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.
