Tag: Kodi Burns

Saints assistants Kodi Burns, Bob Bicknell also let go

Saints assistant coaches Kodi Burns, Bob Bicknell also let go after Pete Carmichael dismissed

More changes are coming for the New Orleans Saints after firing offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. The team announced that assistant coaches Kodi Burns and Bob Bicknell will not be returning for the 2024 season.

Dennis Allen commented on the staff changes in a statement from the team: “I would like to thank Pete, Bob and Kodi for their service to the New Orleans Saints and to this coaching staff. These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward.”

Both hired in recent years after Allen took over as head coach, Burns coached wide receivers while Bicknell worked as a senior assistant on offense. The Saints had too many miscues with their receivers and struggled to pick up first downs or score points for long stretches this year, so change was necessary.

And more departures may be coming. Stay tuned for updates as the 2024 Saints coaching staff continues to take shape.

Ted Ginn Jr. coaching up Saints wide receivers at minicamp practices

Ted Ginn Jr. was in attendance coaching up the Saints WR corps at Tuesday’s minicamp practice, though it’s unclear whether he’ll stay for training camp:

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This is cool: Ted Ginn Jr. was in attendance at Tuesday’s New Orleans Saints minicamp practice, coaching up the wide receiver corps along with Kodi Burns. The 38-year-old retired from the NFL in 2021 but was back on the practice field at the team’s training facility this week, which makes sense if he wants to pursue a coaching career after spending a few years away from the game.

Ginn experienced a late-career resurgence after signing with the Saints, averaging the highest numbers of his career in 2017 (3.5 receptions and 52.5 receiving yards per game) as a quality deep threat for Drew Brees. He remained a big part of the offense even into the 2019 season.

Dennis Allen said after practice that it’s unclear whether Ginn will return for training camp, so this may just be a temporary experience for him. But it might develop into a long-term run. The Saints have a history of bringing in former players to their coaching staff — that’s how Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell got his start, as did his top assistant Aaron Glenn. Zach Strief also joined the Saints as an assistant coach before earning a promotion this offseason elsewhere, being replaced by his old teammate Jahri Evans. Maybe Ginn takes a similar career path.

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Saints send WR coach Kodi Burns to Xavier Hutchinson’s Iowa State pro day

The Saints sent WR coach Kodi Burns to Xavier Hutchinson’s Iowa State pro day. There’s a clear role for the Cyclones record-holder, who has drawn comparisons to Jarvis Landry:

New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach Kodi Burns was spotted at Iowa State’s pro day on Tuesday, per Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline. Most of the attention was directed towards Cyclones pass rusher Will McDonald IV, but the Saints were looking out for wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. He’s leaving Iowa State with the school record for career receptions (254), ranking third in all-time receiving yardage behind Allen Lazard (3,360) and former Saints undrafted free agent Todd Blythe (3,096).

It’s easy to see what caught their eye; Hutchinson shares a lot of similarities with Jarvis Landry though he’s bigger (6-foot-1 7/8 and 203 pounds, with 31 3/8-inch arms and a 74 7/8-inch wingspan) and faster (having timed the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, with an impressive 10-yard split at 1.58 seconds). But like Landry, Hutchinson does his best work underneath coverage making tough, physical catches with defenders crashing down on him.

Per Pro Football Focus charting, Hutchinson has caught 31 of his 64 contested targets the last three years, which has been a point of emphasis by Saints head coach Dennis Allen in reflecting on what the offense missed last season. Hutchinson has a great catch rate at 70.9% but he doesn’t offer much of a vertical threat, having an average depth of target at just 9.2 yards. He’s converted a first down on 57.1% of his receptions.

For comparison, last year Chris Olave caught 63.2% of his targets at an average depth of 14.9 yards, converting a first down on 66.7% of his looks. Stylistically they’ve seen very different usage for their teams. Now contrast that with Landry’s stats with the Saints last season, who was admittedly slowed by injury: a catch rate of 67.6% and an average depth of target at 9.6 yards, with a first-down conversion rate of 48%. There’s a clear role for Hutchinson in the New Orleans offense.

We’ll see if he’s available on draft day. Right now Hutchinson is projected to be picked in the third or fourth round, where the Saints are scheduled to pick at Nos. 71 and 115, respectively. We’ll keep an eye out for any more contact between Hutchinson and New Orleans in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.

