Brian Parker seems to be everyone’s favorite center convert, but I’m not so sure. He’s got the brain for it, but man the anchor is pretty weak.
Honestly I think this is a bad year to need a center. So my approach would be: 1) move Tate over, and do it now. What have we got to lose? We need to know what we’ll be dealing with next year. 2) Trade for Erik McCoy. He’s a badass, has history with Dan, and is coming off an injury so shouldn’t cost too much (this is actually the deadline move I wanted to make, but then he went and got hurt). That said the Saints don’t do things like normal teams, so who knows.
Failing those two options, it’s a bunch of lesser plan Bs.
I’m not so sure about this. It depends on where they fall on the sink cost fallacy in terms of cap hit. Given the restructures they’d be eating 28m in dead money. The new team gets essentially a 2/14m deal with only 3m in 2026.
Would they take a 4th given that situation? Maybe a 2027 conditional 5th as well.
I’d do that. I think Brad and Dan certainly would. Would the Saints?
Or do we have to leverage the 2nd and some form of pick swaps?
I’m open minded to the latter as well. Nailing the center succession plan is IMO the most important element of the off-season.
If the plan is to move Tate to center than give me AVT off the Jets on a 2024 Davenport style of contract. While I know many will hate that degree of injury risk if you hit on it we’re talking about a top 15 ish OG IMO.
Agreed. It’s the one area we really have to spend on, unless we believe Tate is the answer. And we really need to believe it, which is why I would test it out now.
I think his arms will be too short to stay at tackle. I think, outside of Tate, a center convert - especially one coming from tackle - is a difficult proposition at this point, we need someone to hit the ground running. Granted Barton did that for Tampa, but that’s not usually the way it works out. Most of them take a minute or fail completely.
Amazing talent, scout… He will get us another OL or two next year, and turn that back into our main strength It’s the only way we can win with golf and he knows it
And who are these guys Brad can get that will fix this mess ? Because there is not a lot c options out there ? Brads money ball approach to FA and developmental draft picks you won’t fix the Oline in a year. No Brads “were Good” set this team back already 2 years. He is a good drafter but there is nothing amazing about the rest of the Job, Brad single handed sabotage this season by not knowing his own team . That’s Brad biggest problem is how bad he miss judges his team and there talent. Everytime Brad says we’re good at a position that the whole fan base knows we’re not it turns out just like fans thought and not even close to what Brad said. How good is a GM really if he doesn’t even know were his team is at. Or continuously miss judges his players.
From what I remember reading ratledge didn’t have any problems at center outside of getting used to the position and being able to make the calls. If ragnow does come back next year then you keep ratledge at guard but continue to cross train him at center. Let him learn being around Frank all year. If Frank is indeed returning next season priority number one then has to be finding a true replacement for decker at left tackle.
I think that was this year’s plan, so yeah, I’m all for it. Problem is if Ragnow’s injury is as bad as it was announced to be, that’s some rehab. It wouldn’t be surprising if he just decided to hang them up for good.
I’d like to see a veteran added but easily the most important question this off season. With Goff (and honestly all QBs) we need the middle of the OL solid.
My guess from hearing Decker speak about Frank is that they’ll be keen on one last ride together. My base case is both are here for 2026 and then that is probably it.
I’m having trouble believing this injury story. A grade 3 is a complete tear. I don’t see them announcing his return if he had that injury at the time. So this happened between the announcement and yesterday? Right after we lose to the packers and st brown gets hurt. My gut is telling me there is something wrong in that locker room this year and that they are looking more at next season.
I lean the opposite way. There’s a reason we target such high character guys, so that things don’t go south in the locker room when they inevitably go south on the field (which every team ever has to suffer at some point).
I talked to a buddy of mine in the medical field and he says for an elite athlete like Frank, a grade 3 tear can actually be less painful than a grade 2, because it’s possible there’s nothing attached to cause him pain. From what we’re hearing apparently he knew there was something up with the hamstring, and was generally surprised by how bad it was. Lesson #4356 on why professional athletes are different than us.
with this