Tag: Erik McCoy

6 options for Saints to help replace Erik McCoy after injury

Here are six options for the New Orleans Saints to try and replace center Erik McCoy after his injury sustained in Week 3

The Erik McCoy injury which he sustained against the Philadelphia Eagles is expected to hold him out for 6 to 8 weeks, which puts the New Orleans Saints in quite a predicament. They now have to figure out who is going to start at center for the foreseeable future to try and keep the team on track until McCoy returns, which would be anywhere from Week 10 to Week 13. The options they have are few and far between on the roster, but there are a few, and there are also some notable ones in free agency or even a trade candidate if it comes to that.

Here are six options for the Saints to try and replace Erik McCoy:

Let’s get some of the on-roster options out of the way first, as they tend to be the most likely choice when an injury occurs. Lucas Patrick was the initial replacement for McCoy in Week 3, as Oli Udoh came in at guard due to the Saints having a lack of center options on the roster at the time. Patrick has been exceptional at guard through the first few weeks, but he did not look great at center no doubt. Keep in mind, he was asked to revert to his former position after primarily being a guard option throughout the offseason. After only a few snaps he had to change positions and mindset, which is difficult as center is a completely different stance. He may take the first start just to see if he can adjust in Week 4, or they may use him at guard and find another option.

Shane Lemieux is the other center option for the Saints actively on the roster, as the assumption would be that Cesar Ruiz will remain at guard. Lemieux got some run time at center during preseason, and while he did not look exceptional, he may be the go-to guy if they want to keep someone around from in-house. He has some NFL level experience and has had times where he looked serviceable, the real question would be if he can perform at that position well enough for a longer period of time.

Mason Cole is probably the best option outside the roster currently, as he has starting NFL experience, and started an entire season for 2023 and 2022. In 2023 he played 1069 snaps, only giving up two sacks and only had 4 penalties. His biggest issue was pressures, allowing 37 in 2023, however he only gave up 21 in 2022. While he was not perfect in his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was a decent starter, and at this point there are very few remaining free agents at the center spot who are not retired, injured, or lower quality than Cole at this current juncture. He would be a good veteran presence to fill in for McCoy until he gets back, and then good depth for the remainder of the season.

Another free agent option also played for the Steelers in that time period, that being J.C. Hassenauer. He most recently got playing time with them in 2022, and then signed with the New York Giants before tearing his tricep. Most recently he signed with the Washington Commanders in August, however was released prior to the season starting. 2021 was his best season, as he played 277 snaps, gave up no sacks, and had no penalties. He has not been a full-time starter throughout his career, more of a spot-starter, with only 7 games as a starter compared to his 45 games played. He could be an intriguing player to look at though, just to see if he has juice left in the tank.

If the Saints want to look for one of their former players while not having to give up anything in return, they could look to bring back center Will Clapp, who is currently on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. The Bills already have two centers so he is unlikely to get the call up to the active roster in the near future, and the Saints already have knowledge of how he plays. He spent four seasons with the Saints from 2018-2021, playing in 34 games and starting 7. Most recently he was with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he started 11 games, played 702 snaps, and only had one penalty and one sack allowed. He could be one to watch for with the Saints, as the New Orleans native could look to return home if given the opportunity.

The primary trade option for the Saints so far would be Ben Cleveland, who was a third round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. At 6-foot-6 and 360 pounds, he absolutely has the size to hold down the interior, and he had been training at center alongside Tyler Linderbaum throughout the offseason despite being a guard previously. Recently head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that the Ravens will not be starting him soon, and had some criticism of him even which does not bode well. This has led to trade speculation surrounding Cleveland, and he could be an option for the Saints at center, or even at guard with whomever they prefer at center. 2021 was his largest snap count, as he had 367 total, and in that time he had two penalties and no sacks allowed. He could be an intriguing one for the Saints to keep an eye on as a trade candidate in the coming days.

Report: Saints expect Erik McCoy to miss 6 to 8 weeks with groin surgery

The Saints expect starting center Erik McCoy to miss 6 to 8 weeks after groin surgery, a brutal blow to their offense for the foreseeable future:

The blows keep coming for the New Orleans Saints. After a 15-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, all eyes turned to the health of Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy, one of their most crucial components on offense. Unfortunately, a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says that McCoy is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks, as he will be having surgery for his groin injury. This is a catastrophic blow to the Saints offense, which had been thriving through the first two weeks before he went down early in Week 3, which led to all sorts of dysfunction.

The replacement for McCoy will be a critical thing to figure out in the coming days, whether that be someone on the roster, a free agent, or a rare early trade if they want to get really competitive. Unfortunately, replacing him will be near impossible at his level of play, but finding someone that can at least be serviceable in his stead until he returns is paramount. Based on the current timeline expect, the sooner end has him returning for Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, and the far end would have him back for Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams, due to the bye week slotted in-between. Once the surgery concludes and he begins his healing process, the timeline will become more clear in the days that follow.

