Teams New Orleans Saints - The Who Dats

[Exe Gesis]

Sean Payton: I did call Drew Brees about returning; it was probably a good thing he didn’t come​

Posted by Myles Simmons on January 25, 2022, 4:37 PM EST

Back in December, Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that head coach Sean Payton called Drew Brees to ask if he’d come back and play when both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian landed on the COVID-19 list.
Brees, as we know, declined the opportunity. Instead, Ian Book started that Monday game against the Dolphins in Week 16. He got sacked eight times and threw two picks in the 20-3 loss.

In his press conference announcing he’s stepping down, Payton confirmed that report with a bit of a twist.

“I spoke to [Brees] at length last night about this decision for the first time and he was fantastic,” Payton said. “And I did call him during the season and we discussed him coming back. And I think both of us agreed, based on our lineup versus Miami it was a good thing he stayed [with NBC] and didn’t come.”

Brees was New Orleans’ quarterback for 15 years before electing to retire after the 2020 season. He and Payton won Super Bowl XLIV together in the 2009 season.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Sean Payton: It sure seems easier to thank everyone and move on your merry way​

Posted by Myles Simmons on January 25, 2022, 4:17 PM EST

Sean Payton has stepped down as the Saints head coach and has started addressing the media on the move.

Payton opened the press conference by explaining that he’d met with team owner Gayle Benson and General Manager Mickey Loomis — which he termed a “tough” meeting — last week before taking some time to think about what he would do. And he came to the conclusion that it was time to step away.

“It is a big decision and it certainly affects a lot of people,” Payton said. “It’s not often you as a coach have that opportunity to possibly leave. And it was something that certainly, I hadn’t really thought about over the years. We coach, we coach, we coach and at some point, they tell you to leave. And as difficult as being fired is, it sure seems easier to thank everyone and move on your merry way.”

Payton finishes his 15-year Saints tenure at 152-89 in the regular season and 9-8 in the postseason.
Payton noted he may coach again, but it’s not at the front of his mind right now.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Cutting Rob Ninkovich is one of Sean Payton’s top regrets from his time with the Saints​

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 25, 2022, 5:55 PM EST

Rob Ninkovich had such a long and successful career with the Patriots that many football fans may have forgotten that he was a Saint. Twice.

But Sean Payton hasn’t forgotten. Payton said as he announced he was leaving the Saints that cutting Ninkovich twice was among his biggest regrets.

In fact, when talking about his regrets, the first thing Payton said was, “The Ninkovich debacle.”

The Saints selected Ninkovich out of Purdue in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played the first three games of his rookie year, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game (which was one of the most famous games in Saints history, a victory over the Falcons in the team’s first game back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina). He suffered another knee injury in training camp the next year and was released.

After playing two seasons for the Dolphins, Ninkovich was signed by the Saints again — but released again, without ever playing in a game. After that the Patriots signed him, and he played eight seasons in New England, winning two Super Bowl rings before announcing his retirement.

Ninkovich proved in New England that he belonged in the NFL. And Payton views Ninkovich as the one who got away.

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[Mitho]

Thanks for the updates GG!

 

[Exe Gesis]

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports it is "widely believed" the Saints will promote DC Dennis Allen to replace Sean Payton.​

Rapsheet is just reiterating a report he first issued on Tuesday. Perhaps he is doing Allen's agent a favor, though it certainly makes sense. Allen has earned outside head-coaching interest, and was Payton's right-hand man for closing in on a decade. He is a widely-respected defensive mind. That's all good and well, but the Saints' biggest immediate problems are on offense. Allen could be looking at bridge coach/rebuilding duties if he gets his second shot to lead an NFL team.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Jan 27, 2022, 2:55 PM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

Mickey Loomis on new coach: More important to get it right than do it quick​

Posted by Josh Alper on January 28, 2022, 2:05 PM EST

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis met with the media on Friday for the first time since Sean Payton stepped down as the team’s head coach and the search for his successor was the main topic of conversation.

