SaintsReport.com - Home Page

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

The NFL’s hiring cycle is winding down, and the New Orleans Saints appear to have escaped with their coaching staff largely intact. But there was one big departure in overqualified linebackers coach Mike Nolan, who was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys as their new defensive coordinator. Nolan’s loss with the team is huge; before he was hired in 2017, the Saints largely acted without a plan or presence in the middle of their defense.

Since Nolan’s arrival, the unit has put up some of the best performances in recent memory, or at least since Sean Payton was hired as head coach. They’ve hit on draft picks like Alex Anzalone (when healthy), free-agent signings such as Demario Davis and A.J. Klein, and trade acquisitions like Kiko Alonso. Nolan did a terrific job of identifying his players’ strengths and putting them in positions to succeed. That’s not something that could be said out of his predecessors in New Orleans.

However, the Saints still haven’t announced his replacement. It’s likely that they’re waiting for the NFL to converge on Mobile, Ala. in the week leading up to this year’s Senior Bowl. Coaches and team personnel gather from all around the league’s orbit to socialize and scout draft prospects, and it’s where Payton has found new hires before (such as Nolan himself, and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen).

With that in mind, here are three candidates we’d like to see the Saints target as their next...

By Brian Allee Walsh - Special to the Sun Herald

The New Orleans Saints have employed their share of athletic freaks over the years, that is, players who defy logic in terms of their God-given talent and unique physical qualities.

But Saints “Gadget Man,’‘ Taysom Hill, is a friggin’ football freak.

He would be comfortable and capable of playing any and all positions between the lines. You name it and the BYU product could play it; on offense, defense and special teams. If it’s in the game, he could do it and not embarrass himself.

In fact, I’d love to see Saints coach Sean Payton give Hill a chance to do just that in a preseason game. The sheer novelty of finding “Waldo’‘ would put more fannies in the seats at a meaningless home exhibition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Full Story - The Sun Herald

By Sam Fortier | Washington Post

Joe Banner wasn’t expecting the phone call, but it didn’t surprise him. The former NFL executive sensed the current NFL head coach on the other end of the line, an old-school guy, needed a confidant outside his organization. The coach had spent his life around the game, knew it as well as anyone, but now it was being transformed by numbers he didn’t understand. So, the coach asked, what should he know about analytics?

Banner, an advocate and early adopter of advanced football statistics, understood why coaches feared them. It felt like a threat to their decision-making power. But he explained to the coach that they were basically advanced versions of the “tendency reports” he had been receiving from assistant coaches, who would scout opponents to determine how they approached every game situation, for years.

“Analytics are sophisticated, accurate and quality information,” Banner said. “There should be no coach afraid of that.”

Full Story - Post

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

What are the New Orleans Saints going to do at quarterback this year?

t’s an easy question to ask, and almost too simple to try and answer. They should re-sign Drew Brees for one more year if he’s willing because he gives the Saints their best shot at winning a Super Bowl title. They should also keep Teddy Bridgewater around as a top-paid backup because he impressed while winning all five of his starts. And Taysom Hill should return on a cheap restricted free agent tender; he’s a fun weapon who can run and catch but has shown some serious limitations as a passer. It’s fine if his future isn’t at quarterback.

But things rarely go according to plan in the NFL. Bridgewater should be a hot commodity in free agency — we’ve already highlighted several teams who could try to sign him away from New Orleans. While the Saints can’t afford to pay a starter’s salary to both Brees and Bridgewater (or other top free agents like Dak Prescott, Ryan Tannehill, or Jameis Winston), he’s definitely earned it, and it’s very possible the backup leaves town in pursuit of a starting gig.

Full Story - Saints Wire - USA Today