Tag: Jeff Ireland

Saints promote Terry Fontenot to VP/assistant general manager

The New Orleans Saints promoted longtime director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot to assistant general manager, just like Jeff Ireland.

The start of NFL training camps are often a time for new hirings and in-house promotions to scouting departments around the league, and for once, 2020 is going no differently. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the New Orleans Saints promoted longtime director of pro scouting to the role of vice president/assistant general manger of pro personnel. He’s one of about a dozen of executives around the league to carry that assistant G.M. title.

Fontenot has been with the Saints for 16 years, overseeing the pro scouting department for the last six seasons after seven years as a pro scout. It’s been his responsibility to monitor the waiver wire, evaluate upcoming opponents, and gauge free agents to-be, helping the Saints land big-time veterans like All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis, guard Larry Warford (who went to three Pro Bowls in three years with the Saints), tight end Jared Cook (who set personal bests in several stats last season), and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who will hopefully keep things trending upwards.

Intriguingly, this puts Fontenot on the same level as Jeff Ireland within the Saints organization. Ireland, the infamous ex-Miami Dolphins general manager, has held the title of vice president/assistant G.M. for some time now. But he’s now added “assistant general manager of college scouting” to better reflect his duties as head of that department. Both Ireland and Fontenot report to Mickey Loomis, who is titled executive vice president/general manager.

It’ll be interesting to see where things go form here. Ireland has steadily climbed the ladder within the Saints organization since joining them back in 2015, helping assemble some of the strongest draft classes in team history. Both he and Fontenot could be candidates for general manager jobs in the NFL’s next hiring cycle, much like former Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace (now the embattled Chicago Bears shot-caller). This promotion for Fontenot likely carries a pay raise and more decision-making influence within the front office, but only time will tell if it’s enough to keep a good group together.

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Jeff Ireland talks Saints’ 2020 draft strategy, value of Jameis Winston

New Orleans Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland spoke with ESPN’s Matt Mosley to review his team’s 2020 NFL Draft picks.

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How have changes in response to the novel coronavirus affected the New Orleans Saints, putting them on the spot in the most unusual offseason in recent memory? According to assistant general manager Jeff Ireland, the lack of contact with first-year players picked and signed after the 2020 NFL Draft pushed the team to take an approach that valued quality over quantity.

Ireland joined “The Matt Mosley Show” on ESPN 1660 in central Texas, reviewing how his team performed and projecting where they’re headed. He also took time to discuss the ongoing contract talks with free agent quarterback Jameis Winston, the former first-overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Well, look when you don’t have a bunch of picks it takes the fire out of the scouts for sure,” Ireland admitted, when asked how he felt about months of hard work resulting in just four picks made. It’s a process he’s intimately familiar with as the team’s college scouting director. “We had a philosophy going into the draft where we needed ‘quality over quantity’ and it’s the benefit of having a pretty good roster, a veteran roster, and good depth.

“And then with the pandemic going on, and virtually no offseason program, no OTA’s, no rookie minicamps, we felt like we really needed to hone in on exactly who we needed to draft, who could make our team, and who might potentially start.”

Ireland clarified the need for players who could learn fast, with limited contact with the coaching staff, which the Saints prioritized by targeting specific prospects earlier in the draft. For example, the team’s first pick, Michigan center Cesar Ruiz, made a great impression on the Saints during a brief meeting at the NFL Scouting Combine where his high football intelligence was on display.

As for Winston: the veteran provides a nice buffer in case Taysom Hill gets injured while playing one of the many other positions on his resume. All it takes is one broken finger, Ireland said, for the backup to be taken out of a game. And then Winston could step in as an experienced option behind Brees, if need be.

Of course it’s a great landing spot for Winston to develop, too. Ireland also credited the quarterback’s self-awareness in recognizing how much he stands to gain by joining the Saints, and what he might learn from a coaching staff stocked with acute football minds.

“It’s a compliment to Jameis Winston to understand where he’s at in this world and sign a one-year deal here, and learn behind (Drew Brees),” Ireland said, rattling off a list of assistants including offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, and oh yeah, head coach Sean Payton.

He added, “Jameis Winston will learn more football in a year than he has in his lifetime.”

