Kellen Moore had a hot take.
This one might not have led any of the morning debate shows or even local sports radio, but it was spicy enough coming from an NFL coach.
At the very least, Moore’s comment seemed to buck convention — the necessary part to qualify as a take artist.
“I don’t really care about left tackle, right tackle components in this league,” he said last week.
Gasp.
Moore’s point was that sometimes too much is made about a player’s switch along the offensive line. This offseason, Moore’s first as the head coach in New Orleans, the new coaching staff is having Taliese Fuaga move from left tackle to right tackle as part of broader changes upfront.
The switch, which moves Fuaga back to the position he played in college, was made so that first-round pick Kelvin Banks can line up at left tackle while moving right tackle Trevor Penning to left guard.
The goal, Moore often has said, is to get the five best linemen on the field. By rearranging spots, the Saints appear to believe that the best look involves switching things up from last year.
“I can argue Penei Sewell and Lane Johnson play right tackle, and I don’t think either team said they have to go play left,” said Moore, referring to two All-Pros in Detroit and Philadelphia, respectively. “They’re two of the best in this entire league and arguably in league history. So you’ve got to have really, really good tackles at both sides at the end of the day.
“That’s what this things about. Edge rushers are going to line up in a lot of different spots, so you’ve got to have the talent on both on those spots.”
Moore said players have bought in, too. When the coach informed Fuaga that he’d be moving sides, the 2024 first-rounder’s reaction was, ‘ “OK, cool.’ ”
As a rookie, according to Pro Football Focus, Fuaga allowed six sacks and 39 pressures on 657 pass-blocking snaps. He started all 17 games.
“The next day (after telling Fuaga), it’s as easy as can be,” Moore said.
Easy, however, might not be the right word for Fuaga. While the tackle said he was indeed on board with the change, Fuaga said he’s still knocking rust off on the right side. At one point last season, Fuaga said that he had grown so comfortable on the left side that it would feel “weird” to go back to the position he played at Oregon State.
Complicating matters, the Saints are incorporating a new scheme, which means Fuaga is also learning a new technique along with having to relearn his old spot. But Fuaga said he’s a fan of new offensive line coach Brendan Nugent, adding that the coach explains the “why” behind the scheme instead of just what to do.
“It’s a big difference, but at the same time, I played four years in college,” said Fuaga, who said he’s getting back to the “basics” on the right side.
The Saints knew they needed to address the offensive line this offseason. Last year’s unit ranked 29th in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric and 19th in the network’s run-block win rate metric. Factor in the lack of depth, and the line was hit hard when injuries depleted the unit for a good chunk of the year.
By shaking up the line this early in the offseason, the Saints hope to give themselves more time to build continuity. But if it becomes apparent the changes aren’t working, New Orleans is also giving itself more time to experiment.
Other line possibilities include moving Banks to left guard, so that Fuaga and Penning can go back to their old spots. If Penning at guard doesn’t pan out and the Saints still want to keep their tackles the same, then perhaps Dillon Radunz wins the starting guard job.
But the Saints decided this is the first look worth trying. Banks hasn’t played right tackle since high school, so New Orleans is helping his transition to the NFL by keeping him at his most familiar spot. And though Fuaga showed promise at left tackle, the 23-year-old said he feels he’s a better run blocker on the right side.
As for Penning, Moore said the Saints believe Penning’s “physicality and demeanor” will allow him to play inside. Fuaga said Penning’s explosiveness out of a three-point stance should make guard a “good” fit for him.
“He’s a bully when it comes to that stuff,” Fuaga said. “I think we can really be a good O-line.”