Extending Erik McCoy was a brilliant move by the NOLA Saints

As the NOLA Saints inch closer to their Week 1 tilt with the Atlanta Falcons, the front office made a really smart decision to extend center Erik McCoy.

The news broke on Friday afternoon that McCoy would be getting a hefty raise. The former second-round pick out of Texas A&M will receive a five-year extension worth $63.75 million, per Adam Schefter.

McCoy deserves every penny.

Since joining the Saints in 2019, McCoy has missed just five games, all of which came last year. We saw how much the offensive line suffered without McCoy slotting in at center and now that's not something we have to worry about for the next half decade.

NOLA Saints brilliantly sign Erik McCoy to extension

While fans were disappointed to see C.J. Gardner-Johnson traded for what looked to be a bag of peanuts, they proved that they do take care of the players they want to take care of. McCoy was someone they absolutely had to retain and now he won't be hitting free agency when the 2022 season is over.

The offensive line used to be a strength for the Saints but with Terron Armstead departing for Miami, the o-line won't be the strength it once was. Losing Armstead was tough but the Saints had to make sure they didn't lose him and McCoy in back-to-back seasons.

Had McCoy hit the open market, he'd have been a popular target for teams in need of a center. It was genius of the Saints to lock him up now before any other team had a chance to get their paws on him.

Now that McCoy is extended, the Saints can turn their attention to the regular season and kicking some Atlanta Falcons butt on Sunday. They'll have their starting center of at least the next five years up front anchoring the offensive line.