The New Orleans Saints are banking on Trevor Penning hitting his stride at a new position this offseason, and through the first six days of camp there have certainly been bumps in the road.
The third-year pro has had some rough reps. He's spent some time on the ground. Carl Granderson has been a particularly difficult matchup for him. But the mistakes haven't been the biggest issue for Penning in the past -- young players make mistakes, it's part of the deal. The issue is how he's let them affect him, and how he's gone about fixing them.
"Obviously you don’t want to make mistakes, but I think mistakes are how you learn and I think the previous two years … making the mistake kind of bothered me," Penning said, "but now it’s kind of like you can learn from it, flush it, use it and try to never make it again, but use it to learn and kind of keep going."
A year ago Penning started five games at left tackle with before he was ultimately benched heading into Week 6, a result that could dash the spirits of any young player. He didn't get back on the field outside of special teams reps, even when there were injuries late in the season. In the end it was Penning who stuck around as the team rebuilt its offense and coaching staff, including a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak and offensive line coach in John Benton, along with a new scheme that's heavy in wide zone, play action and misdirection that should suit a young, athletic player's skillset a bit more than the pass-pro heavy scheme it's replacing.
We've heard from multiple sources that Penning is going into this season with a clear growth in confidence, even with the shift to right tackle, flipping from the side he's played virtually his entire career. His first regular season snap at right tackle will be the first of his career.
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Perhaps part of that confidence is drawn from his new mentor, former star Saints tackle Terron Armstead. Penning was healthy this offseason, a luxury he didn't have after his rookie season. That meant he could spend a good chunk of this offseason honing his game at offensive line programs, including Duke Manyweather's OL Masterminds in Frisco, Texas in July. That's where Penning began working with the longtime Saints tackle who has spent the past two seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
They talked technique, of course, but they also talked a lot of the mental side sof the game.
"What he was trying to help me with was trying to develop a plan before you even get to the line of scrimmage," Penning said. "Kind of what you’re gonna do to them and not let the rusher dictate what you’re gonna do, so taking more of an offensive approach and being the guy who kind of sets the tone over what he’s gonna do.”
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It remains to be seen whether that mental approach and honed technique can lead to more polished results. It's likely we won't really find out until actual preseason gets here and there's something real on the line. But with a new offensive line coach in the mix in John Benton and a clear leader in Erik McCoy behind them, there's clear support for Penning to deliver on the promise that led the Saints to draft him in the first round in 2022.
“I think we just have to keep building him up," McCoy said. "I got to say it, last year, his rookie year, that was tough. I think if that was any of us that would be a tough thing to kind of have happen and go through, so I think building him up and not disciplining, but correcting even when he does make a mistake but in a matter that is still elevating him.”