Tag: Joe Woods

ESPN argues Saints should make an unconventional pick from an SEC powerhouse

ESPN’s Matt Miller argues the Saints should make an unconventional pick from an SEC powerhouse in the 2025 NFL draft with Georgia tweener Jalon Walker:

What will the New Orleans Saints do in the 2025 NFL draft? It’s way too soon to say with certainty, but there’s no better time to speculate than the Saints’ bye week. With a defense built on aging talent moving slower and making fewer plays, one obvious area they should address is their pass rush.

Just ask ESPN’s Matt Miller. He argues the Saints should go to one of college football’s powerhouses with their first pick, even if Georgia star Jalon Walker’s immediate fit in the Joe Woods-coordinated defense is unclear:

There’s a lot of uncertainty in New Orleans, which will have a new coach after Dennis Allen’s midseason firing and has questions about quarterback Derek Carr‘s future. The Saints could use this pick to improve a defense that gives up 6.1 yards per play, second worst in the league. Plus, Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis will be 36 years old next season. Walker has played as an off-ball linebacker and off the edge. He doesn’t have great size, but his first-step speed and power have helped him to 5.5 sacks. I like him in a stand-up rushing role in a 3-4 scheme if New Orleans’ new regime goes that route.

The problem is the Saints don’t have a history of developing players like Walker — undersized edge rushers who are too light to play at defensive end with a hand in the dirt, but without the experience at dropping into coverage when stanced up off the ball at linebacker. Think of guys like Zack Baun and Martez Wilson, or Davis Tull and Ronald Powell in the later rounds.

At the same time, the Saints haven’t gotten much out of plug-and-play conventional defensive ends like Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey, either (to say nothing of the failed Marcus Davenport experiment). And it could be a whole new coaching staff making these decisions by the time April gets here. While there’s good reason to have some skepticism about Walker’s fit with the established system and coaches the Saints have right now, he could end up being just who they need to turn things around.

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Aggression will be a part of the Saints’ culture under Darren Rizzi

Darren Rizzi expressed belief in being aggressive prior to last week, and showed he practices what he preaches. Don’t expect that to change:

For the rest of the year, you can expect the New Orleans Saints to be aggressive with their decision making.

After losing the last seven games under Dennis Allen, Darren’s Rizzi won his first game against the Atlanta Falcons. When you change head coaches in the middle of the year, sometimes you get an interim coach bump. Was that all it was? The Saints will have to prove that through the rest of the season.

Beyond rejuvenated energy, the Saints displayed an aggressiveness that will continue. When he was first announced as the interim head coach, Rizzi criticized Allen’s decision to not go for it on a fourth down versus the Carolina Panthers. That told us all we needed to know.

The Saints went for it on 4th-and-2 on the first drive. This was a predetermined decision coming into the game by Rizzi. He’s practicing what he preaches and is aiming to be aggressive.

He may not go for every fourth down, but his message to Klint Kubiak and Joe Woods was “we’re going to be aggressive play callers.” You saw that on the fourth down throw to Alvin Kamara.

The two most apparent aggressive decisions didn’t work, but Rizzi still strongly supports the decision. This is who he will be and, therefore who the Saints will be for the remainder of the season.

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Todd Grantham’s responsibilities are changing under Darren Rizzi

Todd Grantham’s responsibilities are changing under Darren Rizzi. He’s moving from defensive line coach to an advisor role:

Todd Grantham’s responsibilities are changing under New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi. He’s moving from defensive line coach to a senior advisor role after the team dismissed Dennis Allen. Rizzi says Brian Young, a 15-year coaching veteran on staff as a pass-rush specialist, will run the defensive line room.

“It’s a shuffle. Shuffle the deck there a little bit on defense,” Rizzi told reporters Wednesday, when asked whether he would characterize these  changes as a demotion and promotion. “You have to understand the workload change because Dennis got removed. Dennis was, daily, in the defensive staff rooms so we quote-unquote lost a defensive coach. Not only a head coach, we lost the play caller. Now Joe, who is doing his stuff, he’s now coordinating, his workload changes. His day-to-day workload the fans may not understand completely, we just re-divvy it up. I just felt this was the best way to shuffle the deck there.”

