The New Orleans Saints have a largely rebuilt defensive staff, but things stayed pat on the offense.
But why? Head coach Dennis Allen spoke at the NFL Combine this week and explained the departures of both co-DC and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, as well as co-DC and secondary coach Kris Richard, along with the decision to retain Pete Carmichael at offensive coordinator.
Here's what DA had to say, according to reports from NOLA.com.
On Nielsen, who departed to take the defensive coordinator job for the Atlanta Falcons: "Ryan had an opportunity to go and be a defensive coordinator. I think everybody aspires at some point in time to be able to move up the ladder. You hate losing good coaches, but yet you’re excited for him in that opportunity."
On Richard, who has not surfaced in any NFL role after parting ways with the team this offseason after two years: “I just think we probably had a little bit of a difference in how we viewed doing things and maybe some difference of opinion in terms of personnel and those types of things. I just felt like it was a good point to move on, give him an opportunity to move on also.”
On Pete Carmichael, who will return for a 15th season as Saints OC and the second under Allen as the head coach: “When you have a proven commodity that you know is good and can do the job, well why would I make a change and go through this rat race of the [16 new OC hires]? We’ll see how those 16 do, you know what I mean? That remains to be seen. But I think we have a proven commodity in Pete, and I’ve got all the confidence in the world that he’ll be able to do the job.”
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The Saints have hired Joe Woods, whom Allen is familiar with from his past coaching stint with the Raiders, in the defensive coordinator role. A key theme heading into Year 2 was experience over continuity as it pertained the coaching staff. The team also hired veteran NFL and college coach Todd Grantham to lead the DL and Marcus Robertson at the secondary spot. New tight ends coach Clancy Barone also arrives with more than four decades of coaching experience.
But continuity remains at offensive coordinator, even after a 7-10 season that featured up-and-down offensive play that seemed to particularly be a struggle later in the year. That offense was operating with 35-year-old journeyman Andy Dalton, and it's possible with an upgrade at quarterback, the results will follow. The Saints appear to be hoping that upgrade arrives in the form of ex-Raiders QB Derek Carr, who met with the Saints in Indianapolis, and is also reportedly being courted by the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
Click here for the full report from NOLA.com on the DC moves, and click here for more on Carmichael.
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