The New Orleans Saints have several challenges on their plate heading into the 2024 season, but none more than getting a pair of tackles up front acclimated to new positions.
That's been a major focus of new OL coach John Benton as he works with Taliese Fuaga taking over at LT and Trevor Penning at RT, each with very little experience in either role. Getting them up to speed in those roles and feeling natural will be a target the Saints have to hit all season, as Deuce McAllister explained following Day 2 of the 2024 training camp slate.
“I think that’ll be all season, I mean, that’ll be just getting them comfortable, almost reversing your brain because you’ve done it the opposite way your whole career," McAllister said. "That’s what the spring is for, that’s what training camp is for. As you put pads on, things will speed up a little bit more for you, so for them, how can I get them out of their stance and how can I get them as comfortable as possible."
A lot will be on technique and reversing it. Things might not always look aesthetically pleasing, but it's about getting the job done in front of Derek Carr ... however it has to happen.
“Whether it’s pass blocking, whether it’s run blocking, I want them comfortable. I mean, some guys are of the thought process where it has to look a certain way," McAllister continued. "I don’t care how you look, be able to go out there and do your job and I think that’s the most important thing of it. It may not be the perfect look of the stance, it may not be the perfect way of normally how you kick but at the end of the day, he goes out there and does the job and so I think that’s the most important part.”
Related
MORE FROM DEUCE
On Klint Kubiak's scheme with Saints
“Here’s the thing, it’s not new. It’s — there aren’t, there are very few new plays. There’s an emphasis on new themes that you’re doing.”
...
“This is the same play that you ran back in 2006. This is the same play that you ran back in 2011. It’s the same play, they just run certain plays more. There’s an emphasis more on play action and outside scheme. They will still run zone schemes. There will be dropback passes, but not as much. That’s football. So when we think of it from a new scheme standpoint, yes, there’s new names. There’s new design to get maybe to that play, but it’s not necessarily new, so I mean, just go and play. If we want to call it new from that standpoint, let’s do it, but at the end of the day it’s still outside zone, it’s still counter, it’s still power. They just have new names for them.”