Tag: Saints

Saints legend compares lead head coach candidate to Sean Payton

Mark Ingram II didn’t say if he likes Kellen Moore, but did assert the New Orleans Saints were at their best with an offensive minded coach like Sean Payton:

Mark Ingram II is just the latest former New Orleans Saints player to share positive words about Kellen Moore, as speculation continues to rise around the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator becoming the next Saints head coach.

However, Ingram’s comments also introduce a new potential layer of pressure waiting for Moore in New Orleans. The former Saints running back didn’t say how he personally felt about Moore, but chose to comment on the stylistic fit in New Orleans.

“I think when Saints were at their best, we had an offensive-minded head coach in Sean Payton,” Ingram told Kay Adams this week. It’s difficult to gauge how Ingram feels about the potential hire, but he does seem to lean towards wanting an offensive-minded head coach.

The problem comes in the form of Payton’s looming shadow. The shadow wouldn’t hang over Moore in the same way it hung over Dennis Allen. Allen was the defensive coordinator under Payton, but Moore would be the first offensive-minded coach since Payton.

There will be some who feel the same way as Ingram. There are already many who see the climate of the NFL, and think offensive minded coaches are the correct choice. For New Orleans, specifically, calling back to the last coach with that type of foundation is natural.

Those comparisons should be fleeting and become nonexistent before the season. Living up to the ghost of Sean Payton immediately will be a near impossible task and is only setting him up to fall short of those standards.

Inevitably, however, there will be a section of fans who make this comparison.

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Saints free agent rejoining his former coach may be his ‘best fit’

Juwan Johnson’s best option in free agency? It may be rejoining Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos, if he leaves the New Orleans Saints:

Juwan Johnson will be a free agent this upcoming offseason, and there should be serious conversation on whether or not the New Orleans Saints should look to retain Johnson.

If Johnson looks to go elsewhere in free agency, there is one destination in particular that could feel just like home.

The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke sees Johnson’s “best fit” with the Denver Broncos. This would entail Johnson following the footsteps of former teammates Wil Lutz, Adam Trautman, Tre’Quan Smith, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Lucas Krull and others by joining former head coach Sean Payton.

Familiarity in the system would benefit Johnson by removing the need to learn a new system. Johnson and Payton were paired for two seasons, followed by another two seasons with Pete Carmichael after Payton’s retirement. Until this past year, this was the only professional offense Johnson played in.

Outside of familiarity, Brooke also sees Johnson as the potential middle of the field target Denver is missing. His ability to become the Broncos’ middle of the field target would come down to utilization versus ability.

New Orleans didn’t have a great middle of the field presence in the passing game. Spencer Rattler used the tight ends more than Derek Carr, so maybe Carr’s preference for targeting wide receivers was the biggest reason Johnson was limited over the middle.

Johnson has flashed that ability at times in New Orleans to be a threat on crossing routes and running up the seams. He is a former wide receiver whose skillset would allow him to provide that to Denver. It’s just about the frequency.

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Cameron Jordan, Mark Ingram, Connor Payton and a crazy 2011 draft story

Sean Payton shared a funny story about his son’s connection to the draft picks of Mark Ingram II and Cameron Jordan, two of the best players in Saints history.

Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton peeled back the curtain to give a look into the mindset of the New Orleans Saints going into the 2011 NFL draft. That year the Saints walked away with Mark Ingram II and Cameron Jordan in the first round.

Payton crashed Ingram and Jordan’s interview with Kay Adams and immediately relayed this story of drafting both players in a story involving Payton’s son Connor, who was in fifth grade at the time.

New Orleans always had their eyes set on Mark Ingram. Payton was so confident that he told his son they were targeting Ingram days before the draft.

In true kid fashion, Connor was telling all his friends the Saints were taking the Heisman Trophy-winning running back. However, Jordan unexpectedly dropped to the 24th pick. Plans changed.

When the Saints picked Jordan instead, Connor called Payton, and Payton had to tell his son these things happen sometimes. That was probably hard to understand at that age, but luckily for Connor, Bill Belichick called the Saints about a trade for the 28th pick.