Loomis called this search process “completely different” than the 2006 one that ended with Payton being hired and that’s largely because of how successful the team was over Payton’s 16 years in the team. Loomis said that he feels Payton left the team in much better shape than he found it and that the organization isn’t looking for “wholesale change” with the hiring of a new coach.

The search for that coach got off to a later start than those of other teams, but Loomis said he isn’t feeling pressured to speed the process up as a result.

“I wouldn’t say that I have some drop dead date,” Loomis said. “Obviously, you want to move the process around as quickly as possible and yet it’s more important to get it right than it is to do it quick. We’re going to be diligent about that.”

Loomis called defensive coordinator Dennis Allen “an excellent candidate” while noting that there are others outside the organization who fit the same description. He said the team will keep interviewing until they find “someone that we’re in love with” and make that person the next head coach in New Orleans.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Saints promoted DC Dennis Allen to head coach.​

Allen, 49, was always the favorite to replace Sean Payton in New Orleans, and now all nine head-coaching vacancies have been filled. The Saints flirted with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, but Bieniemy has again been passed over. This will be Allen's second head-coaching stint after lasting just over two seasons in Oakland as the Raiders' head coach from 2012-2014, going 4-12 and 4-12 in his first two seasons before getting fired after starting 2014 at 0-4. Allen has been in New Orleans for the last seven seasons. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him largely keep Payton's coaching staff together.
Feb 7, 2022, 6:15 PM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

Dennis Allen on calling defensive plays: Hard to give up your baby​

Posted by Josh Alper on February 8, 2022, 4:15 PM EST

The Saints formally introduced Dennis Allen as their new head coach at a Tuesday press conference and one of the topics up for discussion was whether Allen will continue to call the defensive plays.

Allen performed that role as the defensive coordinator on Sean Payton’s staff and he said that there hasn’t been a final decision about how he will be handling things in his new job. While it can be tough to both call plays and focus on all aspects of being a head coach, Allen indicated that it will be difficult to cede the responsibility to anyone else.

“It’s hard to turn your baby over,” Allen said, via multiple reporters.

Allen’s approach to calling plays has worked well for the Saints and he’ll surely have a hand in how they handle things under any circumstances, but a final call on how things play out will come down the road.

 

[Constantgin]

 

[Exe Gesis]

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Michael Thomas is expected to play for the Saints in 2022.​

Thomas was reportedly in New York getting weekly treatments on his foot and has now returned to New Orleans. He and the Saints appear to have worked out their differences, with the Saints now not expected to trade their top wide receiver. A reunion makes sense for both parties. The Saints would take on a $22.7 million cap hit by trading Thomas. That delines to $13.8 million after the season. Thomas could also use a year to rehab his value after no-showing last season's Divisional round and then missing all of the 2021 season with foot and ankle ailments. Thomas remains a risky 2022 fantasy pick, given how low the floor is on the Saints offense without Sean Payton and with an unknown quarterback. However, Thomas now appears likely to be healthy and playing in 2022, which makes him a far safer pick than he was in 2021 summer drafts.
SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Feb 12, 2022, 3:34 PM ET

 

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[Exe Gesis]

Saints announce coordinator hires as well as Doug Marrone as OL coach​

Posted by Charean Williams on February 23, 2022, 5:14 PM EST

New Saints coach Dennis Allen has made the most important of his hires as the team announced the offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators for 2022. They also made official the hiring of offensive line coach Doug Marrone and receivers coach Kodi Burns.
Pete Carmichael will return for his 17th season on the Saints coaching staff and 14th as offensive coordinator. The departure of Sean Payton means Carmichael will become the full-time play-caller.
Allen is expected to keep those duties on defense.
The Saints promoted Ryan Nielsen to co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach and Kris Richard to co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach. The two were college teammates at USC.
Richard was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks from 2015-17 and did some of the play-calling for the Cowboys as passing game coordinator/secondary coach from 2018-19.
Nielsen has served as the Saints’ defensive line coach the past five seasons and added assistant head coach duties to his title before last season.
Darren Rizzi has added assistant head coach duties to his role as special teams coordinator. He has spent the past three seasons directing the Saints’ special teams.
Ronald Curry will serve as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
Marrone returns to the Saints, where he was offensive coordinator in 2006-08. He served as offensive line coach at the University of Alabama in 2021.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Report: Ryan Nielsen signs two-year contract to be Saints’ co-coordinator​

