David Edwards could fix the Saints offensive line; just ask Erik McCoy

You can't say anything about the moves the New Orleans Saints have made this offseason without a fan or two reminding everyone that nothing matters until the offensive line is fixed. Whether it's keeping Tyler Shough clean long enough to get a pass to Jordyn Tyson or opening a lane for Travis Etienne Jr. to rush through, the Saints won't go anywhere if they can't block up front. And if you ask Erik McCoy, signing left guard David Edwards at the start of free agency could accomplish just that.

"He's making pre-snap reads. Is it two-high? Is it one high (safety)? Are they going, are the linebackers going to bump because it's one-high versus two? He's on it, bro. He's on it," McCoy said during an interview on Terron Armstead's The Set YouTube show. He added, "I'm all, I'm all in. He's a, he's a great teammate. He's a great dude to be around. Um, so I think, that he's one of our biggest offseason additions. I'm a big fan of the guy."

The Saints have had a revolving door at the left guard spot ever since Andrus Peat left a couple of years ago. Eight different players started games there between 2024 (Lucas Patrick, Nick Saldiveri, Oli Udoh, Landon Young, and Kyle Hergel) and 2025 (Dillon Radunz, Trevor Penning, and Torricelli Simpkins III). While McCoy has dealt with a series of injuries in that time, he's had to do a lot of heavy lifting on his left side whenever he has been healthy and available. No more.

McCoy pointed out that while Edwards is a high-end athlete, his intelligence sets him apart. He's been a starter for most of seven years and doesn't need much help locking down his assignments. As a former high school quarterback, his ability to read the defense and anticipate what's coming is special.

That's not to say the offensive line is fixed. We won't know for sure until September. Even if Edwards helps clean up the left side of the line, Cesar Ruiz needs to step up at right guard. And depth is a concern. The Saints brought back Radunz and Simpkins from last year's team, as well as other backups like Asim Richards, Barry Wesley, Xavier Truss and William Sherman. Then they spent a fourth-round pick on Auburn guard Jeremiah Wright and made college tackles Alex Wollschlaeger (Kentucky) and Alan Herron (Maryland) their highest-paid rookie free agents. It may take another offseason cycle to fully implement the Saints' vision for the offensive line, but you can see what they're cooking. Both McCoy and Edwards are going to be a big part of it.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints center Erik McCoy fired up to block alongside David Edwards