Why Spagnuolo & Flajole were fired (1 Viewer)

[kentish_man]

I found this interesting and thought I would share this firsthand account from a Saints employee whose name I will not divulge.
After the season rumors were circulating around the Saints facility that, during a meeting scheduled to discuss last season’s woes, Spagnuolo was going to blame the defensive performance on the quality of players he inherited, effectively throwing the personnel department under the bus. The scouts therefore prepared players’ performance stats from the last couple of years to make their case. They were not going to say anything if Spagnuolo and Flajole kept quiet. At this time Payton was intending to give them another year. At the meeting however, Spagnuolo and Flajole went on the attack and the scouts went on the defense. Obviously Payton took the side of the personnel guys, cancelled his trip to Dallas which was scheduled for the next day, showed up at the Saints facility and fired Spagnuolo and Flajole.

 

[insidejob]

Wasn't Spags fired in Mobile? He was there with Saints staff at the Senior Bowl practices before Payton was reinstated. Payton got reinstated and was in Mobile the next day, where he fired Spags.

 

[CitySaint]

How could the last few years make any case for any scout regarding defense?

 

[Zztop]

i don't get it either

 

[WhoDat!5]

"Fishay fishay"

 

[St.Fury]

It could possibly make sense if this all had happened in Mobile at the senior bowl. But,

 

[BoNcHiE]

Something personal had to go on I think. Whether this was it, I don't know, but this wasn't just business.

I'd bet a lot of money Spags did something to piss Payton off outside of his horrid performance as DC.

 

[uproar90]

I was recently told that Spags had no concept of how to run an NFL caliber defense, and that the guys out there were basically on their own b/c the DC was clueless.

They did the best they could, but were essentially playing 'pickup ball' instead of a running a plan.

 

[TechDawg09]

How could the last few years make any case for any scout regarding defense?

Compare 2010 and 2011 to 2012, night and day. ..well maybe night and dusk, but still, the numbers were much better in 2010 and 2011 compared to 2012.

I'm not sure if I buy the whole story, though. The worst defense in leagues history is reason enough for Spags to be fired.

 

[El Caliente]

I thought they got fired because they headed the worst defense in NFL history.

I mean hell, a Carl Smith led offense could have hung 50 on those guys.

 

[JimmyB1775]

I found this interesting and thought I would share this firsthand account from a Saints employee whose name I will not divulge.
After the season rumors were circulating around the Saints facility that, during a meeting scheduled to discuss last season’s woes, Spagnuolo was going to blame the defensive performance on the quality of players he inherited, effectively throwing the personnel department under the bus. The scouts therefore prepared players’ performance stats from the last couple of years to make their case. They were not going to say anything if Spagnuolo and Flajole kept quiet. At this time Payton was intending to give them another year. At the meeting however, Spagnuolo and Flajole went on the attack and the scouts went on the defense. Obviously Payton took the side of the personnel guys, cancelled his trip to Dallas which was scheduled for the next day, showed up at the Saints facility and fired Spagnuolo and Flajole.

Your unnamed source could be Big Bird and still remain more credible than the source I don't have so I lean to believing the situation happening the way you describe it.

The issue I take with it is Spags seemed so mature in all the tape I'd seen of him around players and with the media. In some of his Rams practice tape, he reminded me of little league coaches (5 & 6 year olds) being overlly enthusiastic with the "good jobs" and "way to go's". I just don't see him NOT taking blame. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the inside info, OP.

 

[Suavecito8]

"Fishay fishay"

 

[SaintJ]

.well maybe night and dusk

Nicely played.

/forcefulgolfgalleryapplause

 

[SaintJ]

Some of the stuff filtering out from his days in St. Louis, of him being a bit controlling and paranoid....hard to know for sure, but this wouldn't completely shock me.

 

[kentish_man]

What I found interesting was that they were going to be kept on until they tried to pass the blame.