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Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker talks Saints contact, former teammates in New Orleans

WATCH: Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker talks Saints contact, advice from his former teammates in New Orleans via @RossJacksonNOLA and @john_siglerr:

There might not be a prospect in the 2023 NFL draft drawing more attention from New Orleans Saints fans than Hendon Hooker, and the Tennessee quarterback prospect had a lot of praise for the team during his Friday morning media session at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s been one of the most prolific passers in college football over the last two seasons, but factors including his age (he turned 25 in January), a knee injury that could sideline him for the start of training camp, and the wide-open offense he played in have some observers feeling credulous about his pro prospects.

Our own Ross Jackson was in attendance with boots on the ground (or in his case, Allbirds; Hooker shared some tips on shopping for Air Jordans) and he got a couple of questions in with Hooker on his contact to the Saints through this pre-draft process. While Hooker hasn’t met with the Saints at the combine yet, he did have extensive contact with them earlier in the offseason, which he characterized as, “A get-to-know-me type of situation. We talked a little ball, it was a great process. … Great organization, great people, great football minds.”

When asked about any relationship with Saints wider receivers coach Kodi Burns, who held the same post at Tennessee in 2021, Hooker was all smiles. He reminisced: “Spent a lot of time with him, he was telling me about his quarterback days at Auburn. He’s a great guy, great football mind as well. He implemented a lot of good plays at Tennessee that worked in our favor.”

And quite a few of Hooker’s former teammates are on the Saints’ roster — the Knoxville-to-New Orleans pipeline, as Jackson put it. A number of Vols are on the depth chart on both sides of the ball, ranging from Alvin Kamara (who Hooker said has given him some advice on the pre-draft process) and Marquez Callaway to Alontae Taylor and Shy Tuttle. Other former Volunteers like Bryce Thompson and Ethan Wolf have also gone through the organization.

“Yeah, it’d be cool (to join them),” Hooker grinned. “Cool pipeline. I have communication with every one of those guys. I had dinner with Alontae Taylor last week. He came out to California, he was working out, so I had dinner with him, he told me about the things he encounters down in New Orleans.”

Hooker is projected to be picked in the second or third round of this year’s draft, and though he isn’t throwing in front of teams at the combine (he also said that he’ll be medically cleared to stand and throw for the first time since November’s knee injury next week) he’s going through interviews, weigh-ins, and all of the other experiences that factor into final evaluations. He’s someone who should be on the play when the Saints are on the clock at Nos. 40 or 72 overall. But if they like him well enough, maybe they consider him earlier at No. 29. We’ll just have to see how this develops and where things go for them in free agency.

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Saints rookie Alontae Taylor impressed in his first NFL start

“I see him being a part of what we’re trying to do moving forward.”

Rookie Saints corner Alontae Taylor impressed as a bright spot in first NFL start, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

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It can be tough to identify the bright spots on the New Orleans Saints defense after their unexpected 2-5 start. Especially within the secondary, which has thus far led the unit to the NFL’s No. 31 ranking in points allowed per game (28.5). But rookie cornerback Alontae Taylor found a way to shine through in his first start on Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals. The former Tennessee Volunteer was placed on injured reserve after sustaining an injury in practice following the Saints’ Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game, Taylor saw his first career action, but his first start wouldn’t come until he was activated off of injured reserve last week.

Against the Cardinals, Taylor was targeted five times in coverage against four different pass catchers. Those players included veteran tight end Zach Ertz, speedy wideout Robbie Anderson, explosive playmaker Rondale Moore and a future Hall of Famer in DeAndre Hopkins. From those five targets, Taylor allowed only 1 catch for 17 yards and a 41.3 passer rating. He was also responsible for a 20% forced incompletion rate.

Saints offseason WR room investments meeting the moment early

The Saints’ offseason investments at WR are meeting the moment early. That includes Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave, and their new position coach Kodi Burns, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Throughout the 2022 offseason it became increasingly clear that the New Orleans Saints were headed in a different direction at premium positions than in the past. Since 2017, the Saints had owned a total of 21 top-100 draft selections. Of those, only 10 had been invested in what are defined as “premium” positions. That designation applies to positions that have the greatest opportunity to affect the ball on any given play: quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback.

Wide receiver was a highlighted focus for the team this offseason, coming off of a 2021 campaign wherein the Saints were ranked last in the NFL in passing yardage and third-lowest across the league when it came to passing attempts. It’s clear there’s a different mentality in New Orleans now, however.

Headlined by the return of All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas, the Saints added a top-100 draft selection from 2014 in Jarvis Landry and invested a hefty amount of assets from this year’s draft in first-round pick Chris Olave. These investments at wide receiver were expected to have a growing impact throughout the 2022 NFL season. But it took until only the fourth quarter of Week 1 to see the potential of the revamped group.

