Tag: todd grantham

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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Raiders sign former Bengals draft pick after he visits with Saints

Former Bengals third-round pick Zach Carter visited the Saints this week. He played for their defensive line coach in college but ultimately signed with the Raiders:

This is interesting. The Las Vegas Raiders announced Thursday they had signed defensive tackle Zach Carter to their practice squad, just days after he visited with the New Orleans Saints, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Carter, 25, was a third-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2022 NFL draft but was waived last week. That’s after he played for Todd Grantham, the Saints’ defensive line coach, for three years in college at Florida. So clearly that relationship wasn’t enough to seal the deal, even though the Saints have a vacancy on their practice squad right now just like the Raiders.

Maybe Carter sees more opportunities to get on the field with Las Vegas. Bryan Bresee is seeing the lion’s share of snaps at defensive tackle for the Saints (225 in five games), followed by Nathan Shepherd (176 in five games) and Khalen Saunders (58 in two games). John Ridgeway (61 in three games) and Khristian Boyd (51 in four games) have been competing for that fourth spot in the rotation each week, and Kendal Vickers (21 snaps in Week 1) remains on the practice squad.

None of them are currently listed on the injury report, so this may have just been an opportunity to try and improve depth rather than a real search for more help.

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Saints’ Todd Grantham works out DL Braden Fiske at FSU pro day

New Orleans Saints defensive line coach Todd Grantham has been busy. After visiting Texas, he stopped by Florida State to work out Braden Fiske:

The New Orleans Saints are on the look for more defensive line talent, as they worked out defensive tackle Braden Fiske at Florida State’s pro day on Friday per Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy. Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reports it was defensive line coach Todd Grantham assigned to check in on one of the 2024 draft’s rising stars.

Fiske dominated the Senior Bowl and then went on to have a great combine. Fiske finished with a 9.89 Relative Athletic Score after a blazing fast 4.78 40-yard dash. He’s a little light, weighing in at under 300 pounds, but makes up for that with his athleticism and skill. He had 19.5 sacks in his college career (which started with a four-year run at Western Michigan before he transferred to FSU). The Saints could use all of the pass rush help that they can get on the defensive line. A duo of Fiske and Bryan Bresee could be fun to watch in black and gold.

Grantham has been busy on the pro day circuit. He also visited the Texas Longhorns last week and was very complimentary of nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Both defensive tackles are projected to be picked in the middle of the second round this year, so maybe one of them winds up going to New Orleans at No. 45 overall.

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Saints DL coach says T’Vondre Sweat ‘made some money today’ at Texas pro day

T’Vondre Sweat earned high praise for his performance at Texas’ pro day, particularly from Saints defensive line coach Todd Grantham:

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat is on the New Orleans Saints’ radar, which assistant coach Todd Grantham made that very apparent at the school’s pro day this week. Scouts and position coaches are out in force on the pro day circuit as the 2024 NFL draft draws closer.

Hank South of 247Sports noted Grantham catching up with Sweat after his workout, commenting that the 22-year-old “made some money today.” Having weighed in at 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, those in attendance were wowed by Sweat’s movement skills as he completed athletic drills on Wednesday.

There are areas on the defensive side of the ball the Saints are looking to improve this offseason, including their inconsistent run defense which struggled to stop mobile quarterbacks. A player like Sweat could help to remedy that issue if the Saints are to make that a priority when they’re on the clock in April.

Sweat, who largely projects as a late first-round or early second-round pick, finished out the 2023 season with 45 total tackles (18 solo), with 5 passes defended and 2.0 sacks. His stock has been ever-rising throughout the pre-draft process as he also recorded a standout performance at the combine with a 5.27-second 40-yard dash. Sweat recorded a 26-inch vertical and an 8-foot-2 broad jump in the same event.

It will be interesting to see if he carries this performance over to the Big Easy, ready to bring an instant boost to whichever NFL team ultimately picks him up.

