Tag: Jeff Ireland

Saints salary cap expert Khai Harley to attend NFL General Manager Accelerator event

Saints salary cap expert Khai Harley is one of many candidates attending this year’s NFL Front Office and General Manager Accelerator event:

Khai Harley is the New Orleans Saints’ secret weapon. His official job title is listed as the assistant general manager and vice president of football administration, but Harley’s main role in the front office is navigating the salary cap. No one knows the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement better, and he works around the clock each year to find loopholes and clauses to exploit so the Saints can get the most bang for their buck.

And it’s put him on other teams’ radars. Harley is on track to run his own team someday, and his participation in key summits like the annual NFL Front Office and General Manager Accelerator event at league meetings in December will only help raise his profile around the NFL.

Harley was announced as one of dozens of candidates from many teams around the league who have been selected for this year’s Accelerator, which will give him opportunities to network with team owners and other executives before the next hiring cycle. The event also features seminars, mock interviews, and professional development workshops to help prepare future general managers.

Could Harley be the next man up in New Orleans? He shares the assistant general manager title with Jeff Ireland (who is also the team’s vice president of college personnel), a former general manager himself. Mickey Loomis runs the show and is the longest-tenured GM around the league, but it’s possible he could step up into an executive role in the years ahead. The Saints would be wise to hold onto Harley, but if Loomis isn’t ready to give up his seat he may go elsewhere in search of the right opportunity.

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Saints spotted scouting Florida State-Clemson matchup in CFB Week 4

The Saints were spotted scouting Florida State’s matchup with Clemson on Saturday. They’ve spent a lot of time around both programs recently:

The New Orleans Saints were spotted scouting Florida State’s matchup with Clemson this week, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who listed them among 11 NFL teams in attendance for Saturday’s game. They’ve spent a lot of time around both programs recently — Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland visited FSU’s campus two weeks ago, and of course the team’s top rookie draft pick Bryan Bresee comes from Clemson.

It makes sense to give the prospects in this game the attention they’re due. Florida State’s Jared Verse is one of the most exciting pass rushers eligible for the 2024 draft class, and his teammate Keon Coleman is making an argument to be picked in the first round at wide receiver. Coleman lined up often against Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins, one of several first-round defensive prospects for the Tigers along with linebackers Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

All of this attention doesn’t mean the Saints will pick any of these players in the 2024 draft. It probably doesn’t mean anything. But it could mean something. We’ll keep it in mind when the offseason rolls around and the draft news cycle picks up.

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Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland spotted scouting NFL prospects at Florida State

New Orleans Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland was spotted scouting NFL prospects at Florida State practice:

This feels noteworthy.  The Tallahassee Democrat’s Ehsan Kassim reported last week that New Orleans Saints college scouting director Jeff Ireland was in attendance at one of Florida State’s practices before their road game at Boston College (which they narrowly won 31-29). NFL scouts are on the road often this time of year, but it’s interesting to see an assistant general manager taking such a hands-on approach.

But FSU makes sense as somewhere to go looking for talent. Playmaking defensive end Jared Verse is a top-ten prospect (maybe top-five) in the 2024 draft class, and his teammate Keon Coleman is building momentum as a first-round prospect at wide receiver. Running back Trey Benson and wide receiver Johnny Wilson are also earning early-round buzz. Quarterback Jordan Travis has drawn high expectations, too.

There are mid-round prospects worth looking into like tight end Jaheim Bell, defensive linemen Fabien Lovett and Braden Fiske, and cornerback Fentrell Cypress, too. It’s too soon to draw any credible links between the Saints and players who might enter the 2024 draft, much less suggesting they’ll draft them just because Ireland stopped by campus one day in September. But it’s an interesting data point to keep in mind and maybe circle back to in the spring.

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Saints announce staff changes, promote Khai Harley to assistant GM

New Orleans Saints announce staff changes for 2023 season, promote salary cap specialist Khai Harley to assistant general manager:

This is cool: the New Orleans Saints announced a couple of staff changes and additions on Tuesday, with the most notable news being a promotion for Khai Harley. The salary cap specialist still retains his title as vice president of football operations — but he’s now pulling double-duty as their assistant general manager.

Mickey Loomis is still on top of the organizational chart as general manager and executive vice president, but Harley now shares a title with Jeff Ireland as assistant GM to Loomis. Ireland’s main focus remains on the college scouting department, but now both he and Harley carry the assistant GM title.

