After 10 missed games in each of the previous two seasons due to injuries, including the final 10 of 2025 with a torn biceps, pinpointing an offseason objective for Erik McCoy was simple.
The New Orleans Saints center wanted to recapture the tools that helped make him a two-time Pro Bowler who started all 88 games he played in his first seven seasons. "From a personal standpoint, the offseason program in general has been a big emphasis on regaining a lot of the strength that I have lost with injuries," said McCoy, whose 2024 season was interrupted by a groin injury. Since playing in every game his first two years, he has done so once — starting all 17 games in '23 – in the last five years.
"A lot of the twitchiness and explosiveness that I've had in the past, regaining that, working on that," McCoy said following the second day of OTAs. "I feel like as you get older, that's something that you have to pay more attention to. From a football standpoint, ball is ball. So, it's been an emphasis on the weight room for me."
The 6-foot-4, 303-pounder said the quick-twitch part of his game is possibly the most critical, above brute strength.
"I would dare to say (twitchiness) is a bookend of my game. That's how I've always won blocks, is being explosive, twitchy — reach blocks, all that fun stuff," he said. "It's been going well. I think our weight room – (Saints director of sports performance) Ted (Rath), Luke (Lancaster, strength and conditioning), Riley (Ireland, strength and conditioning), (Charles) Byrd (strength and conditioning) — all those guys have done a really good job of helping me to maintain and climb in that area."
Now, it's just a matter of regaining form on the field, which can be a bit more challenging for linemen since there are no padded practices and no utilization of physical force imposed on defensive linemen.
"Your individual reps have to be at full speed," McCoy said. "So even if your team reps aren't at full speed, the looks that you're getting from the bags need to be at full speed. The looks when you're going against your own offensive linemen — you've got to be rolling in that period so that you can grow as a player and as a unit."
OTHER UPDAES FROM OTAs
Free agent signee David Edwards is projected to be the fifth opening-game starter at left guard in as many seasons; Andrus Peat, in 2021-22, is the last player to open consecutive seasons as the starter at left guard. Since then, James Hurst ('23), Lucas Patrick ('24) and Dillon Radunz ('25) each was in the lineup for those respective openers.
Edwards was a prize signee and his addition is expected to stabilize the position.
"He's a hell of a ballplayer," McCoy said. "Big fan of what he did in Buffalo, big fan of what he did in L.A. A big bodied, explosive football player that I think is going to help this offensive line tremendously.
"What that looks like right now is, the majority of my reps during the practice sessions are going to my left side. Because I've got six, seven years of banked reps with Cesar (Ruiz) on the right side, whereas I don't have any with him. We're getting a feel for each other, we're growing and I think that he will be a great addition to this team and this offensive line."