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Saints were well-represented at Texas Longhorns pro day

The Saints were well-represented at the Texas Longhorns pro day, and the coaches present give us an idea who they were scouting:

The New Orleans Saints were well-represented at the Texas Longhorns pro day, per Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, who says the team’s defensive line and linebackers coaches were in attendance. That likely means Saints assistants Todd Grantham (defensive line) and Michael Hodges (linebackers), though Adam Gristick (assistant defensive line) and Brian Young (pass rush specialist) may have also made the trip. Either way, we can tell which positions they were most interested in.

So which 2024 draft prospects were on their radar? Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy is widely projected to be picked in the top half of the first round and he could be an option for the Saints at No. 14. His teammates Edgerrin Cooper (a linebacker) and T’Vondre Sweat (a nose tackle) are both seen as second-round picks. Linebacker Jaylan Ford also has a draftable grade, and Jett Bush hopes to join him.

Of that group, Murphy and Cooper best fit the athletic thresholds the Saints value with Relative Athletic Scores of 8.96 and 9.26, respectively. Ford told 247 Sports’ Jeff Howe that the Saints are one of the teams he’s had the most contact with through the pre-draft process, so they’re clearly keeping tabs on him. Howe’s peer Hank South overheard Grantham complimenting Sweat, saying that the 366-pounder “made some money” after impressing with his movement skills during his workout.

New Orleans showed some vulnerabilities in run defense last year. The Saints ranked 11th in rushing yards allowed both per-carry and per-game, and they particularly struggled to guard mobile quarterbacks. If Dennis Allen thinks someone like Sweat or Ford can help turn that weakness into a strength, it shouldn’t shock anyone to hear their names called in April.

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Could the Saints replace Marcus Davenport by revamping the prototype at DE?

After moving on from Marcus Davenport and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, the Saints could get back to Dennis Allen’s roots in setting their ideal prototype at DE:

One of the few complaints we’ve had about the New Orleans Saints defense in recent years is its overreliance on oversized defensive ends like Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and Tanoh Kpassagnon — and the decision to ask guys like Payton Turner and Carl Granderson to bulk up into the 280’s after turning pro. The Saints have lacked a speed element up front that’s caused their pass rush production to run hot and cold. When facing quarterbacks who stay in the pocket and take their time surveying the field, they can get home with power.

But when playing against the league’s young mobile quarterbacks and faster processors, the New Orleans defensive ends haven’t made much of an impact. The team even drafted speed rushers out of college like Trey Hendrickson and Zack Baun, but it’s taken years for either of them to get real opportunities in games. Baun plays more snaps on special teams than with the defense most weeks, and when he is out there he’s been tasked with backpedaling at linebacker rather than rushing upfield.

That could change in 2023, though. Defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen spoke often about his preference for heavy ends, but he’s left for the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator job. And Davenport, a divisive draft pick who modeled the complaints with this style of player, has also moved on for a $13 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Enter Todd Grantham. The former Florida Gators defensive coordinator is replacing Nielsen as the group’s position coach. In four years running the Gators defense, his defensive ends were listed at an average weight of 254, 252, 260, and 257 pounds. Last season the Saints’ defensive ends had an average listed weight of 274 pounds, though they each said their playing-weight was closer to 285. Either way, that’s a substantial difference.

However, it’s not like Dennis Allen has a history of preferring these oversized edge rushers. He was the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator back in 2011, when they drafted Von Miller at No. 2 overall — who weighed in at just 246 pounds at the annual NFL Scouting Combine. A few years later, Allen was head coach of the Raiders when they picked Khalil Mack at No. 5 overall, after he weighed in at 251 pounds. Allen has shown us he knows the value in these undersized speed rushers off the edge, and that he’s comfortable investing significant resources in them.

So maybe he goes back to that without Nielsen pushing for bigger players up front. Or maybe not. It could be his defensive philosophy has changed over the last decade and he wants to stick with this plan. Hiring Grantham suggests otherwise, though.

If so, the Saints could look to bring in one of Grantham’s former players in free agency. The Los Angeles Rams cut Leonard Floyd as a salary cap casualty last week, and he enjoyed a productive season on Grantham’s 2013 Georgia Bulldogs defense with a team-leading 6.5 sacks (Grantham was his coordinator and position coach). Floyd is listed at 240 pounds now but usually plays closer to 244, and he’s been very effective no matter the number: he’s consistently graded out well in run defense while posting 54, 73, and 55 quarterback pressures the last three years with L.A. For context, Jordan led the Saints last season with just 37 pressures, per Pro Football Focus charting.

