Cesar Ruiz will probably start at center for the New Orleans Saints for many years. But on Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, he opened his very first Saints game as an observer.
The Saints stuck with second-year pro Erik McCoy at center and backup lineman Nick Easton at right guard, calling on reserve tackle Derrick Kelly to go into the game as a sixth man occasionally. And it makes sense considering that Ruiz has only turned in two full practices since his Aug. 28 ankle injury.
In hindsight, we were far too quick to project Ruiz as a starter once he returned to work.