SaintsReport.com - Home Page

Featured News

Three biggest positions of need for Brandon Staley’s Saints defense

  • 37
  • 0


1740276850015.jpeg

By Ross Jackson - LouisianaSports.net

With new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley set to implement his system, the New Orleans Saints must now focus on filling key roster needs to ensure its success.

These are needs that could be filled by players that are currently on the roster or may require the team to look outside of the facility in either free agency or the draft. Certainly the trade marker is a possibility, as well, but as the Saints work to get younger, using their draft capital in the selection process is likely a better approach.

Staley’s scheme is going to be back on physicality, versatility, and athleticism. With that, here are three big positions of need for the Saints’ new direction on defense.

Nose Tackle

The Saints have historically relied on stout defensive tackles to anchor their front. From 2015 to 2018, Tyeler Davison filled the role, followed by Malcom Brown in 2019 and 2020, and Malcolm Roach intermittently in the years since. However, all of those players are now long gone, leaving a void the team must address.

New Orleans must find a bigger-bodied -0 or 1-tech type of defensive tackle that can line up over the center or between the center and guard and change the numbers by forcing the offense to dedicate multiple blockers. They need an Eddie Goldman-style interior defender.

Finding one allows for one-on-one opportunities on the outside, maximizing pass rush, and edge defender potential. This becomes even more vital if the team begins to shift to more odd-front defensive line formations.

Options: On the roster, the Saints could look to shift veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to this role. At 6-foot and 324 pounds, he has a solid build for the responsibilities, but his athleticism may make him a better option to not limit and instead utilize elsewhere. The Saints could go to free agency for a 2024 Los Angeles Charger Teair Tart or look to the draft for big-bodied defenders, like Kentucky’s Deone Walker (6-foot-7, 340 pounds), Maryland’s Jordan Phillips (6-foot-1, 318 pounds), and Texas nose tackle Alfred Collins (6-foot-5, 320 pounds). ...

Read the Full Story - LouisianaSports.net


MORE SAINTS RELATED NEWS:













ARTICLES FROM NEWORLEANS.FOOTBALL (PAY SITE - SOME FREE CONTENT):

> Nick Underhill: Saints much closer to salary-cap health than you’d expect (even if they keep Derek Carr)

ARTICLES FROM SAINTS OFFICIAL SITE:

> Morning Break: Saints look ahead to NFL Scouting combine

OTHER SOURCES:

> Athlon Sports: Defensive Assistants That Could Join Brandon Staley With Saints

> LouisianaSports.net: Five Saints that could be biggest beneficiaries of the Brandon Staley hire

> Athlon Sports: Weekly Stories and News You Might Have Missed With the Saints

> MSN: New Orleans Saints don't have an easy way out with Derek Carr's contract

> LouisianaSports.net: JACKSON: Brandon Staley’s defensive scheme brings fresh approach to Saints

> MSN: Mykel Williams mocked to New Orleans Saints by Joel Klatt

> MSN: 2024 Saints free agent report cards: Was Shane Lemieux a good signing?

> MSN: Colin Cowherd Claims First-Year NFL Coach 'Won't Last' Long

RUMORS: (Rumor & Gossip):


PODCASTS & VIDEO:

locked_on_saints.jpeg
.. New Orleans Saints Brandon Staley FINALLY REDEFINES team prototypes at defensive end

AFR_Mascona.jpeg
.. Why New Orleans Saints Cap Cuts Start With Releasing Derek Carr, Taysom Hill & Cam Jordan

1740277236021.jpeg.. SAINTS PLAYER REACTS TO DC HIRE + FORMER ALL PRO CHIMES IN AS WELL

saints_now.jpeg
.. What Colin Cowherd Had To Say About The New Orleans Saints…

js.jpg
.. Who Could the Saints Cut Before the 2025 NFL Season? | James Skrmetta Reacta

1740276142806.jpeg.. Brandon Staley Becomes Next Saints DC, Is 9 Wins Possible?

