Saints To Hire Darren Rizzi
One of the league’s most respected special teams coaches is headed to New Orleans. The Saints have hired former Dolphins ST coordinator Darren Rizzi, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). New Orleans has officially announced Rizzi’s hiring.
This week, the Saints chose to move on from their previous special teams staff, which was headed by veteran guru Mike Westhoff. Rizzi will now step in after courting interest from multiple clubs around the league, including the the Bills, Jets, Lions, Packers, and Vikings.
In addition to serving as the Dolphins’ ST coordinator, Rizzi also carried the title of Assistant Head Coach. After the firing of Adam Gase, the Dolphins interviewed Rizzi for the job. When Rizzi didn’t get the gig, he resolved to move on.
The Saints’ dismissal of Westhoff was surprising to many, including Westhoff himself. In 2017, Westhoff’s first year with the team, the Saints’ ST unit improved from 25th in the league to 14th, per Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings. In 2018, they ranked second overall.
David Onyemata Cited For Marijuana Possession
Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata was recently cited for possession of marijuana, per Nick Underhill and Ramon Antonio Vargas of The New Orleans Advocate. Jefferson Parish (La.) prosecutors are unsure if they will formally charge Onyemata.
New Orleans selected Onyemata, a native of Nigeria, in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, and he has steadily improved his game during his first three seasons in the league. He played in almost 60% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2018 and compiled a career high 4.5 sacks to go along with 35 total tackles. He has appeared in all of the Saints’ regular season and playoff contests since he became a pro.
His early career is especially impressive considering he did not start playing football until 2011, when he arrived at the University of Manitoba. He said he picked up the game just to have something to do between classes, and now he is a regular on one of the league’s better clubs. The Saints were intrigued enough by his potential that they traded up in the 2016 draft to acquire him, and they have thus far gotten a solid return on their investment
Onyemata is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so this citation comes at something of an inopportune time. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office began investigating a package that was seized by U.S. Customs & Border Protection personnel in Buffalo, New York, on January 28, and it obtained a search warrant for Onyemata’s apartment the following day. Deputies ultimately seized three ounces of marijuana, cannabis oil, marijuana edibles, and hemp powder.
Even if Onyemata escapes legal repercussions, he could still face disciplinary action from the league. With Sheldon Rankins working his way back from an Achilles injury suffered during the playoffs, and with Tyeler Davison a free agent, New Orleans could be a little thin along the defensive line to start the 2019 campaign.
Alex Okafor's Last Contract Year Voided
- The Saints changed the language in pass-rusher Alex Okafor‘s contract back in December, and the new deal language automatically voided the 2019 year of Okafor’s contract, a source told Nick Underhill of The Advocate. Underhill writes that the deal was re-worked to give Okafor a $400K bonus even though he came up one sack short of the incentive, and it also guaranteed him free agency. Okafor was having a really good year in 2017 before tearing his Achilles, and then re-signed on a cheap deal with the Saints before the 2018 season started. Now fully healthy, the voided year means Okafor will be an unrestricted free agent this March and he’ll have the chance to cash in with a big contract.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Payton, Eagles
Take this with a grain of salt, but there’s an ongoing theory that the Cowboys are eyeing Saints coach Sean Payton as the eventual replacement for Jason Garrett, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, there are a number of complications and roadblocks involved in such a plan, including Payton’s contract with New Orleans, which runs through 2020.
Garrett is a lame duck heading into 2019 and the team does not plan to give him an extension between now and the fall. Of course, Garrett’s job has been in jeopardy before and he could easily turn things around with a big season in Dallas.
If the Cowboys are indeed interested in Payton, then this wouldn’t be the first time another team has tried to pry him away. The Colts and Rams reportedly explored the idea in January 2017, but Payton wound up staying put in New Orleans.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- The Eagles may be hoping to “tag and trade” quarterback Nick Foles, but Foles’ representatives should be prepared to fight any attempt to block his path to the open market, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The QB’s camp could communicate that they won’t cooperate with the plan or they could fight it based on the rules of the CBA. Article 4 of the CBA reads: “A Club extending a Required Tender must, for so long as that Tender is extended, have a good faith intention to employ the player receiving the Tender at the Tender compensation level during the upcoming season.” Tendering Foles strictly to trade him would potentially be in violation of that clause.
