect in his draft.

The Saints did a Saints thing and moved him to guard.

This is similar to what they did with Andrus Peat who was a standout left tackle in his draft, but we put him at guard because of reasons.

Ruiz hasn't been better that avg. at center or guard. Who are we kidding.

 

[El Caliente]

Ruiz hasn't been better that avg. at center or guard. Who are we kidding.

The Saints were kidding themselves.

 

[SweetT]

It's normal to put a player that played tackle in college in at guard in the NFL. And it wasn't foolish because we needed a guard and last time I checked, he made multiple pro bowls at guard. And there was a zero percent chance he starts over Terron. What are you even complaining about?

But Peat went though a total of 3 different positions until he grasped one of them, iirc. Plus, are we sure those Pro Bowl selections Peat had, were bc of his play, or a product of fan voting?