You can listen to the full interview where we’ve linked it below, or by following this link:

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Saints war room taking Zoom-within-a-Zoom approach to virtual 2020 draft

NBC Sports’ Peter King reports that the New Orleans Saints will use multiple teleconferences to organize their 2020 NFL Draft war room.

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The NFL’s decision to force teams to conduct the 2020 draft from home has raised anxiety and issues all around the league, but some of the more tech-savvy franchises have embraced the opportunity to innovate and help their personnel work more closely together.

Peter King of NBC Sports explained how the New Orleans Saints are one such outfit relying hard on teleconference technology to organize their war room ahead of this year’s draft:

Each team will have choices, but I talked to five over the weekend about the mechanics of it. The Saints, for instance, will have two videconferences working simultaneously. One will have GM Mickey Loomis, coach Sean Payton, assistant GM/college scouting director Jeff Ireland and VP/football administration Khai Hartley; the other will have those four people plus every scout.

The four-man group will be open for free discussion while the larger group will likely mostly be muted, with Loomis or Payton having the ability to unmute, say, the scouts with the most knowledge about a particular player. Say they want to pick LSU linebacker Patrick Queen in the first round; Loomis could ask the scouts who were at LSU the most in 2019 for their thoughts

This feels like the closest thing to the plan the Saints had originally crafted for this year’s virtual event. The Saints initially planned on placing that central braintrust of Payton, Loomis, Ireland, Hartley, and a few support staffers in the Dixie Brewery warehouse (property of Saints owner Gayle Benson) with their scouts and assistant coaches on deck, ready to jump in if their opinions were needed. Payton had previously said that the team intended to use a teleconference program like Zoom, Skype, or a similar service.

However, running two streams side-by-side like this seems a little superfluous. It’s possible the core Saints decision-makers want a separate channel to allow for more-confidential discussions (like debating possible trade offers), but the broader teleconference is structured like the war room would normally be conducted. Hopefully they won’t have any technical issues, or risk crossing the streams. It would be bad.

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NFL orders teams to conduct 2020 draft from home, scuttles Saints plans

The New Orleans Saints planned to hold their 2020 NFL Draft “war room” at the Dixie Brewery, but new orders from the NFL outlawed that plan.

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The New Orleans Saints thought that they had a good plan for the 2020 NFL Draft. They moved their “war room” to the Dixie Brewery in New Orleans East, a gated property secluded in an industrial park and owned by Gayle Benson (who also owns the Saints). Saints coach Sean Payton explained last week how he and several other decision-makers — including general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant G.M./college scouting director Jeff Ireland — had set up shop in a large banquet room, teleconferencing with scouts and position coaches for daily draft meetings. The plan was to remain there once the 2020 NFL Draft begins on April 23.

But they’ll have to adjust to new guidelines from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday told teams that they must send personnel home for the day of the draft. Staff will huddle digitally and make decisions remotely, calling in their picks much like many fantasy football drafts are held each year. That’s a notion Loomis may have scoffed at, but it’s their new reality.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football first confirmed that these new orders from the NFL mean the Saints will be unable to hold their draft from the Dixie Brewery as planned. So Loomis, Payton, Ireland, and their crew will have to work remotely just like every other NFL club, somewhat leveling the playing field. It’s shaping up to be one of the more-unique drafts in recent memory, and we’re still weeks away. Hopefully another video won’t get leaked of a top draft prospect smoking from a gas mask in the hours before kickoff, which was easily the strangest draft situation in recent memory.

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Sean Payton details Saints’ plans for 2020 draft amid coronavirus crisis

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton relocated his team to the somewhat-isolated Dixie Brewing Company to prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft.

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How are the New Orleans Saints responding to the coronavirus pandemic? Saints coach Sean Payton has experienced the infection more personally than most, having tested positive and self-isolating at home for two weeks before he received an update that he was in the clear on March 26. But the Saints organization is taking more thorough steps to protect its employees and their families, especially with the 2020 NFL Draft on the horizon.

Payton discussed the changes during a conference call with local media on Wednesday, including a move away from the team facility.

“Our meetings will take place and we’re kind of in a remote location,” Payton said. “We’re over at the Dixie Brewing Company actually, which is a brand new facility in New Orleans East and it’s really a way from any high traffic area and it’s also closed. We’re the only ones here.”

