The Saints’ decision to slide Cesar Ruiz over to center at practice turned heads, but it doesn’t appear to be a sign that New Orleans is ready to rip up the right guard depth chart.
At least not yet.
Ruiz worked with the second-string group during a recent Saints practice, an unusual sight considering how firmly he has been planted at RG. That spot has been one of the few stable points along an offensive line that has seen plenty of movement, and while Ruiz’s play hasn’t been elite, it also hasn’t been the glaring problem elsewhere up front.
Until now, his job looked safe. That’s no longer quite as clear.
The move comes after a season in which Ruiz was expected to take another step and lock down the full-time starting role. The Saints have already invested enough elsewhere on the line to give themselves alternatives if that didn’t happen, but for the moment Ruiz remains the starter unless a change becomes necessary.
Still, when asked about the reps at center, Kellen Moore pushed back on the idea that the team was testing a new plan at right guard. Moore said this was the plan entering training camp and that the Saints simply wanted Ruiz to get work at center.
That explanation fits the bigger picture. Ruiz was a college center before moving to guard in the NFL, and with Erik McCoy’s recent injury history, New Orleans has reason to think about a backup plan there.
Ruiz might be the most accomplished center on the roster, but he also hasn’t played the position in a long time. Getting him those reps makes sense, even if it doesn’t mean the Saints are ready to make a permanent switch.
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