Tag: program

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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Report: Saints not organizing offseason program, even if allowed

Saints coach Sean Payton told his players that the team will not organize an offseason program prior to training camp due to the coronavirus

The novel coronavirus has hit the city of New Orleans hard, affecting Saints coach Sean Payton in particular. While he overcame his experience with COVID-19, Payton has used his experience to raise awareness of the coronavirus to try and help and educate others. He’s also used it to inform his own decision-making as the leader of his football team.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that Payton held a team-wide teleconference call over Zoom, breaking the news to his players that the Saints would not be organizing an offseason program ahead of training camp. Payton clarified that the Saints would not host any activities at the team facility even if NFL rules allow it, out of an abundance of caution.

Russini added that Payton told his team to take care of themselves and their families during this pandemic, and that the Saints would not organize any virtual meetings or workouts; his instructions ended with orders to, “Show up in July for training camp in the best shape of your life.”

It’s a bold move, to say the least. Travel restrictions and social distancing recommendations have tested the NFL and its teams already this offseason, but Payton is going an extra mile to make sure his people are safe. Still, he did take a moment to make light of the situation on Twitter, joking that having 80-plus people staring at him from his computer screen felt like a lineup of the characters killed off in “Game of Thrones” — spoilers beware:

We’ll see what happens in a few months, but it’s worth noting that things might not go as planned just because Payton has told his team to stay away from the facility. The NFL has stepped in to scuttle his plans before, forcing his staff to work from home rather than from a spacious warehouse.

And Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the charge with player-organized workouts back in 2011 due to the NFL lockout, though obviously the circumstances were much different then. He’s often joined by teammates at his home in San Diego for offseason training, and we shouldn’t be shocked if familiar faces turn up on the West Coast looking to get some work in. Though maybe they should follow Payton’s lead and stay home instead.

Whatever the case, it’s a shame that many Saints fans won’t get the opportunity to see their team up close at the early-summer minicamps that lead into training camp. But if missing out on that chance prevents further infections and saves lives, it’ll be well worth the inconvenience.

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Broncos schedule virtual offseason program; status of NFL training camps remains uncertain

It remains unclear if the NFL will be able to start training camps on time this summer.

The NFL has closed team facilities in an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19. That means in-person offseason activities won’t happen this spring.

Teams are permitted to conduct virtual offseason programs and the Broncos have scheduled “virtual meeting and classroom work” to begin on April 27, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Denver will be allowed up to four hours of virtual work per day for up to four days a week during Phase I of the offseason program, which is three weeks long. Phase II will start in mid-May and run through late June.

After that, the NFL’s offseason schedule remains uncertain.

In a usual offseason, teams begin training camp in mid-to-late July. On Tuesday, NFLPA executive director De Smith said it is “impossible to answer” if training camps will be able to start on time this year.

In the early stages of the offseason, teams can conduct online meetings and even online workout sessions without too much trouble. There’s no replacement for training camp practices, though.

If the Broncos — and every other team — aren’t able to start camp on time, it’s hard to imagine the NFL being able to start the season on time.

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