Throughout last season, the New Orleans Saints had an odd offensive line situation. Although the tackles, Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga, had great years, the interior was the opposite. LG was a revolving door of players, RG had Cesar Ruiz, who was really struggling this offseason, and C had Erik McCoy ruled out for most of the season. Backup Luke Fortner, who was an excellent trade for the Saints, was able to sub in and play well when needed. But now, as the offseason begins, Fortner is out of contract.

The Saints could bring back Fortner, and that is not a bad idea, but they should really go in a different direction this offseason. Just a few years ago, the Saints dealt with one of their franchise offensive linemen being injured. While that player was supposed to be on the team until he was in his mid-30s, as is the case with many great offensive linemen, he retired at 30. I'm talking about Ryan Ramczyk. 

Although Ramczyk's injuries were worse than McCoy's, they still bring up an important point. The Saints cannot assume their star center will play there for a long time. McCoy will turn 29 next season, and another injury-filled season could prompt both parties to reconsider the future. McCoy may reconsider how much longer he wants to play, and the Saints may want to move on from him. New Orleans must prepare for both outcomes, and the way to do so is to invest in a young option.

If the Saints want to go with a young option at center this offseason, the clear options are in the draft, but let's start with free agency first. Former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Sean Rhyan would be a cheap option, and star center Tyler Linderbaum is the very expensive one. The free-agent route would be the less likely option, as it would force the Saints to move on from McCoy right away. So, the draft would be the better choice.

Looking at the draft, it's not the best center class, but two players stand out for New Orleans: Connor Lew and Sam Hecht. Both of these prospects could be selected in the third or fourth round. That may sound like a pretty big investment, especially if the rookie wouldn't play right away, but looking at the long-term of this team, the Saints need to prepare for the worst-case scenario with their offensive line. Also, they can be a great backup option if McCoy deals with more injuries, which has become more likely than not.