There was Josh LeRibeus on the field for the New Orleans Saints' first offensive play of the 2018 season, nestled comfortably between a pair of teammates he admires in center Max Unger and left tackle Terron Armstead.
This was something LeRibeus envisioned while putting together what he considered to be a strong body of work in the preseason. Not necessarily a starting spot, but a pinch-hit role in case something happened, as was the case when starting left guard Andrus Peat was inactive for the opener with a calf injury.
At least, it was what LeRibeus envisioned before he received a surprising call a week earlier informing him that he would not be a part of the team's initial 53-man roster.