Loomis is the longest-tenured general manager in the league. He’ll turn 67 this year. He won’t be around forever, and it’s very possible that the Saints are setting up someone like Harley to succeed him in a couple of years. Ireland also has experience at the top of the organization from his six-year run with the Miami Dolphins. Either way, this promotion is a well-deserved recognition for a key member of the front office. Harley has done a great job navigating the salary cap and the CBA to keep the Saints competitive year in and year out.

What about the other moves? For the most part, the Saints confirmed additions who were previously reported during the summer like defensive assistant coach Matt Giordano, analytics director Zach Stuart, and football administration director Scott Kuhn. They also shuffled the scouting department with Matt Phillips becoming an area scout and Will Martinez taking over as NFL combine scout.

But a couple of other new hires stand out. Former Louisiana Tech assistant to the head coach and NFL liaison Ziad Qubti is joining the team as their new college scouting coordinator under Ireland, with Rishi Desai (former Ole Miss director of scouting and an LSU graduate) also joining the scouting department. It’s good to see minority candidates getting these opportunities, especially with the NFL awarding compensatory draft picks when they’re hired to executive positions. If they help the organization find good players and develop into sought-after GM candidates in their own right, them leaving someday would bring back valuable draft assets to New Orleans. It’s a win-win.

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WATCH: Saints call Isaiah Foskey to inform him he’s being drafted

WATCH: Saints call Isaiah Foskey to inform him he’s being drafted

You may have already seen Isaiah Foskey and his family celebrating the news that he was being picked by the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL draft — now check out the other side of that conversation when college scouting director Jeff Ireland and head coach Dennis Allen called him up from the Saints war room.

“Yeah man, hey, listen, you made our day too,” Allen grinned. “It’s a great pick for us, a great situation for you. You get to come in here, get a chance to play for a really good defense. Get a chance to get after the quarterback and stop this run a little bit.”

Allen stressed to Foskey that he should “enjoy this moment” while he had him on the phone; from the sound of it, Foskey is ready to go ahead and fly into town so he can get to work. He’ll be a big part of the Saints’ plans up front after Marcus Davenport left in free agency.

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WATCH: Saints make the call to draft Bryan Bresee in Round 1

WATCH: Saints brass Jeff Ireland, Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis make draft-day phone call to Bryan Bresee, advising him to ‘Bring your lunch pail’

It’s not often that you get to see both sides of a phone conversation, but that’s what the New Orleans Saints helped share with us after selecting Bryan Bresee in Thursday night’s opening round of the 2023 NFL draft.

We’ve already seen Bresee’s side of the conversation, but now we get a look at things from inside the Saints’ war room. College scouting director Jeff Ireland made the call to Bresee to share the good news, reflecting on their productive visit on Clemson’s campus from earlier in the pre-draft process before handing the phone off to Dennis Allen, seated next to team owner Gayle Benson.

“You ready to be a New Orleans Saint?” Allen grinned. “Yeah, man, we’re excited about it. We’re so excited to get you in here and get going, now we need to see if we can win us a championship. All I want you to do is get in here and work your tail off. You do that and you’re going to be just fine.”

From there the phone traveled to general manager Mickey Loomis, who stepped aside to pass some instructions on to Bresee before the Saints PR department reached out to schedule local media availability. His right-hand man Khai Harley, vice president of football administration, was quick to congratulate his peers on the selection.

“We’re excited to have you. So come ready to go. Bring your lunch pail,” Loomis advised.

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Dennis Allen, Jeff Ireland to represent Saints at Ohio State and Alabama pro days

Dennis Allen and Jeff Ireland plan to represent the Saints at pro days for Ohio State and Alabama this week. They’ll get a good look at many top 2023 draft prospects:

Two of the New Orleans Saints’ top decision-makers will be getting a good look at some of the best prospects in the 2023 NFL draft this week. Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan reports that head coach Dennis Allen and college scouting director Jeff Ireland are planning to attend the pro days for Ohio State (on Wednesday, March 22) and Alabama (on Thursday, March 23) with dozens of draft-eligible players in attendance. Expect multiple position coaches and area scouts to accompany them so they can get eyes on as many prospects as possible. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis will also be in Columbus for Ohio State’s pro day.