Bringing in Floyd would be a radical move for the Saints up front, but it kind of makes sense if we’re on the right track here. They have a coach who knows him well, and Allen has a history of fielding players like him. Signing him also wouldn’t jeopardize a lucrative 2024 compensatory draft pick because his last team released him from his contract. You’d like to think Payton Turner is ready to take the next step and start in his third season, but he’s a total unknown, and neither Granderson nor Kpassagnon should be asked to start 17 games. But rotating each of them into the lineup with Jordan and the 30-year-old Floyd could get the best out of everyone. If the Saints are changing their priorities at defensive end, Floyd might make more sense than other free agent pass rushers on the market. It could also lead them to a surprise draft pick like Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith in April.

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Dennis Allen says ‘dependability, availability’ are key for third-year DE Payton Turner

Dennis Allen says ‘dependability, availability’ are key for Saints DE Payton Turner, hopes new position coach Todd Grantham can help with fundamentals and technique:

It’s been a rough couple of years for Payton Turner. Injuries have kept him out of the lineup for long stretches early in his career, and when he has been on the field he’s been outpaced by lesser-paid and lower-drafted teammates. Now entering the third year of his career, his head coach Dennis Allen is approaching him with a heightened sense of urgency.

“Well, I think the first thing is Payton, much like Marcus (Davenport) is about being available,” Allen bluntly told SI.com’s John Hendrix at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. “Dependability, availability, those types of things are important things for him. We drafted him in the first round. He’s extremely talented, but he’s another player that hasn’t really had an offseason. He’s another player that we we haven’t really had a chance to work with him because of some of the injury issues.”

Turner has been limited to just 13 games through his first two years, ending the 2022 regular season as a healthy scratch. He’s only produced 3 sacks and 8 tackles for loss across that span while playing behind guys like Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and lately Carl Granderson and Tanoh Kpassagnon. Davenport is expected to at least test the market in free agency, possibly leading to more opportunities for Turner to climb the depth chart.

One person Allen hopes can be a positive influence on Turner: defensive line coach Todd Grantham. He saw the benefits of hiring a new position coach to work with struggling right guard Cesar Ruiz last summer, and now he’s hoping Grantham can help have a similar impact to offensive line coach Doug Marrone on the other side of the ball.

Allen said of Grantham’s hire: “I love his experience. I like the fact that he sees the game, not just from a defensive line perspective. He’s been a coordinator in our league, he’s been a coordinator in the SEC, in college. I like the fact that he can see the game from a coordinator’s perspective, but yet also he understands fundamentals and technique and things of that nature, in terms of playing the defensive line position.”

Time will tell if these changes are going to be enough to help Turner play his best football. Right now the buzzards are swirling and suggesting he’s already earned the dreaded “bust” label just a few years into his pro career. At the end of the day, it’s going to be on Turner to prove his critics wrong.

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The Athletic ponders each SEC team’s biggest spring practice question

The Athletic has published the biggest question for each SEC team ahead of spring practices.

For most college football teams, the spring semester is typically reserved for introspection and self-scouting. Every team’s deficiencies are different, and the off-season allows for early enrollees to join the team and begin to transition from high school to the college game. The Athletic has taken a look at all fourteen SEC programs and determined the biggest question that each team has going into the spring.

For the Orange and Blue, the list of things to improve upon seems to be just as long as it was last year ahead of [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s first season in charge. Since the end of the 2022 season, the Gators have had a lot of player turnover. This was to be expected as building the roster in Napeir’s image was bound to take a few seasons, at least.

Here is what The Athletic’s G. Allan Taylor had to say about what the Gators’ biggest question is this spring:

Can the defense find answers to solve a brutal three-year stretch?

In the final two seasons under coordinator [autotag]Todd Grantham[/autotag] and one under [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag], the Gators’ defense has ranked eighth or worse in the SEC in points and yardage allowed. Last season it plummeted to dead last in third-down stops. The response was importing two defensive line transfers and three more at linebacker. Watch to see how [autotag]Cam’Ron Jackson[/autotag] (Memphis) and [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag] (Ohio State) acclimate, along with the pecking order Toney establishes for three new starters at the safety spots.

