si
The New Orleans Saints made a significant offseason commitment to bolster their offensive line, inking free agent David Edwards to a four-year contract worth just over $60 million. With the additions of Kelvin Banks Jr., Edwards, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Taliese Fuaga, and Dillon Radunz, the franchise appears to be assembling a formidable starting five.
Now entering his second season under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Ruiz is finding his rhythm within the system. "I'm lovin' it," Ruiz said with a smile. "Having a year in the system and knowing what's expected, (we're) able to get rolling." After missing Monday's session for personal reasons, the seventh-year pro finally donned full pads for the first time Wednesday, embracing the challenge of the hottest day of camp so far. "It was great, man. First day in pads, good to break the pads in, get them going and get back to work," he added.
The Saints have placed a heavy emphasis on the ground game during these initial practices, and Ruiz, a University of Michigan product, boiled it down to one core principle: execution. "Did you do your job? But it's not just about doing your job. It's about absolutely dominating and doing your job to the highest (level) every single play," Ruiz explained. "When you talk about wins and losses in the run game, it's just pretty much a visual: do we gain yards; do we open this hole; did we execute this assignment properly? Or did somebody get through, did we whiff; did we give up penetration?"
Ruiz believes the unit is progressing simply by everyone fulfilling their responsibilities. "There's no magic," he told reporters. "I've been in this league seven years. I've been in multiple systems (three in the last three seasons alone). You've got to adjust, figure out the scheme, and do what you've got to do, then go do it."
Radunz Adds His Touch to the Line
Dillon Radunz, a second-round pick by the Titans in the 2020 NFL Draft, spent four years in Tennessee at guard before signing a one-year deal with the Saints in 2025. The North Dakota State alum impressed enough to earn a two-year extension, and he's relishing the camaraderie with his new offensive line mates. "(We were) joking around in the O-line room," Radunz said after Wednesday's practice. "It's like you're banging the rust off those first few days, especially in pads. Once you finally get those first three (days in pads) under your belt, you go, 'Alright, we're getting into the rhythm of things, getting the technique back down.'"
"Obviously it was a hot one today, so you really find out what you're made of on days like today," Radunz added, sweat dripping. "We're starting to get into those dog days of camp. It's time to grow and time to flourish." Like Ruiz, Radunz acknowledges the pressing need for improvement in the run game. "We were 31st in the run game (2025 NFL statistics)," he noted. "It was just unacceptable. So, that's a huge focus for us going into this camp. All attention to details in this camp is going to be huge. We're going to notice a lot of changes...We're going to throw the kitchen sink at it because 31st is not acceptable and we're going to grow from there."
With playmakers like Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne Jr. in the backfield, Radunz sees ample opportunity for success. "With (Alvin) Kamara and E-T-N (Travis Etienne, Jr) back there, we're going to be able to run the ball a lot," he said. "We're going to have a lot of gas in the gas tank with those two."
Training camp continues with a closed practice Thursday from 9:00-11:00 a.m., followed by an off day Friday. Saturday's session (9:00-10:30 a.m.) and Sunday's practice (9:00-11:00 a.m.) are both sold out. Fans can submit questions for the On SI Saints mailbag every Monday by clicking here.