Grantham’s focus will be advising defensive coordinator Joe Woods as he begins calling plays in Allen’s stead; it’s a less hands-on role than what he’s had here before. That isn’t the only change on the defensive side of the ball, but it is the most notable. Young will work with linebackers coach Michael Hodges to coordinate the defensive run game each week.

But change was needed. The Saints were on pace to set an NFL record for the most yards allowed before contact on running plays, which was a direct reflection on Grantham’s unit. The defensive line was getting pushed off the ball and not making plays. The lack of development for young draft picks like Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey speaks for itself, even if Rizzi took the high road here.

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Joe Woods will call defensive plays after Dennis Allen’s firing

Darren Rizzi confirms that Joe Woods will take over calling defensive plays after the firing of Dennis Allen

The New Orleans Saints’ firing of Dennis Allen moves around the coaching tree a decent bit, and one of the questions that became of this was who would call defensive plays, as Allen had previously done so. That question was answered during media availability on Monday, with interim head coach Darren Rizzi announcing that Joe Woods will take over these duties. This was the presumed result as Woods is the defensive coordinator of the Saints currently.

This will be the first time the Saints have had someone new calling defensive plays since nearly a decade ago, as Dennis Allen has handled this since his promotion in 2015 from senior defensive assistant to defensive coordinator with New Orleans. Prior to that it was Rob Ryan from 2013-2015 before he moved on to the Buffalo Bills shortly thereafter. We will see how Woods does in this new role, but ultimately the defense has not been exceptional as of late so things being worse would be a tough mark to hit.

Darren Rizzi has been named the Saints’ interim head coach

After firing Dennis Allen, Darren Rizzi was the best choice for New Orleans Saints interim head coach. He’s interviewed for the job before:

After firing Dennis Allen, Darren Rizzi was the best choice for New Orleans Saints interim head coach. He’s interviewed for the job before. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Rizzi was expected to be named the team’s interim coach, which was confirmed by the Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Rizzi interviewed for the head coach vacancy back in 2022 after Sean Payton stepped down from his post, but the job ultimately went to Allen. Going with Rizzi now gives players a familiar face to rally around and try to salvage their season.

Special teams coaches are the few coaches who interact with  almost e very player o n the roster, both offense and defense. They teach linemen where to line up on field goal tries and show quarterbacks how to hold a snap for a kick. They work with linebackers, receivers, tight ends, and everyone else in the return game covering punts and kickoffs.

And Rizzi, specifically, is a respected voice around the league. He’s coached special teams for a long time and played a key role in forming the new kickoff rules implemented this season. When he speaks, others listen.

Naming Rizzi the interim coach also keeps Klint Kubiak in place as the offensive coordinator and Joe Woods at defensive coordinator. Neither of them will have to take on extra duties and risk getting overwhelmed. More changes should be on the way, but for now this was thee best path forward for New Orleans.

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Playmaking Saints secondary leads the NFL with 12 interceptions

Credit where it’s due: Dennis Allen’s secondary leads the NFL with 12 interceptions. Offseason coaching staff changes are paying off for the Saints defense

Credit where it’s due: Dennis Allen’s secondary leads the NFL with 12 interceptions through their first nine games. Offseason coaching staff changes are paying off for the New Orleans Saints defense. The decision to bring on coaches who shared Allen’s vision for the defensive backfield like coordinator Joe Woods and secondary coach Marcus Robertson have made a difference — and, we’ll admit, those were moves we questioned when Allen rolled out those changes in the spring.

But the numbers speak for themselves. Turnovers are one of the NFL’s most high-variance stats from one year to the next, but it’s not often you see a team go from ranking 30th in interceptions (7) to leading the league in just a single season. And it’s not like the Saints have different players out on the field.