New Orleans accepts the trade and selects Ingram. Payton called Connor back and said “there’s Mark Ingram.” It’s 14 years later, but Ingram thanked Connor for his persistence. It was delayed, but Connor still got to go

In 2011, the Saints drafted Ingram and Jordan in the span of four picks. They would go on to reach the peak of most rushing yards and sacks in team history.

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B/R says Saints should reunite college teammates with two high-ceiling trades

B/R sees Mazi Smith and David Ojabo as top trade targets for the Saints. These would be low risk trades that require minimal compensation

The New Orleans Saints aren’t in the best position to grab a lot of talent in free agency or through trade this offseason due to being cash strapped. Bleacher Report’s scouting department does have a couple of players New Orleans could trade for.

The department broke down the three top trade targets for each team. For the Saints, they chose draft picks, David Ojabo and Mazi Smith. Trading for one of the two former Michigan Wolverines are the type of moves that New Orleans may have to settle for. Bleacher Report’s scouts see these defensive linemen as players with “a high ceiling and could wind up helping a team like the Saints.”

A speed rusher and a run stuffer. That’s what the Saints need and these players are prototypes for it. Even if it doesn’t work, they give you much needed depth. Ojabo is on the last year of his deal and Smith has two years remaining. These are short term moves that could become long-term with productivity.

Neither one of these moves would prevent the Saints from making more impact moves along the defensive line in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. These could even be draft-day trades. Because they haven’t lived up to expectations, Ojabo and Smith may only demand a Day 3 pick. It wouldn’t require much and at the worst, would fill out the roster.

Smith has played all 34 games he’s been eligible for with the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s been miscast after being asked to drop a lot of weight his rookie year and then told to pack it back on the following summer. His career has been an up-and-down roller coaster because of it. As for Ojabo? Injuries have limited him to just 18 games in three years, but he’s bagged four sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. Snaps are hard to come by in Baltimore’s defense. Depending on how the Saints fill out their new coaching staff, he could have better opportunities in New Orleans.

The Saints need to get younger. Ojabo will be 25 in May and Smith turns 24 a month later. They were both better prospects coming out of college than anyone who will be available when the Saints are picking in the later rounds of this year’s NFL draft. These are exactly the kind of low-risk, high-reward moves the team should be exploring. We’ll see if either of them are actually on the trade block this spring.

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Demario Davis has made his retirement plans, but he isn’t leaving just yet

Demario Davis has made his retirement plans. He knows exactly how many more seasons he wants to play in the NFL, hopefully with the Saints:

How much longer will Demario Davis play for the New Orleans Saints? He gave a definitive answer to Matt Moscona for After Further Review: “My goal is to do three more years and then I’m out of here.”

Davis is in an interesting place in both his career and his positioning with the team. The Saints are more than likely going into a youth movement. Davis remains one of the best players on the Saints’ defense. If there were a veteran to predict would be safe, it’s him. There’s still the unpredictability factor of a new coach wanting to clean house.

For the first time in five years, Davis didn’t make an Associated Press All-Pro team. For all of the criticism that he has received this year, Davis still received an All-Pro vote. He still played at a high level, but he didn’t perform to the standard he set over his tenure with the Saints.

Because of that, you’ll often hear that he’s losing a step. He’s 36 years old and the oldest linebacker in the NFL, so his athleticism taking a dip is to be expected. He isn’t performing poorly, however. An athlete playing well but not at the standard they previously set is a difficult thing to grapple with.

Davis isn’t in the position where you are placing him in the “farewell tour” category, but you are preparing for life after him or getting an athletic linebacker to pair with him.

Davis plans on three more seasons and told Moscona, “I’m not planning on no drop-off going out of here.” That would place him near 40 years old and we’ve already seen a slight drop off in athleticism. We should also point out his contract expires after the 2025 season, so he’ll need another extension to bring this vision to fruition.

