Why is it............Sam Mills? (1 Viewer)

[SystemShock]

There is a little more to the story that seems to have gotten lost over the years, or so I'm told.. Luckily I have a family member who is a true Saints OG. This is how he said it actually happened.

Vic Fangio was the Saints LB coach during the Dome Patrol years under Mora. He acted in that capacity from 1986 - 1994. In 1995, he became the Panther's DC.

It just so happened that Mills became a free agent at the same time that his LB coach became the Panther's DC.

The Saints let Sam Mills test the market thinking that they could match whatever offers he received and indeed they did.

But the reason Sam ultimately left was to continue to play for Fangio. Not money, and not a feeling of slight from the Saints. He simply chose to play for Fangio who he "loved" as a coach.

I also remember Mills saying he wanted to be part of the birth of a franchise and be a mentor to young players (or something to that effect).

As for the OP, and why there is a statue of Mills in Charlotte: Mills was the same great human being in NO as in NC, and while he was a great player in NO, he was a great player and great mentor in NC. Then he got sick and died wearing Panthers colors. His "keep pounding" is the NFL version of Valvano's "never give up".

That's why there is a Sam Mills statue outside the Panthers' stadium.

 

[Optimus Prime]

guess this can go here
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The Washington Commanders have fired defensive line coach Sam Mills III, coach Ron Rivera announced Tuesday.

Assistant defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina was promoted to lead the D-line.

Reports of angst between Mills and the defensive line surfaced this offseason after the group underperformed in 2021. But Rivera noted that the decision to fire Mills stemmed from more recent philosophical differences.

"It's about this offseason and training camp," Rivera said...........

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera fires defensive line coach Sam Mills III

The Washington Commanders have fired defensive line coach Sam Mill III, coach Ron Rivera announced Tuesday.

www.nfl.com

 

[CajunSaint]

Too much credit is being given to Jim Finks, he really wasnt great at the end of his life. Gaffes such as the Bobby Hebert contract, Steve Walsh, etc. Not sure if Morten Andersen wouldve been considered him or not, but that too. We were awful at Free Agency when it started in 1993.

The late 80s early 90s saints probably shouldve had more success than it did. BUt it paved the way and for that i am eternally grateful.

 

[tenordas]

Younger fans just don't know...that new crew after Finks retired gave us the likes of Alex Molden, Mario "Master" Bates and Lee DeRamus.

Good times.

Yes. There's simply no way Jim Finks would have allowed us to pick Alex Molden over Eddie George in 1996. Of course, if he hadn't become ill, he might well have left us to become Commissioner (yes, I remember how some the owners blocked him in '89, but it might have happened later).
Finks stepped down in 1992 because of his failing health. He passed just before the 1994 season when Sam Mills was still a Saint. Also, when free agency began in 1993, Finks was no longer the GM.

Finks was "a scary judge of talent." The guys following him just didn't have anywhere near his judgment, neither in talent nor in business acumen.

 

[OneSaintsFan]

It was wholly within the Saints power to tag him, and they didn't. Mistake. A mistake that was clearly a mistake at the time the mistake was made. All this other stuff being said... Did I just sleep through it, or did we fail to tag him exempt from the expansion draft, and of course he was drafted?

 

[Thunderchild]

It was wholly within the Saints power to tag him, and they didn't. Mistake. A mistake that was clearly a mistake at the time the mistake was made. All this other stuff being said... Did I just sleep through it, or did we fail to tag him exempt from the expansion draft, and of course he was drafted?

Are you sure (see bold/ul text)? He was not under contract by the Saints. He was a FA.

Further, he was not selected in the 1995 expansion draft. I cannot find a list of those players who were available, but below is a link to the players chosen by both the Panthers and the Jags. I am certain that had he been on the expansion list, one of those 2 teams would have chosen him. Instead he signed with the Panthers as a FA.

Not sure how the list was determined. Perhaps the list had to be made up of players still under contract? How could anyone be tagged as exempt from the expansion contract unless that player was still on a team's roster? Mills was not on the roster or under contract, so I would speculate that he could not have been placed on the expansion list as he wasn't on contract with anyone at that point.

 

[J.T.]

The Saints front office was very cheap back then. They apparently had an offer equal to that of Carolina but it wasn’t made until after Carolina made their offer so Sam felt slighted the Saints didn’t bother to make him an offer until Carolina forced their hand.

Finks was about getting rid of a player a year too soon rather than a year too late. Sucks that Morten split with a decade of viability left as the organization did not want to pay a kicker, even the best kicker, a mil a year.