Tyrann Mathieu, Paulson Adebo, Marcus Maye, Alontae Taylor, and Marshon Lattimore were all starters last year and they’ve all returned, albeit with some minor shakeups like Taylor moving to the slot. But whether it’s due to different coaching points like playing the ball differently or simple bounces going New Orleans’ way, the defense is doing a much greater job at creating opportunities for the offense this season. They need to keep that momentum going during the back half of the 2023 campaign.

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Saints prepare for a physical showdown vs. Tennessee Titans

Saints DC Joe Woods and Derek Carr called physicality the Tennessee Titans’ calling card, and their star players embody that | @southexclusives

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods says his team’s upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans will definitely be physical and won in the trenches. The Titans’ objective is no secret: hammer Derrick Henry into the teeth of the opposing defense until something gives way.

Woods said Thursday he expects the Titans to play “smash mouth football”, but he feels the Saints defensive line has the size and strength to handle this type of game. They’ve made big investments up front this offseason, adding defensive linemen like Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd, Bryan Bresee, and Isaiah Foskey to a group that was already one of the NFL’s biggest.

That physicality extends to the Tennessee defense as well. When asked what to expect from the Titans, Saints quarterback Derek Carr called them “physical” three times. He labeled that quality as a calling card of the team and of their players as individuals. He also said head coach Mike Vrabel has those players aiming for physical domination every week. 

This standard is represented by their premier players. Henry is the face of the Tennessee offense. He is arguably the most physical running back in the league. Jeffery Simmons, the biggest name on the Titans defense, mauls offensive linemen on a weekly basis. Physicality is a defining quality of the Titans team, and it starts with their stars. The Saints have to be ready to meet that physicality with physicality of their own. Enforcers like Trevor Penning and Cameron Jordan need to live up to their reputations.

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Dennis Allen says Derek Carr, some starters won’t play in preseason Week 3

Dennis Allen says Derek Carr and some starters won’t play in preseason Week 3. Allen won’t be the defensive play caller, either:

The New Orleans Saints aren’t taking any risks in their preseason finale — after Friday’s practice session at the Caesars Superdome, head coach Dennis Allen said that quarterback Derek Carr and several starters will sit out Sunday’s game with the Houston Texans. Allen added that Jameis Winston will start the exhibition game at quarterback, with rookie draft pick Jake Haener rotating in to relieve him.

It’s a smart play. Carr was effective in his lone drive to open the preseason two weeks ago, dicing up the Kansas City Chiefs’ first-string defense and driving a Saints offense that looked like itself for the first time in years. There isn’t anything for him to gain against a Houston Texans squad missing several key contributors with injuries in a game that won’t be reflected in the win-loss column. An untimely injury could derail this team’s season.

So who else could watch this one from the sidelines? The Saints have rested starters like Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Ryan Ramczyk recently to preserve them for the regular season, and that’s likely to continue again on Sunday.

One player to watch: Alvin Kamara. The star running back will open the season with a three-week suspension, so the team may want him to get some work early on to stay fresh, as was their approach with former Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata before his 2021 suspension.

Allen highlighted one other change to their preseason game prep — he won’t be on the headset as the defensive play caller. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods will have the mic in this game, giving him an opportunity to try some different things and run the unit himself. Passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry will call plays offensively again this week, having taken over Pete Carmichael Jr. in their last preseason game with the Los Angeles Chargers. Preseason games are great learning opportunities for the players on the field and the coaches on the sidelines. Hopefully everyone makes the most of it.

