Report: Saints Will Cut Former First-Round Pick
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but he may not survive to see the final year of that contract. A first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Penning struggled through the first two years of his career before earning a full-time starting job in 2024 following Ryan Ramczyk’s injury. Unfortunately, he wasn’t up for the task, finishing the season with a 60.2 PFF grade, the 60th-best mark out of 81 eligible players.
In a recent article, Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox suggested the Saints could release Trevor Penning following that disappointing season and the addition of first-round pick Kelvin Banks.
“The New Orleans Saints used a 2022 first-round pick on offensive tackle Trevor Penning, but they haven’t seen the Northern Iowa product emerge as a reliable starter,” Knox writes. “Roughly three years later, it could be time to pull the plug on the Penning experiment.”
Saints Could Cut Trevor Penning After Three Seasons – New Team Fits Emerge
It’s safe to say Trevor Penning never lived up to his first-round draft capital, but this might not be the end of the road for the veteran. There aren’t enough good offensive tackles to go around, especially ones with experience on both sides of the offensive line. While nobody will make him their unquestioned starter, the following three teams could kick the tires on him if the Saints release him.
Possible Fits
New England Patriots
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel inherited a mess and did everything he could to build a team around franchise quarterback Drake Maye in one offseason. While the roster is considerably better, they still could use more depth at offensive tackle. First-round pick Will Campbell is a high-risk, high-reward investment, and New England could use a Plan B in case his short arms prevent a successful NFL career. Trevor Penning may not be great, but the former Saints first-round pick is better than Vederian Lowe.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs aggressively attacked the left tackle position in the offseason, spending big on veteran Jaylon Moore and using a first-round pick on Ohio State’s Josh Simmons. While left tackle should be fine, something must be done about the right side of the offensive line. Jawaan Taylor has been nothing but a liability since joining the team, and Trevor Penning could provide some much-needed competition if the Saints release him. The Chiefs can release Taylor with no financial repercussions next year, so they should start looking for a potential long-term replacement.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow has the league’s best wide receiver duo and one of the league’s worst offensive lines. Offensive tackles Orlando Brown and Cody Ford are active liabilities at this stage in their careers, and 2024 first-round pick Amarius Mims left a lot to be desired as a rookie. If the Saints release him, Trevor Penning might be able to start for this team and give Burrow an extra second to connect with star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
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