The three receivers combined for 212 receiving yards against the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints’ wide receiving corps never surpassed mark once in 2021. The new trio nearly did so in one quarter alone. To Thomas, it’s just the top of the iceberg for the unit. “I feel like that was just just a little taste,” Thomas told us after the win. “If you ask me and the guys from the receiver group, we’d probably say we didn’t get started until the second half.”

The group’s additions didn’t stop at the players on the field, either. The Saints moved on from long-time wide receiver coach Curtis “CJ” Johnson. To fill the void, they hired Kodi Burns from the college ranks. After spending years helping to develop several drafted receivers with Auburn and Tennessee, Burns has been highly praised within the Saints facility.

Landry, a nine-year NFL pro, told me what he believes makes Burns a unique talent: “Kodi’s definitely been taking me back to the details, to the fundamentals of the position,” the receiver said. “Back to the releases, things to work on as a player. He’s been picking up things in my game that I can improve on.”

That’s high praise from an experienced receiver like Landry. And it’s not exclusive. Thomas and Olave have also spoken highly of him as well. I spoke with practice squad receiver Rashid Shaheed who praised Burns for his relatability and approachability. Burns being only 33 years old and a former player himself has made it easy for receivers to communicate with him and learn from him.

Wideouts have also highlighted Burns’ process. He’s introduced new drills for the group, has put a major focus on balance and ball security and has even taken time to emphasize togetherness among the pass-catchers. Third-year receiver Marquez Callaway shared that Burns asked all of the receivers to share their personal stories with the group.

“We got up and just talked about us,” Callaway said. “Talked about where we came from, basically our life journey. How we got here, all the adversity we went through, just tell your story. So, I think he wanted us to realize that if we know each other rather than coming out on the field [as] just somebody to come to work with, [we’ll] get to know the person instead of the player.”

It’s clear the approach has worked. There are a lot of mouths for the Saints to feed with several talented pass-catchers across the offense. But for New Orleans, approaches like Burns’ which merge the personal with the professional can go a long way. Each wideout is taught the responsibilities across alignment. Whether X-receiver, flanker, slot or otherwise. This allows everyone to understand not only their individual role, but the roles of those around them as well.

With the Saints increased attention and investment in their wide receiver room, games like this weekend’s are impacted as well. With running back Alvin Kamara looking like a long-shot to see the field, a talented receiving corps goes a long way. Not only does it allow you to produce efficiently through the passing game, it also keeps defenses from being able to load up the box with eight or more players. Last week, Kamara saw only one such defensive look, which was the 2-point conversion picked up on a pass from Jameis Winston to Olave.

Being able to challenge defenses at all three levels vertically while continues to stretch them horizontally and force them into smaller nickel packages is a unique challenge to present. One that New Orleans is will appreciate throughout the 2022 season. It hasn’t taken long for all of the investments to pay off. And if Thomas is correct, there’s much more on the way.

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Saints could take draft-and-develop approach with new WR coaches

The Saints haven’t addressed WR in free agency, but they’re well-equipped to draft and develop an immediate playmaker after hiring new coaches, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

When teams have positions of need that have to be addressed over the offseason, fans tend to want answers with big names in free agency. For the New Orleans Saints, many expected that would be the case when it came to filling out a diminishing wide receiver room. However, since the offseason began, Michael Thomas’s return became more evident, the team retained Deonte Harty on a restricted free agent tender, and the Saints also re-signed 2018 third-round pick Tre’Quan Smith. Despite those moves though, it’s evident that New Orleans still has work to do.

The Saints have made that apparent themselves. They were in pursuit of now-Chiefs receiver Marques Valdes-Scantling and both head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis pointed out the need at the position with Loomis highlighting that there’s “work to do.” But the hopes of adding a receiver in free agency that moves the needle is deteriorating. The best players are off the board, leaving options who are either too injured, too old, or too expensive for New Orleans’ liking.

So the Saints, who could still add a veteran like Will Fuller V for the sake of a veteran presence and deep threat, may be looking a different direction: the 2022 NFL draft. Year after year, we see rookie receivers make an immediate impact for their teams fresh out of the draft. Justin Jefferson, DK Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase, and many others continue to help their teams right off the bat. New Orleans, who have not invested much at wideout in the draft for years now, could have their eyes on their own immediate impact receiver.

They have the scouting talent to make it happen with Jeff Ireland, but they also have it within their coaching staff. This offseason, the Saints revamped some key positions on staff in adding wide receivers coach Kodi Burns and senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell, bringing two very successful track records in developing receivers.