James Hurst on why Erik McCoy is almost impossible to replace mid-game

Losing Erik McCoy early against the Eagles was almost a worst-case scenario. Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst explains why:

The New Orleans Saints lost Erik McCoy shortly into their game with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the impact of his absence was felt early and often. His injury forced Lucas Patrick to move from left guard to center, with Olisaemeka Udoh stepping in. The entirety of the interior offensive line struggled, including right guard Cesar Ruiz. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter proved too much for them to handle.

But the ramifications of McCoy’s absence went beyond those battles at the point of attack. Former Saints offensive lineman and current WDSU analyst James Hurst explained why this was the case. Hurst was a member of the team just last year, so he saw McCoy’s abilities first hand. And he says the Saints’ struggles go deeper than McCoy’s skills.

McCoy’s position is as important as his talent. Hurst relayed the importance of a quality center: “It’s really tough to lose a center in the middle of the game. He does so much with identifying the defense, communicating with the quarterback, setting the blocking schemes for the offensive line and tight ends.”

Losing McCoy in the midst of a game amplifies the impact because the player who fills in hasn’t gone through any of the week’s preparation. He’ll naturally be behind on much that contributes to the success of the offensive line. Patrick being a guard means he didn’t even get many second-team reps doing this.

So many other players are dependent on the center (both guards next to him, the quarterback receiving the snap, and everyone else he’s protecting in the backfield), which is why the position impacts the entire offensive line. This gives hope that some of the issues can be smoothed over with practice reps.

It’s like Hurst said at the end of his explanation, though. He added, “(McCoy is) a very, very good football player on top of that.” Those talents are just hard to replace. Hopefully McCoy can get back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Erik McCoy injury would be a ‘red button’ type of loss for Saints

Erik McCoy was injured against the Philadelphia Eagles. Concern for the offensive line is on red alert for any time that he misses:

Games early in the season always tend to result in some sort of overreaction, however, I don’t think it would be reactionary at all to say the New Orleans Saints offensive line would be in huge trouble if Erik McCoy had to miss some time.

Facing a player like Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter exacerbated the issue, but it went deeper than that. There was a point where Cesar Ruiz and Oli Udoh ran into each other in the backfield. Think Jordan Howden and Marshon Lattimore colliding on Dallas Goedert’s field-flipping catch, but as offensive linemen.

McCoy is the leader of the unit and you can’t help but think those plays don’t happen with him there. It’s a trickle down effect with his absence. Lucas Patrick moves to center, and now you’ve downgraded at center and left guard. Ruiz looked bad too, but that could reasonably change. Udoh performed too poorly to receive the benefit of the doubt.

So McCoy missing pretty much the entirety of the game showed he may be one of the five most important players on this team. He’s their best offensive linemen and the glue holding the rest of the unit together.

The interior of the offensive line is dramatically worse without him. It may not disrupt the offense as much as it did in Week 3, but it will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of the offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints’ high-powered offense stalls out in the first half vs. Eagles

The Saints offense was completely shut down in the first half vs. the Eagles, and it starts with struggles along the offensive line:

The New Orleans Saints offense has flown high to start the season. They’ve scored the second most points through two games in NFL history. First halves, in particular, have been explosive since the addition of Klint Kubiak. The first two games featured the two highest scoring first halves of the Dennis Allen era.

Eventually, the output was going to have to slow down. That time came in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. There was no Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed 50-yard pass, though the pairing did come close. Alvin Kamara has struggled, and it all started with Erik McCoy exiting the game with a groin injury on the first drive. They were already without Taysom Hill, which limited their versatility. Losing McCoy made the entire offensive line lose its edge.

The Saints offensive line has struggled to stand up to the Eagles defensive line. The absence of McCoy is evident as Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis have destroyed the interior offensive line. Lucas Patrick slid to center and Oli Udoh moved to left guard. That pairing has been ineffective.

Kamara has 12 carries but only 33 rushing yards. Most of the impact has came from the interior. The Saints will have to jumpstart their offense in the second half.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints center Erik McCoy (groin) won’t return vs. Eagles

New Orleans Saints starting center Erik McCoy won’t return to their Week 3 matchup dueto a groin injury:

This story was updated to add new information.

Update: The Saints announced that Erik McCoy’s status was downgraded, and he will not return against the Eagles.

The New Orleans Saints found themselves with an early injury in their Week 3 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, as starting center Erik McCoy went down on the first drive with what looked to be a severe injury as he walked off the field very carefully. Lucas Patrick replaced him and Olisaemeka  Udoh filled in at left guard.

The good news is that he was not immediately ruled out, as he was later announced as questionable to return with a groin injury.

On another positive note, it was not a knee injury or hamstring issue, which are both concerning for anyone, but especially offensive linemen. We will monitor how his status changes throughout the game, and hopefully he can get a chance to get back into the game at some point.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Alvin Kamara excelling despite facing second-most loaded boxes

Defenses are selling out to stop Alvin Kamara and it isn’t working anyway. This is a testament to his offensive line:


Here’s an impressive New Orleans Saints stat for you. Alvin Kamara has ran for the sixth-most yards on the ground in the NFL and scored the most touchdowns despite seeing the second-most attempts with eight or more defenders in the box.