There seemed to be an uptick in physicality this year. Allowing Davis to not have to be as rangy by pairing him with an athletic partner could allow him to be equally as effective. It won’t be as flashy, but it could help Davis and the Saints defense in the long run.

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Saints WR Rashid Shaheed on ‘genius’ head coach candidate Kellen Moore

Rashid Shaheed has been studying New Orleans Saints head coach candidates, and he has high praise for Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore:

If the New Orleans Saints hire Kellen Moore as the next head coach, they’ll get a positive review from Rashid Shaheed. When asked about Moore, Shaheed called him a “genius,” per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Shaheed is working his way back from injury, but he along with Chris Olave are two of the most attractive pieces for an offensive minded head coach. They’re two young, dynamic receivers.

New Orleans is getting a complete overhaul this year. Klint Kubiak joined the Seattle Seahawks, so there will be a change of system even if Moore isn’t the coach. Shaheed has studied the Saints’ potential candidates this offseason. Shaheed’s description of Moore’s offense could unlock an underutilized portion of his game.

“It’s spread out. There’s a lot of space,” Shaheed said. Over the course of his career, Shaheed has primarily been used as a field-stretcher. As one of the NFL’s best deep threats, Shaheed forces teams to pick between his downfield route or Olave’s underneath route.

It’d be interesting to see if Kellen Moore’s offense can create a lot of space while using Shaheed as a catch and run threat. Olave has the speed to threaten vertically and the respect to command attention from defensive backs. That would leave the underneath receiver with room to work.

Shaheed has done so much damage getting yards before the catch, that it’s easy to not think of ways to translate his special teams prowess to the offensive game plan.

As a return specialist, he’s used to running with the ball in his hand. When Shaheed points out the space Moore’s offense creates, it’s a safe assumption he sees that as something he can benefit from.

Not using Shaheed as a threat with the ball in his hands feels like leaving meat on the bone. That could change for the dynamic receiver, in addition to still being a field stretcher.

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Cameron Jordan won’t go looking for a trade: ‘I’m black and gold forever’

Cameron Jordan won’t request a trade to chase a Super Bowl ring — and doesn’t feel he needs to. He wants to remain a New Orleans Saints lifer:

Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns, but don’t expect Cameron Jordan to follow suit. Garrett and Jordan are at two different points of their careers, but Kay Adams told the New Orleans Saints defensive end he was the first person Adams thought about when she heard the news.

Jordan questioned why, but didn’t let her answer before affirming: “I’m not asking for a trade from anywhere. I’m black and gold forever.”

This is a common sentiment from Jordan, so it may not seem out of the ordinary. However, he did consider forcing his way out during the regular season, so it was refreshing to hear him express this.

So why did Adams think about Jordan in relation to Garrett’s trade request. Adams said the reasons for wanting out would be the same, and she has a point. Garret is in his prime, while Jordan has more time behind him than in front of him.

Players in both categories would want to be in best position to win a ring now, due to an understanding their window could close soon in different ways.

If you ask Jordan, he is in the best place to win a ring. Injuries were costly in 2024. New Orleans lost their entire interior offensive line. By the time Spencer Rattler was leading the team, he was dealing with makeshift weapons and a pieced-together offensive line. 

Without these injuries, Jordan still sees the Saints as a championship team. With a healthy roster, they’re better than 5-12, but it’s hard to say championships are on the horizons when they’ve missed the playoffs four years in a row.

Jordan has always been an optimist. That optimism was on full display with Adams, and if he has his way he’ll continue to be the optimist in the New Orleans locker room as his career draws to a close.

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Steve Spagnuolo says he ‘took a lot of lessons’ from lone season with the Saints

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo is one of the most respected defensive minds in football. So respected, it’s almost easy to forget his disastrous year with the Saints:

Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is renowned as one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, and a critical part of the team’s dynasty. He’s proven to be the perfect compliment to an offense built by Andy Reid and powered by Patrick Mahomes.

It would be easy to forget he was the New Orleans Saints’ defensive coordinator for one season a little over decade ago. The history books won’t forget. In that season, New Orleans allowed 7,042 yards, the most in NFL history.