Are the Saints tipping their hand by sending Allen and Ireland to these big-name pro day workouts? Maybe, maybe not. They were both in attendance for Ohio State’s pro day last year (along with wide receivers coach Kodi Burns) to scout Chris Olave and his teammates, and liked what they saw so much they were moved to trade up for Olave in the first round of the 2022 draft. That doesn’t necessarily mean history will repeat itself, but it’s still interesting to see which school pro days the Saints are prioritizing.

Here the top draft-eligible prospects from both Ohio State and Alabama:

Saints have a heavy presence scouting the HBCU Legacy Bowl and Combine

The New Orleans Saints have a heavy presence scouting the HBCU Legacy Bowl and Combine this week at their own indoor practice facility:

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the New Orleans Saints are well-represented at the HBCU Legacy Bowl and Combine this week — the college all-star game’s events and practices are being held at their indoor practice facility in Metairie.

Still, it’s good to see a heavy Saints presence in attendance: college and pro personnel executives Jeff Ireland and Michael Parenton were seen at practice this week, as well as football administration vice president Khai Harley. All three of them are involved in crafting the team’s offseason strategy and draft board, and their input is valuable.

This year’s HBCU Legacy Bowl will be held at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 25. Saints quarterback Jameis Winston has been selected as one of the game’s honorary captains, as was Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead, who won accolades in New Orleans after playing collegiately for the HBCU Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The game will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.

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The 10 most important Saints players, coaches, and front office execs of 2023

If the Saints want to improve in 2023, these names need to have major impacts. The 10 most important Saints of 2023, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Every offseason comes with changes and commitments across the NFL. The New Orleans Saints have committed to their coaching staff for the time being and while that likely means changes are on the way at key positions across the roster, the Saints will see some familiar faces return in 2023. Those returning players, coaches and front office staff members will be pivotal to the team’s success in 2023.

The Saints are hoping to improve on their recent and disappointing 7-10 finish. But finishing with a better record won’t be enough. This organization wants to be back in the playoffs and winning postseason matchups. In order to get that done, big names are going to have to make big impacts. Here are the 10 most important Saints of 2023:

Mickey Loomis says Saints won’t allow lateral moves to Sean Payton’s next staff

Mickey Loomis says the Saints won’t allow lateral moves to Sean Payton’s next staff, though they won’t block promotions for their assistants:

One worry of Sean Payton taking over a new team is how many important pieces of the New Orleans Saints’ operation he might take with him. Whether that’s assistant coaches or personnel executives in the front office, there are plenty of people in the organization who Payton would probably like to take with him.

But don’t expect the Saints to make that easy for him. General manager Mickey Loomis addressed the topic during his end-of-season press conference on Friday in response to a question from NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, saying that lateral moves are off the table.

“Well our guys are under contract, so the only guys who could actually move without our permission are guys who are being promoted into coordinator positions. It’s not really a real ‘need’ (to address that). I’m sure if there was somebody they really wanted he would call and ask, and we would probably say no,” Loomis grinned.

That was the case a few years ago when longtime front office executive Terry Fontenot left for the Atlanta Falcons GM opening, and he tried to bring football administration vice president Khai Harley with him. The Saints wouldn’t allow that, and Harley has continued to play a big part in their day-to-day operations while crafting creative salary cap strategies.

So they wouldn’t, for example, let Harley or college scouting director and assistant GM Jeff Ireland leave to join Payton in that same capacity. He would have to be promoted to general manager for Payton’s new squad in order to get out of his contract with New Orleans. That’s significant given two of the three teams interviewing Payton soon already have their general managers working in the building (the Denver Broncos’ George Paton and the Houston Texans’ Nick Caserio). The only place he could offer a front office executive a promotion is the Arizona Cardinals.

Things are a little trickier for assistant coaches. If they have an opportunity to advance their career in a bigger role on Payton’s staff, Loomis says the Saints won’t stand in their way. He conceded, “I think that is, those guys would have the right to move to a coordinator position, if it’s a play caller position.”

So if an assistant on the rise in New Orleans like passing game coordinator Ronald Curry was offered the offensive coordinator job with Payton’s new team, he wouldn’t face much resistance in taking Payton up on that offer. Of course the Saints could circumvent this by naming Curry their own play caller on offense, but at this point they haven’t even tweaked their own coaching staff. Loomis added that those evaluations and considerations will begin next week. That’s the same time Payton will begin interviewing with other teams, so this new information from Loomis might soon become very pertinent.

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