Defenses load up the box specifically to stop the run, and it happens 45% of the time when Kamara carries the ball. Everyone knows what the Saints want to do, but this tactic hasn’t been effective in stopping the Kamara.

Why? Taliese Fuaga, Lucas Patrick, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning are five reasons. The impact of the unit is seen through the near three yards before contact per carry against the Carolina Panthers by all Saints running backs.

You don’t beat heavy boxes purely on the strength of your running back. Kamara has phenomenal contact balance, but even with that he can’t consistently beat the odds by himself.

The front line is doing a good job resetting the line of scrimmage and getting to the second level to block linebackers. That’s why he’s been so successful despite running against heavy boxes on nearly half of his attempts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Taliese Fuaga, two other Saints rank highly in ESPN’s pass block win rate

Taliese Fuaga ranks among the best offensive tackles in the league when looking at ESPN’s pass block win rate so far:

The New Orleans Saints’ 2024 NFL draft picks were very intriguing from the start, especially Taliese Fuaga, who was looked at as the immediate franchise tackle due to Ryan Ramczyk’s injury and Trevor Penning having a rough initial start to his career. Now, Fuaga and Penning are both playing at an exceptionally high level for two weeks, and Fuaga ranks among the best offensive tackles in the league when considering the statistic pass block win rate. This statistic measures the percent of pass-blocking snaps that the offensive lineman wins, i.e. does not give up a pressure or sack.

According to the ESPN rankings in these statistics, Fuaga has taken 28 pass-blocking snaps, and on 27 of them, he has won the rep (96%). This ranks Fuaga tied for ninth best among offensive tackles, tied with Andrew Thomas, Jordan Mailata, and Lane Johnson, which is a pretty exceptional company to be in as a rookie.

His fellow Saints teammates Erik McCoy and Lucas Patrick also rank among the best interior linemen in this statistic, with McCoy at 12th (97%) and Patrick at 18th (96%). This success can be shown in many other metrics as well, such as pressures allowed within 2.5 seconds, where the Saints rank first at an extremely low 4%. The next best is at 11% with the Los Angeles Chargers, and the average for the NFL is 23%. That is how successful this Saints offensive line has been at protecting Derek Carr, and doing so at such a high rate is allowing the offense to play at a very high level.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Erik McCoy and Lucas Patrick make the PFF team of the week

Erick McCoy and Lucas Patrick were the highest graded Saints at Pro Football Focus. This earned them each a spot on the PFF team of the week:

New Orleans Saints offensive linemen Erik McCoy and Lucas Patrick each earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus team of the week after the Saints’ dominant victory against the Dallas Cowboys.

But one name missing from the list was Alvin Kamara. James Cook got the nod over Kamara after running 78 yards and two touchdowns while catching a 17-yard touchdown pass for the Buffalo Bills. Both had monster games, but Kamara was snubbed on this list.

Kamara simply had the better game. Cook finished with 95 total yards. Kamara had 115 rushing yards alone and added 65 yards through the air, for a total of 180. That’s nearly double the yardage. Kamara also had four touchdowns compared to Cook’s three.

That being said, it’s a PFF team of the week, and the criteria is obviously heavily based on their grades. Cook received an 87.3 grade while Kamara ended with a grade of 67.4.

McCoy and Patrick were the Saints’ two highest-graded players in Week 2. New Orleans dominated the trenches, and it was most evident on the interior. On occasions when there was pressure from the defensive ends, Derek Carr could always step up in the pocket.

More than just this week, McCoy and Patrick are the highest graded linemen in the NFL through two weeks. This speaks volumes for how well the Saints offensive line has performed. Carr has remained clean through two weeks, and he may owe McCoy and Patrick a couple steak dinners.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Taliese Fuaga ranks as the second best rookie after Week 1

Taliese Fuaga followed up on offseason hype with a strong Saints debut. He ranks inside the top-five from B/R’s rookie rankings:

The 2024 NFL draft was headlined by the surplus of quarterbacks drafted in the front half of the first round. After the first week, it isn’t the quarterbacks making at the top of Bleacher Report’s rankings. Instead, it’s primarily players on the offensive and defensive line.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga comes in at second only to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Fuaga wasn’t able to punch in two touchdowns, but it was still quite the debut.

It’s hard to craft a better debut than Fuaga had on Sunday. Erik McCoy has spent the offseason accelerating the hype train. After the game, McCoy should thank the rookie for making him look like a genius.

You’ll see a litany of clips on social media of Fuaga from his debut. His transition to the Saints scheme was expected to be smooth because of his experience in a wide zone system in college.

Fuaga comfortably sealed off defenders and climbed to the second level as the backside blocker. Fuaga is credited with 94% pass block win rate was good for 15th among all tackles. There is no rookie even close. He’ll have a much taller task in Week 2.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]