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PFF suggests the Saints mend fences between Joe Woods and one of his former players

PFF suggests the Saints mend fences between Joe Woods and one of his former players — Jadeveon Clowney, who bristled at his role in Woods’ defense last year:

There’s something New Orleans Saints fans and national analysts can agree on: the team’s pass-rush unit could use some more juice. So it makes sense to see Pro Football Focus advocating for the Saints to go get one of the top remaining free agents in Jadeveon Clowney. Here’s what PFF’s Brad Spielberger wrote of the fit for the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Clowney in New Orleans:

The Saints came close to adding Clowney a few years ago and circle back here to add a veteran opposite Cameron Jordan amid a lot of youth filling up the rest of the defensive line. The Saints used the No. 40 overall selection on Notre Dame edge defender Isaiah Foskey but still could stand to improve on the edge, with not much beyond veteran Jordan and the underrated Carl Granderson.

Clowney is coming off a down year in the pass-rushing department, totaling only 29 pressures and two sacks, but a change of scenery could allow him to thrive again, similar to what happened in his first year in Cleveland. Clowney is one of the best run-defending edges in the NFL over the past decade and should benefit from a lot of talent around him.

There’s just one problem: Clowney’s poor performance came in a Browns defense run by Joe Woods, the same defensive coordinator now installed in New Orleans. Sure, the big difference is that this is really Dennis Allen’s defense (with Woods putting most of his attention on the secondary), but there isn’t great history between these two men.

Clowney didn’t criticize Woods by name so much as bemoan his role in Woods’ defense late in the 2022 season, noting that big changes were on the way in Cleveland and that “They might not be back — and I might.” Woods was dismissed after the season, as was defensive line coach Chris Kiffin. Clowney was released, too.

He aired more frustrations with Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot: “You’re all trying to get somebody into the Hall of Fame when all that matters is winning. Everybody got here for a reason, and we can all make plays. I know I am. … It’s just B.S., and I don’t have time for it.”

He accused the Browns coaching staff of playing favorites, saying they have “got their own guys, and I ain’t one of them, so it’s time for me to get my exit slip.”

In particular, Clowney disliked the shifting assignments that put Myles Garrett up against what he saw as weaker blockers, as was the case in a 23-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens that had Clowney moving to the right end spot against All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley. He bristled at the switch and refused to play on early downs, only going out on the field with the third-down defense or in obvious passing situations. Those public criticisms and actions led to Clowney being benched in the regular season finale.

Ironically, that would likely be Clowney’s role in New Orleans. Jordan plays the majority of snaps at left end (Clowney’s stated preference), with the 289-pound Tanoh Kpassagnon spelling him. Youngsters Foskey and Payton Turner will be competing for snaps behind Granderson at the right end spot (where Woods tried to play Clowney, and where he doesn’t want to be) as sub-275 pounders. There’s a role for a third-down pass-rush specialist, but probably not at Clowney’s asking price, and likely not in the same building as a coach he’s rebelled against before.

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Report: Saints part ways with assistant DBs coach Sterling Moore

The Saints have parted ways with defensive assistant Sterling Moore, hired last year to work with Kris Richard | @crissy_froyd

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The New Orleans Saints have parted ways with assistant defensive backs coach Sterling Moore after this week’s minicamp, as first reported by Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football. NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan confirmed Moore’s departure.

With this, the defensive coaches that remain on the staff include defensive coordinator Joe Woods, senior defensive assistant Peter Giunta, linebackers coach Michael Hodges, pass rush specialist Brian Young, defensive line coach Todd Grantham, secondary coach Marcus Robertson and defensive assistant Adam Gristick.

Moore was initially hired to assist Kris Richard and Cory Robinson last year, both of whom were also let go by the team this offseason. Moore originally started with the Saints as a coaching intern in 2021 as a former NFL secondary member himself, playing seven seasons in the league.

As a player for the Saints, Moore got on board back in 2016 season, appearing in a total of 13 games with 12 starts. During that season, Moore posted 55 tackles, two interceptions, along with a team-leading and career-high 14 passes defended, plus a forced fumble.

A former SMU Mustang at the college level, Moore also had stops in with the New England Patriots (2011-12), Dallas Cowboys (2012-14), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015) and the Arizona Hotshots in the Alliance of American Football startup league in 2019. We’ll see where his career takes him next.

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