1740276209749.jpeg.. Can the Saints Have a Perfect Offseason? | GSMC Down by Contact Sports Podcast


> SAINTS DISCUSSION BOARD


Latest Saints News

Saints need to scout these 2025 draft prospects in the HBCU Legacy Bowl

  • News source: Darrion Gray
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 37
The HBCU Legacy Bowl is an all star game for draft eligible players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and it’s in the New Orleans Saints backyard for the fourth year in a row. This week started with the HBCU Combine on Monday then continued with practices from Tuesday through Friday. The entire week of activities took place at the Saints indoor facility. All 32 teams sent scouts to the event, but it can be assumed the Saints had the largest presence since they were the hosts of the event. The Legacy Bowl itself is Saturday Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. CT. You can watch it on NFL Network. Here are
Continue reading...

Highly-regarded Saints assistant coach is now a free agent, may not return for 2025

  • News source: John Sigler
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 50
The New Orleans Saints may have another coach leaving this offseason, as many others have done already. With Kellen Moore coming in as the new head coach, things have begun to change a bit when it comes to the staff, and he was given the reigns on who he wanted to be his assistants, position coaches, and coordinators seemingly.

However, one of those who was left in the middle of two regimes, offensive assistant Kevin Petry, may also be on the way out. This became more likely recently, as Petry has become a free agent coach, as was reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

As...
Continue reading...

Wrestlemania 42 will take place in the home of the Saints in 2026

  • News source: Darrion Gray
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 22
The city of New Orleans has another major event lined up. After hosting Super Bowl LIX, the city will be the home of Wrestlemania 42 in 2026. It is the biggest event in all of pro wrestling and it’s making it’s return to the home of the New Orleans Saints.

The announcement was made by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on the latest episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown. It was an appropriate moment to make the announcement as Smackdown was live from the Smoothie King Center, home of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Wrestlemania 42 will take place next door at the Caesars Superdome.

It’s the third time...
Continue reading...

Daniel Jeremiah says Saints are one of the best fits for top 2025 draft QB

  • News source: Jeremy Trottier
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 65
The New Orleans Saints are in an intriguing position this offseason, as despite the salary cap being higher than anticipated, they remain in a tough spot regarding their money situation. The largest contract on the team in 2025 is quarterback Derek Carr, who is going to end up having a $51,458,000 cap hit.

With the hiring of new head coach Kellen Moore, maybe the Saints choose to keep Carr, or maybe they don’t and would rather look to pair Moore with a signal-caller of his own choice. One of the options would be drafting a quarterback, via trade-up or otherwise, and according to NFL...
Continue reading...

B/R doesn't see the Saints as a good home for second-chance quarterbacks

  • News source: Darrion Gray
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 46
We’ve seen a rise of second chance quarterbacks recently. The most notable and recent example is Sam Darnold’s meteoric rise with the Minnesota Vikings this season. Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield fill out that list. These quarterbacks’ careers looked dead in the water before a revival in their current home.

Ironically, the New Orleans Saints attempted this approach with Jameis Winston, but injuries derailed that plan. The most popular candidates to try to pull this off this year are Daniel Jones and Justin Fields.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes if their hope is to be the next Sam...
Continue reading...

Carl Granderson salary: How much money did Saints DE make this season?

  • News source: Dylan Sanders
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 34
The New Orleans Saints defensive line was a major weakness last season and they don’t have many answers for next year. One small reason for that was a slight regression from Carl Granderson, who broke out in 2023.

Granderson was an undrafted free agent in the 2019 class and he slowly built his case for more playing time before earning a contract extension and become a true starter in 2023, where he had 8.5 sacks and 78 tackles with 14 going for a loss. He also logged 20 quarterback hits.

In 2024, he was a part of a duo with Chase Young that did a good job of making sure the opposing...
Continue reading...

Kellen Moore on top RB prospect: 'He’s a complete package'

  • News source: Darrion Gray
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 67
The New Orleans Saints have a chance to land a playmaker in the 2025 NFL draft’s first round. Whether it’s Arizona State wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan or Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty, or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Jeanty feels like the prospect likeliest to be available at ninth overall.

