Beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be an uphill battle for the New Orleans Saints in Week 1: they’ve ruled out defensive end Marcus Davenport and rookie guard/center Cesar Ruiz on the final injury report. Davenport is managing an elbow issue, while Ruiz is still recovering from an injured ankle after getting rolled up in practice two weeks ago.
It’s a disappointing return on the most recent Saints first-round draft picks. There’s no polishing that message: the greatest ability in the NFL is availability, and right now the Saints are preparing to open the season without two of the more valuable players on their roster.