New Orleans Saints: 3 Options To Replace Max Unger

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets center Nick Mangold (74) against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

The New Orleans Saints have run into an unfortunate road block before the 2017 season has even begun with star center Max Unger getting hurt.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Pro Bowl center suffered some sort of foot injury. It’s unclear how or why it happened. To this point the only knowledge is the extent of the damage. In a word it’s not good. Recovery alone could take almost half a year. That means the odds are he could miss a significant part of the season.

"“Starting center Max Unger suffered a foot injury and will miss about five months, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday on Good Morning Football. The anchor of their offensive line, who came to Louisiana in a trade for tight end Jimmy Graham in 2015 and started 31 of 32 possible games, Unger will start the season on the physically unable to perform list, Rapoport added.”"

That means Unger would miss at least the first six games of the season. Given his importance to the offense, this is not something the Saints want to hear. Most are feeling 2017 is a make-or-break season in New Orleans. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2013. Drew Brees is approaching the 40-year old barrier. He can’t play great forever. Keeping him protected his paramount.

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New Orleans has to find a solution to this problem. Depending on how aggressive they want to be, here are three options they will likely consider.

In-house: Jack Allen

Allen was a solid and experienced starter for Michigan State during one of its best runs in college football. He’s not overly athletic but makes up for that with toughness, strength and intelligence. By now he should be well-prepared for the challenge of stepping into the starting role. Whether Sean Payton is comfortable with that idea remains a mystery.

Free agency: Nick Mangold

If the Saints are looking for a quick, temporary fix then the easy decision is to go out and sign veteran Nick Mangold. The seven-time Pro Bowler is 33-years old who saw his long career in New York end due to injuries. He’s had time to recover since then and should be good to go by training camp. His experience would be a huge benefit in covering that loss.

Trade: Jason Kelce

Word leaked a couple months ago that the Philadelphia Eagles might try to trade center Jason Kelce. The reason being salary cap and scheme fit concerns. With veteran Stefen Wisniewski on the roster, this is a move they can afford to make. Kelce has that quickness and athleticism to fit the type of offense New Orleans likes to run.

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