Cesar Ruiz is entering his sixth season with the New Orleans Saints, and he is still falling far short of expectations.
The right guard was once hailed for his versatility and willingness to play anywhere on the offensive line. Now, he's become the Saints biggest liability on offense.
It's a tough blow for Ruiz, who was a standout player in college. New Orleans took a chance on him by selecting him with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft; at the time, it seemed like bringing in another strong offensive lineman was exactly what the Saints needed to begin a rebuild of the unit.
Let's just say that Ruiz hasn't just had a bad start to the season for New Orleans -- he's also been among the worst at his position across the entire league. Through two weeks of action, his PFF grades are astronomically bad. Ruiz ranks No. 86 among the 88 guards eligible for grading with an overall grade of 35.8: well below average when compared to the rest of the league.
Breaking it down a bit further from there, Ruiz hasn't necessarily been the worst pass blocker. His pass blocking grade of 58.5 ranks him No. 54 out of 88 guards and is just a bit below average. As for Ruiz's ability as a run blocker? PFF gives him an insanely low grade of 34.4, which is just good enough for No. 85 across the entire league.
Not to mention, Ruiz has been the team's worst-graded offensive player for two consecutive weeks. It's evident that he's become a major problem, and the offense would likely be in better shape with someone in his place. Add in the three penalties he's picked up in his first two games, and it's easy to understand why there's been a lot of frustration thrown Ruiz's way across social media.
What should the Saints do now?
It's obvious that the Black and Gold can't keep running Ruiz out there if his play doesn't improve. The next best option for the Saints would be to capitalize on Trevor Penning's return.
According to the franchise's latest injury report, Penning had limited participation in practice on Wednesday as he looks to make his season debut following a toe injury. When Penning ultimately returns to his left guard position, New Orleans has the option to move backup left guard Dillon Radunz over to right guard.
Now, as of Thursday's practice report, Penning continued to participate -- but Radunz did not, and according to Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio, has been ruled out of Sunday's contest against the Cardinals.
Radunz has been filling in for Penning on the o-line, and he's holding his own. While his PFF grades aren't elite by any means -- he's No. 54 out of 88 guards with a slightly below average grade of 56.9 -- he's played significantly better than Ruiz.
Regardless of who plays where on the line, it's beyond obvious that Ruiz needs to be moved off of it for the time being, barring a wild turnaround in Week 3. Quarterback Spencer Rattler has been hindered significantly in his ability to make plays downfield due to offensive line struggles, and the entire running backs room has struggled mightily with getting around opposing defensive lines.
With one simple personnel change, the Saints offense could truly improve enough that the franchise starts finally picking up some wins -- or at least, comes a bit closer to doing so. That might be delayed a bit with Radunz's injury, but in a 17-game season, that change may still come.