Burns, previously with Auburn and the Tennessee Volunteers, helped to produce several drafted pass-catchers over the years. Most recently, he flipped Volunteers wideout Cedric Tillman from a quiet 67 receiving yard season in 2020 to a 1,081-yard production machine in 2021, marking the first time a Tennessee receiver reached the 1,000-yard mark since 2012. He helped Tillman cap that off with 12 receiving touchdowns as well.

After one year in Knoxville, while changing Tillman’s trajectory, Burns has helped Velus Jones Jr. raise his stock on the opposite side. Jones is expected to be drafted this season, he maybe even be a name to watch for the Saints. Burns has also helped to develop recently drafted Auburn receivers like Darius Slayton (who could be a veteran trade target), Anthony Schwartz, and Seth Williams.

Meanwhile, a quietly important hiring accompanied Burns with the addition of Bicknell. The former Bengals wide receiver coach helped turn Tyler Boyd into a fantasy football hero and assisted in the college-to-pro transition of Tee Higgins. Bicknell immediately helped Boyd achieve a massive leap in production in 2018. See for yourself:

  • 2016: 603 yards and 1 touchdown reception
  • 2017: 225 yards and  2 touchdown receptions
  • 2018 (Bicknell arrives): 1,028 yards and 7 touchdown receptions
  • 2019: 1,046 yards and  5 touchdown receptions
  • 2020: 851 yards and 4 touchdown receptions

Meanwhile Higgins, a 2020 second round pick, piled on 68 receptions, 908 yards, and 6 touchdown catches in his 2020 rookie year. Developing kind of output from a first-year receiver is exactly what the Saints would love to see in New Orleans in 2022.

Taking advantage of another deep wide receiver class should not be something New Orleans is hesitant about this season. With the natural talent at the position in today’s NFL draft classes, Burns’ ability to identify and teach the most appropriate role for a receiver’s skillset, and Bicknell’s experience turning young wideouts into 1,000-yard receivers, the team has the pieces necessary to go all-in at wide receiver in this year’s draft.

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Saints send Dennis Allen, Jeff Ireland, and WR coach Kodi Burns to Ohio State pro day

The Saints sent a ‘large contingent’ of Dennis Allen, Jeff Ireland, and WR coach Kodi Burns to scout Ohio State draft prospects Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson:

Let’s get the 2022 NFL draft intrigue started. The New Orleans Saints sent a “large contingent” of personnel to take in the Ohio State Buckeyes pro day on Wednesday, per Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill clarifying that both Saints head coach Dennis Allen and assistant general manager/college scouting director Jeff Ireland were in attendance. Pauline adds that the Saints were one of several teams to have their wide receivers coach (the recently-hired Kodi Burns) in attendance, along with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots.

And Pauline also said that these four teams have been focused on two specific prospects in the upcoming draft, meeting privately with first-round wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson in recent days. Olave and Wilson were catching passes thrown by top 2023 quarterback prospect C.J. Stroud and former Buckeyes star Cardale Jones, and while plenty of their talented teammates were also working out, they were the main attraction.

Either of them would be a welcome addition in New Orleans, and it’s telling that the Saints sent two of their top decision-makers and the position coach to evaluate their options at this workout. Wilson had a better 2021 season, benefiting from the attention Olave demanded defenses give him after leading the Buckeyes in receiving yards the previous two years, but he’s known more for making plays after the catch whereas Olave more easily finds separation in his routes. The Saints would be lucky to have either of them.

We still have a long road to travel until the draft kicks off, and there’s no guarantee that the Saints end up with either player. They’re wildly talented and stand on top of a very strong draft class. Of those four teams Pauline listed as giving the most attention to Olave and Wilson, the Jets pick twice before the Saints (at Nos. 4 and 10 overall) while the Patriots (No. 21) and Bills (No. 25) are not far behind New Orleans at No. 18. But the Saints have traded up for game-changing receivers before, like Brandin Cooks, and if they’re sold on one of these two Buckeyes they could make a bold move up the board again.

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2022 draft spotlight: Vols WR Velus Jones Jr. is a prospect on the rise

2022 draft spotlight: Vols WR Velus Jones Jr. is a prospect on the rise, and the Saints should take note

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We’ve already discussed how the New Orleans Saints hiring wide receivers coach Kodi Burns may help give them an inside track on some prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, but one player to note in particular is Tennessee Volunteers wideout Velus Jones Jr. Listed at 6-foot-even and exactly 200 pounds, Jones broke out in 2021 during Burns’ first year at Tennessee after transferring from USC a season earlier.