This was the season Sean Payton was suspended for the entire year. Upon his return, Payton fired Spagnuolo, who bounced around the league for a few years until he ended up in Kansas City. Reid doesn’t hold that season against his defensive coordinator, not just because it was a long time ago.

Speaking with reporters this week from the Caesars Superdome turf, Reid  said he believes Spagnuolo, “Didn’t have enough time here necessarily to really get the whole thing going, but he’s a good coach.” It’s hard to disagree seeing the success he’s having. Spagnuolo has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs and is closing in on his fourth. Few defensive play callers have sustained success like this in NFL history.

For Spagnuolo, 2012 was a hard season, of course. “That particular year, I took a lot of lessons,” Spagnuolo told NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson during his own media availability. If those lessons allowed him to craft this defense, we can chalk 2012 up to being a necessary evil.

As his career has continued, that 2012 season has become a small footnote in his career. He was a successful, Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator prior to joining the Saints, and became a pillar of a dynasty after leaving the Saints.

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Zack Baun on turbulent time in New Orleans: ‘I didn’t know what I was’

Zack Baun will end his monster debut season with the Eagles in New Orleans. He took time to reflect on a lack of clarity during his first four seasons as a pro:

This Sunday, Zack Baun returns to the Caesars Superdome for the second time as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. The first matchup was to face his former team, the New Orleans Saints. This go-around, the stakes are much higher.

As Baun prepares for Super Bowl LIX, he reminisced on his time in New Orleans. It’s hard not to when he’s stepping on a field he called home where “even the smells have brought me back to certain periods of time.”

It wasn’t all good in New Orleans. His first year in Philadelphia has been surprising because of his lack of production through four years with New Orleans. Baun was stuck on the bench with the Saints but has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro attention with the Eagles. He just might be the Defensive Player of the Year, too.

The Saints have earned a lot of criticism for their mishandling of Baun. He spent most of his time on special teams or being placed at the seldom-used SAM linebacker. They clearly didn’t know how to use him, and Baun was equally as lost.

“I think when I was here, I didn’t know what I was. I didn’t know if I was an off-ball linebacker, on-ball backer,” Baun said in hindsight. The only thing he was truly sure of was that, “it didn’t necessarily feel right.”

His move to the Eagles was clearly the right decision and showed he is an off-ball linebacker. Being able to work with Vic Fangio, has paid dividends.

Baun nearly doubled his career totals in tackles, sacks and tackles for a loss. Now he’ll have a chance to be an integral part of a Super Bowl winning team.

When he played the Saints in New Orleans in Week 3, Baun had 13 tackles in a victory. He’ll be looking for similar output and outcome on Sunday.

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Saints’ offseason assets ranked among the NFL’s worst war chests

PFF has the Saints in the worst position to be in: a bad team without many offseason assets. They need more draft picks and more salary cap space to compete:

Pro Football Focus has New Orleans Saints in the worst position to be in as we get closer to the talent acquisition portion of the offseason. The Saints are a bad team without a lot of assets to change this reality. That means they’re short on draft picks and salary cap resources.

PFF ranked New Orleans as having the third-worst assets this offseason. Most teams at the bottom of the asset rankings are playoff teams. The Seahawks, who rank at the bottom, were a tiebreaker away from winning the NFC West. Then you have the Saints and Atlanta Falcons at 30 and 31st.

These rankings were determined by three categories: effective cap space, restructure potential and draft capital. The problem for the Saints is they’re the only team without any effective cap space after pushing so much money from past deals into this fiscal year.

New Orleans does have a good amount of restructure potential, as always, but most of the restructuring will be to get under the salary cap. It doesn’t mean they won’t sign anyone in free agency. New Orleans signed Chase Young last year after starting in a similar situation. However, the restructuring won’t give the Saints much to play with this offseason.

Building the roster will come through the draft for New Orleans in 2025. PFF’s rankings is a great depiction of that. Having one of the lowest sets of assets shouldn’t be too startling for New Orleans. This was expected to be a job that required a multi-year renovation.

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