Kellen Moore gave a strong endorsement of Jeanty before he became the Saints head coach. He told reporters before the Super Bowl that Jeanty is “going to have a huge impact on this league.”

Outside of just projecting his future, Moore also explained what makes the Boise State...
Continue reading...

ESPN: Chase Young should leave the Saints for a Super Bowl contender

  • News source: Jeremy Trottier
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 41
The New Orleans Saints have a whopping 19 pending free agents entering the 2025 NFL offseason, and many of them are players who received one-year contracts to sign with the team in 2024. An example of that would be defensive end Chase Young, who signed a “prove-it” deal with the Saints last offseason and performed well given he was coming off of a neck surgery.

With that contract expired, the Saints will now have competition for his services, and with their cap space still somewhat iffy, they have decisions to make on which free agents they want to keep, and who they want to let depart...
Continue reading...

2024 Saints free agent report cards: Was letting Andrus Peat go a big loss?

  • News source: Jeremy Trottier
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 96
The New Orleans Saints made their first big move of the offseason by hiring Kellen Moore as their new head coach, and have been managing to fill out their offensive staff ever since. Now, free agency remains less than a month away, which means there is time to look back at the 2024 signing period and analyze the acquisitions and departures the Saints had.

One of the players they let walk was left guard Andrus Peat, a veteran of the team and a quality offensive lineman for multiple seasons. He chose a new team in the Las Vegas Raiders, and here is how that move panned out for them:

Peat...
Continue reading...

Brandon Staley's former All-Pro cornerback celebrates Saints' latest staff hire

  • News source: Darrion Gray
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 80
Miami Dolphins cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, took to social media to celebrate the New Orleans Saints hiring Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator.

Ramsey and Staley crossed paths with the Los Angeles Rams. The cornerback was traded to the Rams in 2019, and Staley became the defensive coordinator the following year

Though the player and coach only spent one season together, they left a lasting impact on each other. Staley highlighted Ramsey as being “one of the biggest reasons” he got his first head coaching job. Staley also added that Ramsey “means so much to me.”

After the season...
Continue reading...

What does the Saints' defensive front look like with Brandon Staley?

  • News source: Darrion Gray
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 79
The New Orleans Saints defensive line room will see the biggest shift after the team hired Brandon Staley to become the unit’s coordinator.

The transition to Staley will feature the Saints playing more three down linemen, or odd fronts, opposed to primarily playing four down linemen, or even fronts, as was the case under Dennis Allen. What does that look like for New Orleans?

Only using players currently under contract, Carl Granderson and Isaiah Foskey would probably be your standup outside linebackers instead of hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends. Bryan Bresee would shift outside to a 4i...
Continue reading...

6 coaches who could join Brandon Staley's Saints defense

  • News source: John Sigler
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 106
Things are picking up for the New Orleans Saints, who are joining the rest of the NFL in Indianapolis over the weekend for the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. The Saints are hiring former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as their new defensive coordinator on Kellen Moore’s staff, but for the most part, Staley has a blank slate to work with. The only defensive coaches on the team who have hung around since last season are, so far, pass rush specialist Brian Young and senior assistant Peter Giunta, plus assistants Adam Gristick and Matt Giordano. Staley needs to bring in help at every level: defensive line, linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks.

We’ve highlighted six coaches who make sense for his staff. Here’s what they have to bring to the table:
Continue reading...

Sources: Saints hiring Staley to run defense

  • News source: Katherine Terrell
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 42
The Saints are hiring former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.
Continue reading...

BREAKING: Saints hire Brandon Staley to be their next Defensive Coordinator

  • News source: Caleb_Yaccarino
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 47
With New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore focusing on the offense, the defensive coordinator is a massive hire. Making life as a head coach as easy as possible is essential for a first-time head coach, and not having to worry about the opposite side of the ball can be a great way to do that. Since Moore’s hire, Brandon Staley has been the favorite for the job due to their past connection, similar to Doug Nussmeier on offense. The team also interviewed Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Christian Parker and Minnesota Vikings defensive backs...
Continue reading...

Latest Posts from our Message Boards

Back
Top Bottom