Patrick

Omameh

The journeyman reserve played 157 snaps between the regular season and playoffs in 2019. He had a bigger role for the 2018 Jaguars. 2020 will be Omameh’s age-31 campaign.

The Saints are labeling him “week to week.” Obviously, Armstead won’t be available Thanksgiving night in Atlanta and, assuming the usual recovery time, he could miss up to a month. With Armstead facing a potentially lengthy absence, look for Patrick Omameh to fill in on Drew Brees’ blind side.

Omameh will be a depth option in New Orleans after struggling with the Giants and Jaguars last year. The Saints are his sixth team in seven years.

Lions castoff Theo Riddick is also in town for a visit. Omameh struggled mightily over 11 starts for New York and Jacksonville last season, allowing five sacks while receiving poor marks across the board from ProFootball Focus. If he joins New Orleans, it would be his sixth team in seven NFL seasons.

Omameh was a massive liability for the Giants this season (and the Jaguars in 2017), but the Jags are desperate after placing C Brandon Linder on injured reserve Tuesday. Omameh has no NFL experience at the pivot.

This move means the Giants take on a $3.5 million dead money cap hit in 2019. The team could’ve saved $3 million by waiting until the offseason to waive Omameh, but the writing was on the wall once RG Jamon Brown got up to speed. Omameh signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Giants back in March and began the year as the team’s starting right guard. He was promptly benched at the end of October for poor play in favor of backup interior lineman Spencer Pulley. Omameh didn’t perform like the upgrade he was all cracked up to be in training camp, either.

The Bears claimed Omameh off waivers from Tampa Bay after final cuts last year and he went on to start nine games, struggling mightily for the second straight season. The 26-year-old will fight for a backup job in Jacksonville.

Signed to a one-year deal last offseason, Omameh went on to make seven starts at left guard and play 454 snaps total. He graded out well in pass protection at Pro Football Focus and figures to be interior depth in 2017, though the Jaguars could give Omameh a crack at earning the starting job.

Patrick Omameh was viewed as the heavy favorite when camp started, but he was dreadful this past week in joint practices and the second preseason game against the Bucs. (Playing against DT Gerald McCoy every day will do that.) Marrone has reopened the competition. Luke Bowanko is in the mix. Determined to play power-run football, the Jaguars need good guard play.

“It’s still too early in camp, but he’s on the right path for what we’re looking for,” Marrone said. With Branden Albert gone, second-rounder Cam Robinson is locked into the job at left tackle. That leaves an opening at guard, one Omameh looks destined to fill. Omameh was effective in seven starts at the position last season.