You, the reader, would be forgiven if your immediate guess was the quarterback room. To be honest, that was my first thought before reading Taylor’s assessment of the defense. While the quarterback room has undergone a lot of change recently, Napier has said that they will be looking to add another player to the room, joining the competition between Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and Las Vegas Bowl starter [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] — the latter also a former Buckeyes transfer.

Defensively, the situation is not as clear. Toney was publicly questioned at times last season for the reasons Taylor outlined, but it’s not really fair to judge Toney for mistakes made by individual players, especially when Toney didn’t bring in most of the guys on the field last season.

The upcoming Orange and Blue spring game will be played on Thursday, April 13. We’ll have to wait until then to get our first look at how the new additions to the team have adjusted to Napier’s expectations.

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Dennis Allen explains Saints coaching changes, puts emphasis on familiarity

Dennis Allen explains Saints offseason coaching changes, puts an emphasis on familiarity with his new staff:

It’s been a busier-than-expected offseason for the New Orleans Saints so far. Last year’s story in the spring was all about continuity, and how the ties to Sean Payton’s management of the team was a strength. After sliding to 7-10 under Dennis Allen, the Saints are shifting gears and moving on from longtime assistants like Dan Roushar, Ryan Nielsen, Zach Strief, Declan Doyle, and Kris Richard.

The Saints announced replacements for many of those coaches on Wednesday, and Allen shared some insight to these decisions in a lengthy  conversation with NewOrleansSaints.com’s John DeShazier.

The way Allen tells it, his top priority was finding coaches who share his vision for the team’s success: “The No. 1 thing was, as I was looking to make some changes on the staff, I wanted guys that I knew exactly what I was getting. I had familiarity with these coaches, and they’re all really good coaches.”

That meant reuniting with some of his old Raiders coaches, with Joe Woods being introduced as defensive coordinator and Marcus Robertson taking over the defensive backs room. Allen also brought in experienced position coaches like Todd Grantham (defensive line), Clancy Barone (tight ends), and Kevin Carberry (offensive line assistant). They’re each well-qualified for the roles they’ll be filling in New Orleans.

“It’s hard,” Allen said of dismissing multiple assistants after the 2022 season. “You’re dealing with people, but yet we all understand that this is a business, so sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Some moves were moves that we made, some moves were moves that, in Ryan’s situation, he had a chance for advancement.”

Several former Saints coaches have already found new jobs around the league. Nielsen is the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator, while Strief and Doyle are working for Payton again on the Denver Broncos. Richard has been linked to a few different openings. Roushar went back to the college level, where he’s coaching Tulane’s offensive line.

“Change is always hard but change can also be positive because you bring in some new ideas, new thoughts and a new kind of enthusiasm for wanting to try to get this program back to where it needs to be,” Allen added.

The Saints are looking to rebound from a two-year playoffs drought, and the good news is that the NFC is wide-open. The Philadelphia Eagles haves significant challenges ahead of them, and the San Francisco 49ers haven’t been able to seal the deal either. After those two Super Bowl contenders it’s a couple of paper tigers (like the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings) and then a dozen teams all with mostly-equal footing. If these hires help New Orleans get back on track, they could be right in the middle of things in the fall.

If they slog through another underwhelming performance, well — sink or swim, Allen is going into it with his own support staff, not one he inherited.

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Saints announce 5 additions to Dennis Allen’s coaching staff

The Saints made it official, confirming five additions to Dennis Allen’s coaching staff that had been previously reported:

It’s official: the New Orleans Saints confirmed five new additions to Dennis Allen’s coaching staff on Wednesday, each of whom had been previously reported. There are still some vacancies to deal with run-game coordinator, a general offensive assistant, and maybe an assistant secondary coach on defense, but the coaching staff is pretty much set.

That’s assuming quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Ronald Curry doesn’t leave for a new opportunity after interviewing for offensive coordinator gigs, or that Sean Payton doesn’t poach anyone else as he rebuilds the Denver Broncos. For now, here are each of the five new assistants settling in with the Saints: