Keeping backup center Luke Fortner should be a Saints offseason priority

By Ross Jackson

There are three positions the New Orleans Saints are likely set at going into free agency. Quarterback, tackle and safety. While adding depth and talent to those positions certainly isn’t a bad thing, there’s not much needed at each spot to feel comfortable going into the season. 

Another position that’s just one move away from being in that same category is center. 

The teammate starting center is already on the roster in 2019 second-round selection Erik McCoy. McCoy is consistently one of the best centers in the league when on the field. However, what made the center position its most reliable last year was that New Orleans had not only McCoy but preseason trade acquisition Luke Fortner on the roster. 

Fortner stepped into the lineup in place of the injured McCoy for 10 games after the starting center’s season came to an end following a biceps tear. 

Re-signing Fortner, who surrendered just nine pressures in his starts, would be a major win for New Orleans. It would provide the team a viable starting-caliber depth piece behind McCoy. 

The challenge will be competing with other team’s offers, which may include starting opportunities for teams in need of an offensive line revamp. But if New Orleans could get ahead of it, it would provide the team safety from the plummet the offense saw in 2024 in case of a McCoy injury.