Tag: Klint Kubiak

WATCH: Taliese Fuaga’s family learns he’ll be picked by the Saints

NFL Network cameras were on the scene in Hawaii when Taliese Fuaga’s family learned he had been picked by the New Orleans Saints:

This is always a fun moment in the NFL draft. Players gather with their families and close friends for a life-changing moment in which they’ll learn they’re being drafted and officially turning pro.

And we got to see Taliese Fuaga and his family experience that on Thursday night. The New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick was in Hawaii with family watching the television broadcast like everyone else, and cheers broke out when he found out where he’d be playing pro football.

Good for him. Fuaga is a perfect fit for the wide zone rushing offense that Klint Kubiak is installing in New Orleans, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t start from Day 1. We’ll see if starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is able to recover from offseason knee surgery in time to return to the lineup, and if so Fuaga could excel at guard. If not, the Saints just landed an ideal succession plan. Either way, Fuaga’s family will be cheering him on.

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Klint Kubiak had the perfect answer about Saints’ future on offense

Few teams struggled to sustain drives like the Saints did last year. Klint Kubiak has a great plan for fixing what’s broken:

Few teams struggled to sustain drives or end them with touchdowns like the New Orleans Saints did last year. You’d be hard pressed to find more offenses that had as many run-run-pass-punt sequences or short field goal tries. So it’s reassuring to hear new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak share a great plan for fixing what’s broken:

Kubiak spoke with WWL Radio on Thursday evening in a wide-ranging interview, ostensibly for previewing the 2024 draft (which we transcribed here). But this was Kubiak’s first exposure to local media, and so he ended up revealing more than may have been expected. And when asked how he plans to improve the Saints offense on third downs and inside the red zone, he gave a perfect answer.

“Speaking first to the red zone, it’s not one thing, it’s being able to run the ball down there,” Kubiak began, “That’s having an identity in running the ball and having success on base downs in the red zone so you’re not getting into 3rd-and-6 from the 6 or 3rd-and-10 from the 10. That’s something Coach (Kyle) Shanahan really harped on with those guys.”

That’s the antithesis of Pete Carmichael’s strategy. Carmichael’s entire play calling approach was designed around playing for third downs in manageable situations: 3rd-and-4, 3rd-and-6, that sort of thing. A couple of short runs into the teeth of the defense and then a quick pass to (hopefully) move the change. But that’s a tough sell when runs are getting stuffed, passes are falling incomplete, and fans are seeing more of the kicking specialists than they ever planned for.

Avoiding third downs altogether with more success on early downs is key. And that’s where Kubiak wants the offense to go. He envisions a run-heavy offense that will set up Derek Carr for big gains off of play action passes, much like the one that his mentor Shanahan has spread around the league. But even the best-designed game plan will run into some snags.

Kubiak continued: “As far as third downs, you know, that’s a whole other set of deals. Its’ a team game and we had a lot of great players on offense. It all started with them. Having great protection up front. Good decision maker at quarterback, and weapons on the outside. It’s all about players and coaches having an organized plan for them.”

So that means the Saints will be leaning hard on their personnel to win their matchups on critical downs. But as Kubiak said, it’s also on coaching to put them in a position to succeed. Finding the right route combinations for Chris Olave and getting favorable mismatches for Alvin Kamara is on him and his staff. It’s a good plan. Now they need to execute it.

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Dennis Allen ranked worst among NFL’s returning head coaches

This isn’t a glowing endorsement for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was ranked worst among the NFL’s returning coaches by NBC Sports:

This isn’t a glowing endorsement for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was graded worst among his peers by NBC Sports analyst Patrick Daugherty, clocking in at the bottom of the offseason coach rankings — at least among returning head coaches. The eight first-year coaches were also ranked beneath Allen, but that’s because they’re all relatively unknown quantities.

