Saints tackle Trevor Penning’s rookie season didn’t pan out as hoped.
The Saints picked Penning in the first round last year, but a preseason foot injury led to safety that kept him out until the end of November. Penning mostly played as a sixth offensive lineman before getting his only start in Week 18.
Limited playing time hasn’t cut down on the team’s expectations for Penning moving forward. General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team “saw some good flashes” from Penning once he returned and offensive line coach Doug Marrone said “all of a sudden it started to come around” for the rookie after some early struggles. Head coach Dennis Allen concurred with the positive view of where Penning is headed.
“If we can keep him healthy, the sky’s the limit in terms of what he can do,” Allen said, via Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. “He’s big, he’s physical, I love his play demeanor. He’s athletic for a guy his size. We’re excited about the player.”
Penning should have a good shot at winning the left tackle job if he’s able to stay on the field this time around and seeing him develop as hoped would be a step in the right direction for the offense.