He was an effective No. 2 receiver in the Vols’ offense, ranking second on the team in receptions (62), receiving yards (807), and touchdown catches (7) while playing in all 13 games. And his role in the NFL will likely be a complimentary weapon working across from an established No. 1 wideout like Michael Thomas. But what’s interesting is that Jones didn’t hit his stride until Burns started coaching him; in his first 46 games, most of them at USC, he totaled just 58 receptions for 627 yards and 4 touchdowns.

And then Jones parlayed that production into a big week at the Senior Bowl, impressing NFL scouts and coaches in attendance. Zebra Technologies tracking found that he was consistently one of the fastest players in practices during the week, and he’s put enough work into refining his routes to compete at the pro level. His experience fielding kickoffs (he’s returned 122 of them in 59 college games) should also help his case.

New Orleans has a history of going after Tennessee prospects. Alvin Kamara of course has been their most notable pickup from Rocky Top, but they’ve also gotten great returns on undrafted free agent finds like Marquez Callaway and Shy Tuttle. Ethan Wolf and Bryce Thompson are also returning for 2022 from the Saints practice squad.

Maybe Jones joins them. He would be a good pick on the third day of the draft, especially if the Saints add a more-established weapon sooner. Whether that means spending an early-round pick on a top prospect or investing in a veteran free agent, you’d like to see New Orleans double down on the receiving corps. Jones has real potential, but he’d be best served competing with Deonte Harty and Marquez Callaway in the rotation behind Michael Thomas and a new starter. Throwing him into the starting lineup right away wouldn’t serve anyone well.

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New Saints WR coach Kodi Burns has unique ties to several draft prospects

New Saints wide receivers coach Kodi Burns has unique ties to draft prospects like Malik Willis and Velus Jones Jr.:

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The most immediate impact we’ll see from the New Orleans Saints hiring former Tennessee and Auburn wide receivers coach Kodi Burns will be his influence on the young receivers who already took a step or two last year, like Deonte Harty (who is a restricted free agent the team badly needs to re-sign) and Marquez Callaway. But Burns’ arrival is timely. He’s joining the team just weeks before the football world gathers in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.

That’s an opportunity for teams to formally meet with prospects — often for the first time — and see them put through their paces in athletic testing drills. And Burns offers rare insight to one of the Saints’ greatest positions of need. He’s spent years recruiting and coaching against many of the top prospects in this year’s draft cycle.

One to note in particular is Tennessee receiver Velus Jones Jr.; Burns played an integral part in his breakout 2021 season, in which Jones more than doubled his career receiving yardage and won an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he impressed NFL teams during daily practices. If his pre-draft process continues to go well, he could climb high on draft day. See what he can do for yourself:

And before he joined Tennessee in 2021, Burns held several different titles during his five-year run at Auburn. In addition to his duties in coaching the Tigers’ receivers, Burns worked as co-offensive coordinator when top 2022 quarterback prospect Malik Willis was on campus. Willis appeared in a dozen games during that span, though he was used more as a runner (rushing 28 times for 309 yards, scoring twice) than as a passer (completing 11 of 14 pass attempts for 69 yards, throwing one touchdown pass).

When the opportunity to transfer to Liberty and show what he could do in Hugh Freeze’s pass-first offense presented itself, Willis bet on himself, had two great seasons and now he’s looking like a lock for the first round of this year’s draft. NFL teams are putting a microscope over his 604 pass attempts in his second stop, of which he completed 377 to rack up 5,107 yards. He completed 47 touchdown passes against 18 interceptions.

How that split with Auburn — and the impact it had on the relationship between Willis and Burns — played out behind the scenes is anyone’s guess. Burns’ title was soon changed to passing game coordinator shortly thereafter, and his background as a college quarterback-turned-receiver gave him a unique perspective on working with talents like Willis.

But if the Saints are interested in drafting Willis, and they just might be given we know they had an interview with him at the Senior Bowl, it sure helps to have someone who knows him well on staff. Sure, the Saints aren’t going to pick Willis or Jones or any other prospect just because one of their former coaches is on staff now. At the same time, you can’t rule out the influence those connections may have on draft-day decisions. If the Saints are waffling on a prospect and Burns is willing to speak up for them, that might make a difference.

Still, at this early juncture all we can do is try to connect some dots and make some speculation. If nothing else, finding these connections and background material is interesting fodder to help get us through the months leading up to the draft. Let’s hope Burns is able to get to work with the receivers he has now, and maybe add some more in the interim.

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