The New Orleans Saints can’t afford to lose sight of what Erik McCoy means to their offense.
It’s easy for a longtime non-skill player to fade into the background, especially when injuries keep interrupting the picture. That has happened with McCoy in New Orleans.
Because he has missed time in recent seasons, there’s now a built-in assumption that he’ll go down again, and that has pushed fans and analysts to keep asking for a backup center. Connor McGovern and Luke Fortner have filled in during McCoy’s absences, and that has only made it easier for people to overlook how valuable the veteran really is.
When McCoy is on the field, he does far more than just snap the ball. He holds the offensive line together, makes the players around him better and helps eliminate the kind of mistakes that can wreck a drive.
He’s still one of the best centers in the NFL, and if he stays healthy, there’s no reason he can’t deliver another Pro Bowl-level season. That part, of course, comes back to availability.
For the Saints, the bigger issue is stability. Having a center who can take every snap across a full season matters for any quarterback, and it matters even more for a young one.
Tyler Shough is entering year 2, and he has not played with McCoy in the regular season. That makes this offseason especially important, because building that chemistry now could help the offense start fast and keep Shough from having to adjust to a new center on the fly.
The health question is still hanging over everything. No one can really predict injuries, and the Saints have every reason to be cautious after what they’ve dealt with up front. Taliese Fuaga really struggled with injuries last season, Cesar Ruiz has only played one healthy season, and former RT Ryan Ramczyk was plagued by injuries at the end of his career with New Orleans.
So yes, the Saints need to prepare for the possibility that McCoy isn’t available. But that doesn’t change what he means when he is. His importance needs to be recognized across the board, because if he can stay on the field, the offense has a chance to be truly special.
In Other News...
Saints Camp Is Already Putting A Few Roster Spots In Danger
Training camp has a way of clarifying a roster fast, and the Saints are already seeing that play out in a few key spots. Kendre Millers summer got off to a tough start when a back injury interrupted his push in a crowded running back room, while Devaughn Veles hold on the third receiver role has become more complicated as other wideouts keep making their case. Even at kicker, the pressure is real, with Charlie Smyths recent misses opening the door wider for Tanner Brown.
Brock Rechsteiner is also in a difficult spot after a suspension thinned his path before the competition really got going. For New Orleans, the early weeks of camp are doing what they often do this time of year, sorting out who can absorb setbacks, who can hold off challengers, and who may be running out of room before the preseason even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Brees Just Gave These Saints A Powerful Reminder
Kellen Moore turned a routine team meeting into a reminder of what the Saints have meant to New Orleans by showing Drew Brees Hall of Fame induction speech. The 28-minute address carried extra weight inside the building, where players and coaches took it in as more than a celebration of a former quarterback. It served as a fresh look at how Brees framed his career around adversity, teamwork and the bond he built with the city.
Current Saints said the speech resonated for the way it connected individual achievement to a larger purpose, which is exactly the sort of message a team can use as it tries to define itself. Bryce Lance and Terrell Burgess were among those reflecting on what it meant, and the reaction suggested the lesson landed the way Moore likely hoped. For a roster still shaping its identity, Brees offered a familiar standard without needing to be in the room. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Are Sending A Clear Message About Their O-Line Depth
During Saints training camp, Cesar Ruiz has been spending time at center with the second-string group, a move that says plenty about how the staff is thinking about the offensive line. Ruiz is normally New Orleans starting right guard, but the work is designed to get him ready to serve as a backup center, a useful layer of insurance given Erik McCoys injury history.
It is not a sign that Ruizs role at guard is in question. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore made clear this was part of the camp plan, and it fits with Ruizs background since he played center in college even if he has not handled the spot recently in the NFL. For the Saints, the bigger message is straightforward: they want more flexibility up front, and they are treating that as a priority now rather than waiting for a problem to show up later. [Read more 🡒]