Correct on both accounts, Saints were cheap, but on Finks I disagree a little bit. Finks was the forerunner of what Belichick has said, get rid of them a year early instead of a year late, but Finks actually got rid of some of them WAY more that one year early.

Morton Anderson kicked for TWELVE more seasons after he left the Saints and kicked until he was 47 years old. He was 25/28 (89.3%) with a long of 47 yards at the age of 47 on his second stint with the Falcons.

He kicked for: (with FG % made)
Saints for 13 years. 77.6%
Falcons for 8 years (6+2) 82.1%
Giants for 1 year. 82.1%
Kansas City 2 years. 82.6%
Minnesota for 1 year. 81.8%

Sam Mills played for three years after he left and had 99 tackles in his last year, at the age of 38.

Pat Swilling played for 4/5 seasons after he left the Saints. He had 13 sacks (Raiders) in his third year away from the team at the age of 31. He even made the Pro Bowl playing for Detroit!

Hebert had his best year the year after he left the Saints. You could argue that Finks tried to get rid of him even sooner. He even had a decent year four years after he left at the beat up age of 36.

 

[MarkedbyMakers]

Except for technically, Rickey Jackson, who signed like a one-day contract in 1997 preseason for the express purposes of retiring specifically for the team that drafted him in the 1st round in 1981 draft.

To sort of echo or reiterate the OP's original question, is it wrong that all these years later, Rickey Jackson is still my favorite member of the Dome Patrol and I like him better than Sam Mills, due to the fact that after his retirement, Mills seemingly cut all his ties to New Orleans, played up to the media supposedly he was better, happier, and did more in Carolina than what he did for 9 solid seasons here in New Orleans? And the MSM sports media like to pretend Mills never played a meaningful down here as a Saint. Before Brees came along, Rickey Jackson and Morten Andersen were considered two of the best, most legendary players in franchise history.

Rickey Jackson, from his intense playing style, focus, determination, hard work and excellence was to the defense and defined what New Orleans meant from early 80's-mid 90's in same way Brees' did for our offense post-Katrina a generation later.

Not at all wrong. I actually was a big Pat Swilling fan then. I played defensive end in high school (before breaking my neck making a tackle my Jr. year) at like 6'3" 195 lbs. So I was all about speed like Pat was..lolol(I know, just a little different...lol). Guess that's why. I loved all four. (Btw, shame Vaughn doesn't more love) but Pat was my fave. Until he got sent to Detroit o.it, obviously.usly.

8But Rickey will also go down in Saints history as having the most awesome facemask ever. I don't remember what happened to him but he had to have plates in his face and they made him this awesome facemask with like twice or three times the bars. It made him look even more ferocious than he already was.

 

[Fiyo]

Not at all wrong. I actually was a big Pat Swilling fan then. I played defensive end in high school (before breaking my neck making a tackle my Jr. year) at like 6'3" 195 lbs. So I was all about speed like Pat was..lolol(I know, just a little different...lol). Guess that's why. I loved all four. (Btw, shame Vaughn doesn't more love) but Pat was my fave. Until he got sent to Detroit o.it, obviously.usly.

8But Rickey will also go down in Saints history as having the most awesome facemask ever. I don't remember what happened to him but he had to have plates in his face and they made him this awesome facemask with like twice or three times the bars. It made him look even more ferocious than he already was.

Ok

Not at all wrong. I actually was a big Pat Swilling fan then. I played defensive end in high school (before breaking my neck making a tackle my Jr. year) at like 6'3" 195 lbs. So I was all about speed like Pat was..lolol(I know, just a little different...lol). Guess that's why. I loved all four. (Btw, shame Vaughn doesn't more love) but Pat was my fave. Until he got sent to Detroit o.it, obviously.usly.

8But Rickey will also go down in Saints history as having the most awesome facemask ever. I don't remember what happened to him but he had to have plates in his face and they made him this awesome facemask with like twice or three times the bars. It made him look even more ferocious than he already was.

He broke his face in a car wreck

The Story Behind Rickey Jackson's Helmet

One of the Most Unique Helmets in NFL History to Be Part of Jackson's Display in Canton

www.neworleanssaints.com

 

[sfidc3]

If memory serves, we traded Swilling to the Lions for 1st and 4th round picks. Those picks were future HOFer Willie Roaf and Lorenzo Neal….Hey, I loved Swilling, he was a great complement to Ricky Jackson for a number of years….BUT, he only had one 10+ sack season after leaving us, we won that trade going away…..