re: Max Unger has allegedly retired. (Confirmed now)

What are the best centers for this years draft? I know there's a good bit of nice guards and tackles

So our oldest lineman who had his worst year of his career and got owned in our playoff loss is retiring and the sky is falling? Ok got it.

Tom and clapp are nice because they are cheap depth that can play more than one position on the line

In no way do they want to rely on them for anything meaningful

If the Saints want a one year stopgap veteran I don’t see a better option out there than John Sullivan. The Rams didn’t bring him back.

Walterfootball
#1. Erik McCoy - Texas A&M

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3/16/19: At the NFL Scouting Combine, McCoy was phenomenal with a great workout, a freaky 40 time, and a good round of interviews. McCoy could sneak into the first round, and if slips to Round 2, he should be selected quickly.

McCoy played well for Texas A&M and decided to skip his senior year to enter the 2019 NFL Draft. He could be a plug-and-play starter at guard or center. It would be ideal for him get more powerful, but McCoy has a lot of good tape, including his performances against Clemson and Alabama last year.

McCoy has strong hands and is able to control defenders when he latches on them. He has decent feel and awareness, plus is athletic. McCoy shows a nice ability to hit blocks on the perimeter, at the second level, and in the open field. In the ground game, McCoy is not a powerful pile mover and does not generate a lot of movement in the run game. Hence, he should add more functional strength for the NFL.

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Rotoworld blurb:

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NFL.com's Lance Zierlein predicts Texas A&M C Erik McCoy to be drafted in Round 2.

McCoy (6'4/303) was described by NFL Media's Gil Brandt as a plug-and-play prospect, and he added to the hype at the NFL Scouting Combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.90 seconds. Unless something drastic happens, the end of the second round appears to be McCoy's floor and the late-first round appears to be his ceiling. McCoy earned All-SEC Freshman honors and was a three-year starter at Texas A&M.

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#2. Garrett Bradbury - NC State

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3/16/19: Bradbury continued his strong postseason with a good combine performance. He showed his quickness and athleticism in Indianapolis. At the Senior Bowl, Bradbury had a solid week of practice.

Bradbury is a quick center who is athletic at the point of attack. He has steadily added weight since playing tight end in high school and could be a second-day pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Bradbury broke into the starting lineup as a redshirt sophomore. In 2017, he had a good season protecting Ryan Finley and opening holes for Nyiem Hines and Jaylen Samuels.

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Rotoworld blurb:

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PhiladelphiaEagles.com's Fran Duffey called NC State C Garrett Bradbury is one of the toughest prospects.

Bradbury (6'3/306) is one of the most flawless prospects in the class, but positional value is keeping him outside of the top-20 in most mock drafts. One thing in his favor is the free agency market, which is particularly weak at center. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bradbury was light on his feet during the 40-yard dash (4.93 seconds), yet strong on the bench press (34 reps). In his most recent Top 50, NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah ranked Bradbury 22nd overall.

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3. Elgton Jenkins - MS State

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3/16/19: Team sources have told me they graded Jenkins in the second round, and he looks like a potential plug-and-play starter in the NFL. Other teams are not as high on Jenkins. Jenkins was a steady blocker in the middle of the Mississippi State offensive line in 2018, and his strong play earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Jenkins had a solid week in Mobile.

At the point of attack, Jenkins is quick to the second level and does a nice job of beating defenders to a spot to wall them off. He is quick, agile, and athletic on the inside with the ability to fire to the second level. Jenkins is very effective at double-team combo blocks with guards and is reliable to get gaps open with his double-team skills. In pass protection, Jenkins has a good anchor with the size to handle bull rushes. He may not grade out as a first-round pick, but he could be a good second-day selection who is a plug-and-play starter in the NFL.

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Rotoworld blurb:

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Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy called Mississippi State C Elgton Jenkins a "rookie starter,"

NC State’s Garrett Bradbury and Texas A&M’s Erik McCoy join the club as immediate starters, according to Nagy. Both Bradbury and McCoy are considered a bit better than Jenkins, but they are all in a similar tier. One possible landing spot for Jenkins is with the New Orleans Saints, who just lost starting center Max Unger to sudden retirement.

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I wouldn’t mind adding Sullivan from the rams and drafting one of the centers available in the 5th or 6th round

Strong class of centers or not you can bet your arse Sean Payton is not starting a rookie center to protect Drew in what could be his last chance at a super bowl. A vet will be brought in if they are not convinced with Tom or Clapp. John Sullivan makes way too much sense not to get a deal done as long as they are close on the money. Give him 1 year $4 million with incentives.

I hate to feel like I’m underselling Unger, but this Saints offense has shown numerous times they can take virtual nobodies and plug them in at C and make them household names.

It sucks Unger is retiring, but I have nothing but faith that Payton and company will figure it out.

Jerry Fontenot