New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk played in only 12 games in the 2023 NFL season. He may not even see action at all in the 2024 NFL campaign.
Even worse is the seeming possibility that he has already played his last game in the pros, as his knee is not responding well to surgery he had to go through in the offseason.
It was initially believed that the surgery was successful, but that does not appear to be the case anymore, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
The #Saints are preparing for the real possibility that OT Ryan Ramczyk is medically not able to play this season, sources say. Coach Dennis Allen alluded to Ramczyk’s knee not responding as they hoped, and it’s unclear when or if it will. A true question mark.
Ryan Ramczyk in trouble of missing the 2024 NFL season
The knee issue that Ramczyk hoped would be addressed by the surgery was the same one that bothered him during the 2023 NFL season. It's tough to say at the moment how much of a chance there really is for Ramczyk to get back to 100 percent, but it doesn't bode well for his availability in the 2024 campaign that Allen is already sounding doubtful of the veteran's health this far out from Week 1.
Ramczyk has been one of the best offensive linemen of the Saints since he was selected by New Orleans in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, and if he misses the entire 2024 campaign, that will be a huge blow to the NFC South franchise's pass protection and run blocking.
Over at Pr Football Focus, Ramczyk has never gotten an overall grade lower than 73 in a season so far in his career. In 2023, his 73.5 overall PFF grade was the highest among all Saints tackles and 26th overall in the league. That same season, the Saints were ranked sixth-best in the NFL with an offensive sack rate of 5.46 percent. The best PFF grade Ramczyk has gotten thus far was a 90.9 rating in 2019.
Regardless of whether Ramczyk plays in 2024 or not, he will still be guaranteed $6.5 million in salary. The last contract the former First-Team All-Pro inked with the Saints was a five-year extension deal worth $96 million back in 2021.
If anything, the Saints have plenty of time to address a looming issue on their offensive line, particularly at the right tackle spot.
The Saints could look for a Ryan Ramczyk replacement in the draft
The 2024 NFL Draft is also coming up, and the Saints could use one of their picks on a potential replacement for or additional insurance behind Ramczyk. The Saints could also look for veteran help in the NFL free agency market.
The Saints, who finished with just a 9-8 record in 2023, hold the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the right to the 45th overall (via the Denver Broncos). They also have four picks in the fifth round, two in the sixth round, and a pick in the seventh round (via the Broncos). One of their picks in the sixth round is from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Should the Saints feel the need to take an offensive lineman in the first round, they could look at the likes of Oregon State Beavers' Taliese Fuaga, Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Joe Alt, and Washington Huskies' Troy Fautanu.
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