Unfortunately for Allen, we know exactly what he is and where his shortcomings lie. We’ll let Daugherty explain why Allen was ranked at No. 24 among the 24 head coaches returning from 2023:

“We lost a lot of bad coaches last winter. Arthur Smith, Brandon Staley, Josh McDaniels and Ron Rivera send their regards. That means we are left with the merely mediocre to round out our list. No one is more committed to the bit than Dennis Allen. A defensive coordinator trapped in a head coach’s body, Allen has treated Sean Payton’s leftover offense like a museum heirloom that disintegrates if you touch it. This is an attack that hasn’t innovated in three years, right down to banging Alvin Kamara between the tackles for no reason and rushing Taysom Hill onto the field any time there’s a critical down. Well, it’s not entirely true there’s been no innovation. Allen has decided to find out just how boring Drew Brees-style quarterbacking can become. Andy Dalton pushed the envelope in 2022. Derek Carr reached new heights in 2023. Allen, who admittedly takes care of business on defense, has finally moved on from Payton Ball on offense but replaced it with … Kubiak Ball. Not Gary, but Klint. It’s a fine system in a vacuum. It’s also become mummified under Klint, with no new wrinkles inserted since the Peyton Manning days in Denver. Maybe 2023 49ers passing-game coordinator Klint learned something under coach Kyle Shanahan. That’s what the Saints’ season and Allen’s future employment hinges on: This old Kubiak dog picking up some new Shanahan tricks. I suppose there are worse plans, but I’m not seeing many for 2024.”

That uncalled-for shot at Taysom Hill aside — the Saints have used him on critical downs because he’s more reliable than anyone else, being one of 11 players in the NFL with a positive success rate as both a runner and receiver on 100-plus touches — this is a good assessment of the trouble the Saints have found themselves in.

Allen was either unable or unwilling to replace Pete Carmichael when it was clear he couldn’t call a functional offense in 2022, and he bet big on Derek Carr covering up Carmichael’s shortcomings in 2023. That’s a bet he lost, which is why the offensive coaching staff was overhauled from the top down.

Now Allen is gambling again, hoping that Kubiak will run an offense styled more strongly after Shanahan’s example than what we’ve seen when Kubiak called plays in the past. With the odds stacked against him, he has to be hoping for this plan to pay off.

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2024 NFL draft: Saints sending top evaluators to LSU pro day

As always, the Saints are well-represented at LSU’s pro day. Will they pick any Tigers in the 2024 NFL draft?

As always seems to be the case, the New Orleans Saints were well-represented at LSU’s pro day on Wednesday. But will this be the year they pick any Tigers in the 2024 NFL draft? Few players have gone through Baton Rouge to New Orleans when turning pro, and many of them haven’t done so until they already impressed playing for other teams — guys like Tyrann Mathieu and Foster Moreau.

Since Mickey Loomis was hired as general manager back in 2002, the Saints have drafted just three players out of LSU: wide receiver Devery Henderson (second round, 2004), defensive tackle Al Woods (fourth round, 2010), and offensive lineman Will Clapp (seventh round, 2018). Having so few draft picks come out of a recruiting powerhouse in their own backyard has perplexed Saints fans, but Loomis has always explained it as being the luck of the draw.

Loomis was in attendance on Wednesday, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, as were his top lieutenants: assistant general manager Jeff Ireland, the team’s college scouting department head; assistant general manager Khai Harley, who oversees football operations; and Michael Parenton, who leads the pro scouting department. So was head coach Dennis Allen, first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. Who could they be scouting?

LSU boasts a ton of top-100 talent this year. In addition to quarterback Jayden Daniels, a likely top-four pick, wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are seen as first-round talents. Defensive linemen Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo might be picked on the second day of the draft, too, as second- or third-round picks. Three or four other Tigers could hear their names called during the event’s final rounds of selections. Maybe one of them ends up staying in Louisiana.

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Saints find themselves in the bottom-8 of new NFL power rankings

After a quiet offseason, the New Orleans Saints found themselves 10 spots lower than they started in the latest NFL power rankings:

We’re a few weeks into free agency and everyone has a take on how well each team has improved (or degraded). NFL.com’s Eric Edholm recently released his first power rankings since free agency began, saying that the article is meant to be a reflection of each team’s 2023results  and the moves they’ve made thus far in the 2024 offseason.

Changes at quarterback and coaching elicit the greatest response. It’s a fun exercise to see how teams are viewed prior to the draft. The New Orleans  Saints came in at 25th:

The Saints haven’t truly been gutted in free agency, and they managed to sign Chase Young in spite of their salary-cap constraints, but they also haven’t truly upgraded in any one obvious way, either. Both lines of scrimmage need multiple additions, and wide receiver is pretty barren. It’s going to be hard to make the offensive talent significantly better around QB Derek Carr, based on what’s available and what they can spend.

