The New Orleans Saints lost one former player on their coaching staff this offseason, but they've made sure to add another.
New Orleans is expected to add former All-Pro guard Jahri Evans in an assistant coaching role, according to a report from NOLA.com.
It's unclear exactly what position Evans will fill, but he spent the 2022 season as part of the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship program. He'll follow in the footsteps of Zach Strief, who went from a long career as a Saints lineman, then spent three years in the WWL broadcast booth before joining Sean Payton's staff in 2021. He served as an assistant OL coach under Doug Marrone for one season on Dennis Allen's staff, but has since departed to rejoin Payton in Denver.
Evans worked closely with Saints guard Cesar Ruiz last season, with the former first-round pick having his best season to date. The Saints have already hired former Rams OL coach Kevin Carberry in the assistant OL coach role, so it's unclear exactly what Evans' title will be. The spot he's filling is likely that of Declan Doyle, who also departed to join Payton as a TE coach. He held an offensive assistant role, something Evans could slot into.
Evans was drafted in the 4th round of the 2006 draft out of D-II Bloomsburg College, and he started 169 games over his 11 seasons in New Orleans. He finished out his career with the Packers in 2017 before retiring, and was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2021. He was a member of the Saints' Super Bowl roster and was named All-Pro in four consecutive seasons (2019-'12). Evans was also a six-time Pro Bowler and a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2010s, among many other accolades.
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