Saints options for replacing Nick Fairley are pretty straightforward

After placing veteran defensive tackle Nick Fairley on the Reserve/NFI list Monday morning, Fairley’s status has become more clear. He’s lost for the 2017 season and will likely never play professionally again.

As covered earlier by Canal Street Chronicles’ John Hendrix, this is the news the organization and Saints fans have been dreading. Fairley emerged as a bright spot for Dennis Allen’s squad when there weren’t many on the 2016 black and gold defense.

Reportedly, Fairley has an enlarged heart, a condition first exposed in pre-draft physicals prior to his entry into the 2011 NFL Draft. He’s played through the heart problems throughout his career, but received an opinion from a personal…