It’s not just the Saints that have to deal with it. Offensive line depth is a perennial issue in the NFL. The big guys in the trenches take a massive amount of wear and tear to their bodies. Often unnoticed and rarely appreciated until the top players are hurt. The Saints sought to shore up the depth on their line on Tuesday, Dec. 11, with the addition of veteran tackle Derek Newton.
The move was made following the news that reserve tackle Michael Ola was being placed on season-ending injured reserve. While Ola didn’t see much playing time other than appearances as a blocker in jumbo packages for the Saints, he was still the only other experienced tackle, other than Andrus Peat, to back up Jermon Bushrod who has been playing in relief of Terron Armstead while he’s been dealing with an injured pectoral muscle.