New Orleans should be able to seek help at receiver and on the offensive line in the draft, but they had better find ready-made talents who can step in Year 1. Carr and Dennis Allen can’t yet be sleeping too easily, given the state of the roster. If this coming season is a failure, it’s hard to have confidence in the futures of either beyond 2024.

Harsh. Edholm clearly doesn’t share the opinion that coaching was the biggest detriment to the New Orleans offense. Your opinion on if the Saints can improve their offense largely comes down to if you believe in Klint Kubiak. The Saints dropped 10 spots despite remaining essentially the same as last year, roster wise. Edholm is not a believer.

Is it the Greatest Show on Turf? No, but describing the wide receiving corps as barren feels extreme. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are a solid foundation with room to grow within the room. The description of the trenches is more accurate than his take on the receivers. The Saints do need to make improvements on each side of the ball, but New Orleans isn’t as far from simply being average as Edholm believes.

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B/R says hiring Klint Kubiak the Saints’ smartest move this offseason

The Saints tried to jumpstart their offense by hiring Klint Kubiak, and Bleacher Report labels that the smartest move of their offseason:

It’s been a busy offseaseon for the New Orleans Saints, but Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton labels the hiring of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their smartest move so far. Free agency is on the front of many minds, specifically the Saints’ Chase Young signing, but Kubiak is unquestionably the biggest move of the offseason.

Here’s why Moton agrees with that sentiment:

“New Orleans hired Klint Kubiak to replace Pete Carmichael Jr., whose offense moderately improved between 2022 and 2023 but sputtered for stretches last year. The Saints’ offense finished 15th and 18th on third-down conversions and in red-zone scoring, respectively.

After a year as the San Francisco 49ers’ passing-game coordinator, Kubiak may be able to carry over some principles from the Niners’ fourth-ranked passing offense that can help elevate Derek Carr’s production.”

New Orleans’ inconsistent offense was the biggest issue on the team, so it was naturally the paramount question heading into the offseason. The Saints answered that question in the form of a new offensive coordinator. Kubiak must, at the worst, establish consistency on the offensive side of the ball. That alone elevates ceiling of the Saints in 2024.

Improvements on the offense may be more important than last season. The defense is talented and has been carrying the team since Drew Brees retired. The recipe hasn’t resulted in playoff teams. The defense is getting older at pivotal positions, and there’s questions about the younger players. A dropoff could occur at any moment.

The offense remaining stagnant limits the Saints’ ceiling as an above-average team. Chemistry between players should be an issue left in 2023. Now it’s about mastering the offense and Kubiak maximizing the talent.

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Saints announce deal with one of Klint Kubiak’s former players

The Saints announced a deal with one of Klint Kubiak’s former players, former Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh:

The New Orleans Saints announced a deal with one of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s former players on Tuesday, signing offensive lineman Oli Udoh (short for Olisaemeka) to a one-year deal. The Fayetteville, N.C. native played college football in-state at Elon before the Minnesota Vikings drafted him back in 2019.

Kubiak was on Minnesota’s coaching staff at the time, and he rose through the ranks to become the team’s offensive coordinator in 2021. That’s when Udoh first stepped into the starting lineup, playing 900-plus snaps at right guard. He’s also logged about 200 snaps at both left and right tackle through his pro career. The 27-year-old offers some versatility up front for New Orleans.

He’s also recovering from season-ending quadricep surgery in 2023, but Udoh told reporters Tuesday that he’s ahead of schedule in recovery and it sounds like he’ll be active in the offseason program. It’s unclear just yet which position the Saints will ask Udoh to play but he can help improve depth at a couple of different spots.

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Saints re-sign Adam Prentice for a training camp fullback competition

Big news at the official start of free agency. The Saints re-signed Adam Prentice for a training camp fullback competition:

Here’s some big news at the formal start of free agency. The New Orleans Saints announced they have re-signed fullback Adam Prentice, who is returning for a training camp competition with Zander Horvath — who was recently signed as a veteran respected by members of Klint Kubiak’s new offensive coaching staff.

