Tag: pro football focous

Saints linebacker duo find themselves on PFF Top 32 LB rankings

PFF ranked the best linebackers in the NFL. Demario Davis was an easy choice, but his Saints running mate may surprise you: Willie Gay, not Pete Werner

New Orleans Saints linebackers Demario Davis and Willie Gay Jr. made the list for the NFL’s 32 best linebackers at Pro Football Focus. This made them one of 11 teams to place multiple players on the list. Gay’s skillset has already sparked some excitement this offseason, and seeing the pairing included in exclusive company should only fan the flames.

It is no surprise Davis found himself near the top of the list. He has been one of the best in the NFL and a perennial All-Pro player for a half-decade. He comes in as the third best linebacker in PFF’s list. Even at 35, Davis continues to be the leader and heartbeat of the linebacking corps and entire defense.

Davis is joined by the Saints offseason acquisition Willie Gay at 31. Here’s where things gets interesting, because he isn’t guaranteed to be the starter. He’ll be competing with Pete Werner to start alongside Davis. It’s important to not this list shouldn’t be used as an indication of Gay’s position on the depth chart but rather his talent.

It’s clear PFF valued his athleticism and rangy skillset. Gay has aired his grievances on usage in Kansas City before and his placement within the top 32 would suggest PFF shared the sentiment. The battle between Gay and Werner will be one of the most important and entertaining battles of training camp.

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PFF: Saints’ Erik McCoy middle-of-the-pack in center rankings

Saints center Erik McCoy came in nearly directly in the middle of PFF’s positional rankings. Injuries have slowed him down in recent years. | @crissy_froyd

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When Pro Football Focus recently released its center rankings ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Erik McCoy of the New Orleans Saints came in at No. 15 overall. Such a ranking put him directly ahead of Ryan Kelly of the Indianapolis Colts, and right behind Mitch Morse of the Buffalo Bills.

Here’s what PFF’s Gordon McGuinness had to say about where he placed McCoy on the list:

McCoy’s career has been trending in the wrong direction since he posted a 78.0 PFF grade as a rookie, but he is still young enough that he can get things back on track, especially with his past two seasons disrupted by injury.

The Saints have used multiple players as band-aids since McCoy been hurt with the calf injury, including the recent signing of Billy Price. Looking at the full picture here, though, it’s easy to see why some could look at place at 15th overall here as a bit low.

Outside of the injury bug, McCoy has been a highly positive contributor at a position that doesn’t get as much love as it deserves in the first place. Between 2019 and 2020 he started and played in every offensive snap except for six of them.

He was a key element of what was one of the best offensive lines in the NFL in his first two years playing for the Saints, and when he’s been healthy, he’s continued to do a solid job of protecting the quarterback in his own right. How he continues doing just that into 2023 will be something to keep an eye on.

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