Dixie Brewing Company is another property belonging to Saints owner Gayle Benson, whose late husband Tom Benson — who Payton affectionately called “Mr. B” — purchased and renovated in recent years. Based in an industrial park far from residential and commercial districts, it’s a secluded, sanitized building in which the Saints brass can congregate. Team security staff will help turn away any uninvited visitors, but odds are slim anyone will travel so far out of their way as it is.

That’s as opposed to the more-cramped quarters in the team’s Metairie offices and training facility, or the Benson Tower in the Central Business District. Payton and the Saints considered both venues but agreed that it would be easier to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control at the brewery. The goal is to keep staff isolated and prevent the potential spread of infections, so its large conference room makes for an ideal location.

Payton shared an example of what draft meetings now look like. Typically these are crowded conferences in the Saints “war room” in their offices, stuffing scouts, coaches, and front office executives shoulder-to-shoulder to preview this year’s prospects. But they’re taking a different approach with everyone’s safety in mind.

“Those are kind of set up a little differently this year, with all our scouts Skyping in, teleconferencing in,” Payton continued. “Mickey (Loomis), myself, Jeff (Ireland), with the position coach, maybe a few others, are in a large meeting room spread out with a lot of monitors. Depending on who we’re reading, what player group we’re reading, different people Skyping in.”

Payton added that the Saints plan to keep everyone physically in the room at least six feet apart, checking their temperatures before entering as per CDC recommendations. While some position coaches and regional scouts may rotate in depending on each day’s topic, Payton expects the process to largely feature face-to-face conversations only between himself, the Saints general manager (Loomis), and the assistant general manager (Ireland).

These meetings will continue for almost two weeks as the Saints work to finalize their “big board” of ranked prospects and decide on a draft strategy. While the team is normally one of the NFL’s most aggressive in the draft, frequently trading up to acquire talented players like Alvin Kamara, Marcus Davenport, Erik McCoy, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Payton also suggested that a scarcity of the usual data points could lead them to a more passive approach.

“The grade and the system and the way it’s set up on the board remains the same,” Payton mused. “But you may not be able to clarify or clean up some of the question marks you normally would in each year. How do we philosophically then approach the draft this year? I think it’s a great question. You might be more conservative relative to, aversion to taking a risk if you don’t have the information that you’re looking for.”

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Cameron Jordan lobbies for the Saints to sign ex-first round pick Dion Jordan

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan surveyed the list of available free agents and highlighted one name: pass rusher Dion Jordan

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How can the New Orleans Saints get better before the 2020 season? They’ve already begun working on that by signing free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, a two-time Pro Bowler who is one of the few route-runners in the league who can match Michael Thomas step-for-step. But what about the defense?

Cameron Jordan has some ideas. When browsing a list of available defensive linemen, the All-Pro pass rusher circled one name in particular: Dion Jordan, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft out of Oregon. He has spent recent years playing for the Seattle Seahawks and formerly-Oakland Raiders, having missed a lot of time after a 2015 suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.

He’s played just 24 games in the last three years while dealing with a 2018 knee injury and a suspension related to an expired therapeutic use exemption for Adderall, and Jordan’s stat line isn’t going to raise many eyebrows; in those 24 games, he’s created 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits, along with eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. But the Saints’ Jordan sees more than a box score.

The veteran identified the free agent’s tools as, “flexibility, inside rusher as well as outside rusher,” pointing to the younger Jordan’s success in creating pressure from all over the defense front, crediting it to rare flexibility for such a tall lineman (the prospect tips the scales at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds).

On top of that, Jordan sees a vision where they could both coexist in certain packages, such as an all-defensive ends look featuring both Jordans lined up upside, with Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson flanking them. Another lineup he proposed would be a package calling for five linemen with hands in the dirt, bookended by himself and Davenport on the edge with interior linemen Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata inside next to the other Jordan.

He’s certainly painting an intriguing picture. When Jordan’s playing days are over, a coaching career could be ahead of him, assuming he doesn’t get a job in the media. But back to his point about adding another Jordan: it would be a fascinating pickup, especially if he can steer clear of further suspensions.