So it’ll be Prentice versus Horvath over the summer. It makes sense to bring Prentice back so he can compete for his roster spot because he knows the other players inn the locker room well, but he’ll have to prove he can execute the blocking assignments and responsibilities asked off fullbacks in Kubiak’s system. He had a rough year with the Saints last season that included dropped passes and a very unfortunate fumble deep inside New Orleans territory.

Now that the NFL calendar has officially turned over into 2024, the Saints have a number of vulnerabilities to address with their roster. Kubiak wants to run the football often and effectively and improved blocking up front will do a lot to achieve that. His system asks a lot of the fullback so Prentice will need to show a wider set of skills than we’ve seen from him before. It’s just one more subplot to watch in the months ahead.

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Former Saints OL coach Doug Marrone has a new college coaching job

Former Saints offensive line coach Doug Marrone has a new job working under Bill O’Brien at Boston College:

It didn’t take too long for Doug Marrone to land on his feet — he’s returned to the college level after being hired by Boston College as their new senior analyst, where he’ll work under head coach Bill O’Brien, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He’ll be focusing on football strategy and research.

Marrone was let go along with most of the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coaching staff in February. Before he arrived for his second stint with the team (he was also Sean Payton’s offensive coordinator back in 2006), Marrone worked at Alabama and Syracuse in-between other stops in the NFL, so he knows the college game well. He and O’Brien coached together at Alabama in 2021.

He isn’t the only former Saints offensive line coach working at the collegiate level. Dan Roushar held the position for a long time and is still in New Orleans coaching at Tulane. Their predecessor Bret Ingalls is a coach at Michigan. The Saints’ current offensive line has fallen on hard times, but it’s always been a well-coached unit respected around the league. Hopefully incoming coaches John Benton, Rick Dennison, and Klint Kubiak can get it back on track.

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Report: Saints tender Rashid Shaheed for the 2024 season

OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald reports the New Orleans Saints have tendered Rashid Shaheed for the 2024 season. But when can he sign a real extension?

There it is: The New Orleans Saints have tendered wide receiver Rashid Shaheed for the 2024 season, per Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Shaheed was an exclusive rights free agent whose only options were to play for the Saints on a qualifying offer (the NFL minimum salary) or sit out a year.

Obviously, he was going to be coming back, but it’s good to have that confirmed so focus can turn to his fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense. Shaheed finished the 2023 season with the 10th-most all-purpose yards in the NFL and earned a Pro Bowl Games appearance for his work on special teams (as well as a spot on the All-Pro team).

Shaheed was one of just two players to gain more than 300 yards from scrimmage as well as 300-plus yards on both kick returns and punt returns, and he vastly outplayed his competitor. Denver Broncos rookie Marvin Mims, the AFC Pro Bowler kick returns specialist, totaled 22 receptions for 377 yards with a touchdown catch. Shaheed caught 46 passes for 719 yards, scoring five times.

He’s a special player. But after signing this tender he’ll only be under contract through 2024. What’s with that? Why didn’t the Saints sign him to a longer extension?

It’s an easy explanation: the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement doesn’t allow it. Players must accrue three years’ experience (at least six games per season) before they are eligible to sign a multiyear contract. Shaheed will play on the minimum salary of $985,000 in 2024 and go into 2025 as a restricted free agent, when he’s finally eligible to sign a real extension.

But the Saints can drag this out longer if they choose. Shaheed could be forced to play on a restricted free agent tender in 2025, which would be another one-year deal, before finally reaching unrestricted status in 2026. Hopefully both sides can work out an arrangement to keep him in New Orleans long-term without any frustrating negotiations or off-field drama with his contract. However, as we said, that’s still at least a year away.

In the meantime: Shaheed figures to play a key role in the new-look Saints offense as their No. 2 wideout behind Chris Olave. It’s going to  be fascinating to see how Kubiak restocks the receiving corps with just Olave, Shaheed, and second-year pro A.T. Perry under contract for 2024. Last summer the Saints took 13 wide receivers into training camp, maintaining a group of seven during the season (usually rostering five or six, with one or two on the practice squad). With such thin depth we should expect plenty of new additions throughout the offseason, both in free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.

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