Saints hosting five-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman

New Orleans is looking at a homegrown talent to fortify its offensive line.

Per reports, guard Trai Turner is visiting the Saints on Monday. New Orleans is acutely aware of what Turner brings, having played against him 11 times while he was a member of the Carolina Panthers from 2014-19.

He's also a native of New Orleans and played collegiately at LSU. 

Turner was one of the best guards in football while a member of the Panthers, appearing in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015-19. He's been uneven in the years since as he's bounced around the league in three different stops. 

While Pro Football Focus credits him with allowing 12 sacks in his first six seasons with the Panthers, he's been credited with allowing 10 over the last three with the Chargers, Steelers and Commanders.

Still, Turner, 30, could be an essential depth signing if the Saints have a repeat of 2022. Last season, New Orleans started 10 offensive linemen as injuries plagued the unit. Turner, along with 2023 fourth-round pick Nick Saldiveri, would be improvements over last year's backups at guard, Lewis Kidd, Calvin Throckmorton and Josh Andrews.

If starting guards Cesar Ruiz and Andrus Peat underwhelm, Turner could also slide into the rotation without a hiccup.

The Saints are once again all-in on a championship despite losing retired quarterback Drew Brees after the 2020 season, head coach Sean Payton after 2021 and finishing with a worse record than the previous year each of the past three seasons.

Despite the franchise's downward trend, the free-agent addition of quarterback Derek Carr this offseason breathed fresh life into the organization. Per Oddschecker, the Saints (+130) are favorites to win the NFC South.

Adding Turner won't shift their odds but would serve as another reminder of what's at stake for New Orleans in 2023. At a certain point, a time will come when it will make more sense for the Saints to hit the reset button than to add veterans to an aging core.

Turner and the Saints could be a perfect match. Both have something to prove and perhaps not much time left to do it.