The New Orleans did a great job of doing the most they could with the players on their roster. They were dealt a bad hand after Derek Carr entered sudden retirement, but rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who started the second half of the season, led the Saints to a few good wins.
But the Saints need to focus on building the offense around the young signal caller. They need to bolster their running back room while also adding another wide receiver or two. But they also need to make sure the line up front is productive, which could be a tough situation to navigate this offseason.
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Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently linked the Saints’ free agent lineman Luke Fortner, who started 10 games last year, to the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans this winter.
Texans, Panthers make sense for Saints free agent Luke Fortner
Nov 30, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints center Cesar Ruiz (51) and center Luke Fortner (79) attempt to block Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zeek Biggers (93) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images | Rich Storry-Imagn Images
“The Saints may not have had an especially successful season, and Pro Football Focus ranked the offensive line in New Orleans 25th in the NFL for the season. But Fortner quietly posted a solid season—three sacks allowed and three penalties committed in 678 snaps per PFF,” Davenport wrote. “Fortner played well enough that he likely wants an opportunity to start in his fifth season—an opportunity not likely to happen in the Big Easy if McCoy is healthy.
“There are some much bigger names available this year in free agency in Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens and Connor McGovern of the Buffalo Bills. Fortner doesn’t have the notoriety or resume of those linemen. But he’s also not going to cost well over $10 million a season.”
The Saints seemingly looked at Fortner as a depth piece until injuries began hurting their offensive line. Next season, Fortner would likely go back to a depth role, even though he was productive in his 10 starts.
As a result, teams with young quarterbacks like the Panthers and Texans could take a shot on Fortner. He’s good enough to help keep their young quarterbacks upright, but he wouldn’t break the bank like the other top linemen. This would allow these teams to add big name weapons for their young signal callers instead of spending that big money on a lineman.
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