Posted by Charean Williams on February 23, 2022, 2:54 PM EST

A report earlier this week indicated the Saints were promoting defensive assistants Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard, possibly to co-coordinators. Now, Bruce Feldman of TheAthletic.com reports that Nielsen has signed a new, two-year deal to become co-defensive coordinator.
He will share those duties with Richard, making the Saints the only team in the NFL with co-coordinators. Nielsen and Richard were college teammates at USC.
New head coach Dennis Allen, earned a promotion to head coach from defensive coordinator after Sean Payton stepped away, could retain play-calling duties.
Nielsen has served as the Saints’ defensive line coach the past five seasons and added assistant head coach duties to his title before last season.
He worked in the college ranks for 14 seasons before joining the Saints.
The Saints interviewed Lions defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant and Chargers linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite to replace Allen as defensive coordinator.

 

[Exe Gesis]

With Drew Brees in the room and Patrick Mahomes sliding, 2017 draft almost got awkward for Saints​

Posted by Mike Florio on March 4, 2022, 6:14 PM EST

We’ve done a pretty good job of keeping under wraps some of the new reporting contained in Playmakers, my book about he past 20 years in the NFL. Which means that I trusted the right people to whom advance copies were sent, and/or that the untrustworthy ones never bothered to read it.

We’ve strategically posted some of the new information, given the basic realities of capitalism. Here’s another nugget from the book, one that had not yet previously seen the light of day.

During the 2017 draft, Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes slid through the top 10. The Saints held the eleventh overall pick. Saints coach Sean Payton privately loved Mahomes. The Saints, as we understand it, were definitely planning to draft him if he were available.

As the selections crept closer to eleven, into the draft room walked quarterback Drew Brees, who was touring the facility with some friends. Which meant that Brees and his friends may have been literally in the room when the Saints drafted Mahomes. At that point, the Saints decided to let Brees know that he was potentially going to witness the selection of his eventual replacement.

Obviously, the Chiefs kept that from happening, by trading up to No. 10 with the Bills, and snatching Mahomes.

I mention this eleven days before the official publication of Playmakers because, in a recent interview with GQ.com, Payton told the story of how the Saints were seriously considering drafting Mahomes, with Brees and friends entered the draft room just in time to see it happen.

“You can’t make this up,” Payton told Clay Skipper of GQ.com. “He had never been in a draft room in how many years. I said, ‘Hey, there’s a good chance we’re taking Patrick Mahomes and it’s not gonna impact [you]. You’re going to finish, retire, whatever. But we might draft Mahomes here and I just want to let you know.’ He’s like, ‘Oh yeah, all good.'”

Making the potential selection of Mahomes even more plausible is the fact that Brees, as of 2017, was seriously considering retirement. Brees has explained that previously; it came up during one of his late-career Super Bowl-week visits to PFT Live. Assuming he’d shared his thought process with the Saints, it would have made the decision to target Mahomes even more realistic, and prudent.

So what would have happened if the Saints had taken Mahomes? Would Brees have left after the 2017 season, when his contract expired? Or would he have simply retired? It would have been very difficult to hold Mahomes down, given the overall skillset he instantly displayed, first on the practice field and then in the preseason for the Chiefs.

For more stories like this regarding the inner working of the NFL over the past 20 years, order Playmakers now.

 

[Exe Gesis]

yeah, everyone loved Mahomes and wanted to draft him retrospectively.

 

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[Constantgin]

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

 

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