The Saints defensive line was a strength of the team but got whittled down late last season with injuries. Adding someone like the “other” Jordan to the mix would make sense for the reasons already discussed. And it’s not like the Saints aren’t familiar with him; Jordan was picked by then-Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, now the head of the Saints college scouting department. It’s something worth watching.

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2020 NFL Draft: Saints control picks No. 24 and 88, have five total selections

After making trades to acquire Erik McCoy and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the New Orleans Saints have just five picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

This isn’t what most New Orleans Saints fans want to worry about right now, but here goes: following Sunday’s wild-card round loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Saints own pick No. 24 in the 2020 NFL Draft. Their third-round pick is their only other choice in the first 100 selections; that third-rounder will be pick No. 88.

The Saints only have five picks in the upcoming draft following previous trades with other teams, but it’s worth noting those moves brought impactful rookies like center Erik McCoy and defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson to New Orleans. And the Saints had just five picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, too; they still landed big-time undrafted help in All-Pro returns specialist Deonte Harris and defensive linemen like Shy Tuttle and Carl Granderson.

So long as assistant general manager Jeff Ireland and his scouting staff are together, it’s a safe bet they’ll continue to find great prospects. Here are how where each of the Saints’ selections currently stand:

  • Round 1, No. 24
  • Round 3, No. 88
  • Round 4, To be decided (pending compensatory picks)
  • Round 5, To be decided (pending compensatory picks)
  • Round 6, To be decided (pending compensatory picks)

Additionally, here is the full draft order so far. Because the Saints finished the regular season with a better record than the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and whoever loses the remaining wild-card round game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks, they own the final slot in the four spaces reserved for teams that suffered first-round playoff exits.

  1. Bengals
  2. Redskins
  3. Lions
  4. Giants
  5. Dolphins
  6. Chargers
  7. Panthers
  8. Cardinals
  9. Jaguars
  10. Browns
  11. Jets
  12. Raiders
  13. Colts
  14. Buccaneers
  15. Broncos
  16. Falcons
  17. Cowboys
  18. Dolphins
  19. Raiders
  20. Jaguars
  21. Bills/Seahawks/Eagles
  22. Bills/Seahawks/Eagles
  23. Patriots
  24. Saints

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Arthur Blank cites Saints’ turnaround to justify keeping Dan Quinn, Thomas Dimitroff

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is giving Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff another shot, which is great news for the New Orleans Saints.

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Rejoice, New Orleans Saints fans: the Atlanta Falcons aren’t calling it quits just yet. Team owner Arthur Blank confirmed that he’ll retain head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff for the 2020 season despite their repeated mediocrity after blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI.

Two years into his stint as head coach, Quinn went into that game with a 21-13 record; including that championship loss, his Falcons have gone 24-26 since then, with one left to play. A win on Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would mean back-to-back 7-9 seasons.

And that number gives Blank something positive to point to. The NFC South-rival Saints stagnated with three consecutive 7-9 seasons from 2014 to 2016 before bouncing back in 2017; they’ve since won 38 of their last 51 games. Blank watched as the Saints kept the ship steady with Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis at the helm, and then things took off.

So Blank’s following that example, only he’s missing the finer details. After that third mediocre season, the Saints completely revamped their defensive coaching staff and college scouting department. Longtime assistants like Joe Vitt and Bill Johnson were let go, while new blood including Mike Nolan, Ryan Nielsen, and Jeff Ireland were hired (and Ireland was eventually promoted to assistant general manager). While the top of the organizational chart remained stable, the Saints did some serious self-scouting to identify liabilities, and took major steps to address them.

Blank is hesitant to do that. Underwhelming play-caller Dirk Koetter will remain the offensive coordinator, while secondary coach Raheem Morris was promoted to defensive coordinator. The Falcons don’t appear willing to part ways with any familiar faces within the organization, meaning another year of motivational T-shirts and missed opportunities is likely on the way.

You love to see it. The Saints overlooked the Falcons after their bye week, and got upset by them. The San Francisco 49ers were too beaten-up by the Saints in their own game against them, and managed to let the Falcons beat them, too. Those two surprising late-season wins showed Blank enough to justify another year with things as they are, and maybe not as they should be.

And that’s great news for Saints fans. The longer the Falcons stick to an subpar formula, the better off New Orleans will be.

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