- The Giants are likely going to use Eli Manning as their starting quarterback in 2019, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY opines. The Giants, he writes, are more likely to seek his heir in the draft and potentially explore a negotiation to trim his $23.2MM cap hit.
- Former Eagles quarterback G.J. Kinne has agreed to become an offensive assistant with the Eagles, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets. Last year Kinne worked an analyst/assistant QB coach at Arkansas. Kinne, a Tulsa product, worked the practice squad circuit up until he was released by the Giants in May of 2016.
- The Eagles also promoted assistant wide receivers coach Carson Walch to full WRs coach, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He takes over after the team moved on from Gunter Brewer.
Bengals Cast Wide Net In DC Search
The Bengals are casting a wide net in their search for a defensive coordinator and other defensive staffers, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The club is expected to request (or has requested) interviews with former Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, Texas A&M DC Mike Elko, Florida DC Todd Grantham, and Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn.
The Bengals made an offer to veteran coach Dom Capers this week, but he turned them down and is now believed to be Miami-bound. Capers, 68, would have given the Bengals a Rams replica of sorts as he would have supported 33-year-old head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals also flirted with former Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, an indication they would prefer a veteran counterweight to Taylor.
Outside of Grantham, however, the coaches they’re now considering are on the younger side of 50. That could indicate a change in philosophy for Cincinnati. Or, it could be a case of the old adage – beggars can’t be choosers.
As previously reported, the Bengals also requested an interview with Rams DB coach Aubrey Pleasant.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/6/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Los Angeles Rams
- DB Donte Deayon
- LB Travin Howard
- T Kyle Murphy
- WR Austin Proehl
New England Patriots
- OL Cole Croston
- OL Jake Eldrenkamp
- QB Danny Etling
- DL Trent Harris
- DL Frank Herron
- DB A.J. Howard
- OL Ryker Matthews
- LB Calvin Munson
- DL David Parry
- WR Damoun Patterson
- OL Dan Skipper
New Orleans Saints
- RB Martez Carter
Latest On Dennis Allen's Saints Deal
- Dennis Allen‘s new Saints contract is a three-year agreement, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The former Raiders HC has been the Saints’ DC since the 2015 season. His unit has gone from one of the worst in NFL history, in ’15, to one of the top groups in the league.
Saints To Retain DC Dennis Allen
Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is expected to sign a new deal that will keep him in New Orleans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Earlier today, reports surfaced indicating Allen was presumptive Bengals head coach Zac Taylor‘s top choice to take over as DC in Cincinnati. Allen’s contract with the Saints had expired, so the Bengals wouldn’t have had to negotiate any sort of compensation in order to land Allen. However, it appears New Orleans was able to convince Allen to stay in the role he’s held since 2015.
The Bengal weren’t the only rival club to express interest in Allen this offseason, as the Dolphins also interviewed him for their head coaching position. Allen, spent three seasons as the Raiders’ head coach, compiling an abysmal record of 8-28. But he’s respected in coaching circles, and his work with the Saints has not gone unnoticed.
Under former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, New Orleans regularly posted one of the NFL’s worst results, and the unit continued to struggle during Allen’s first full season as DC (2016), finishing 31st in DVOA, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric. However, the Saints vaulted up to eighth in defensive DVOA in 2017 and ranked 11th this past season. New Orleans ranked 14th and 19th in points allowed and yardage allowed, respectively, in 2018.
While players such as defensive end Alex Okafor, linebacker Craig Robertson, and cornerback P.J. Williams are set to reach unrestricted free agency in March, the Saints don’t project to lose any key defensive pieces this offseason. As such, Allen could find himself in head coaching rumors again next year, provided New Orleans’ defense continues to excel.
Bengals Interested In Dennis Allen For DC
The Bengals will formally announce Zac Taylor as their next head coach tomorrow, and the team has already tabbed Brian Callahan to serve as Taylor’s offensive coordinator.
There is less clarity on Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator vacancy, though a couple of big-name candidates have been mentioned as possibilities. Reports from two weeks ago suggested that Jack Del Rio and John Fox are potential targets, and now Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio has added another name to the mix.
Per Marvez (Twitter link), the Bengals are interested in Dennis Allen, who has served as the Saints’ DC since taking over for Rob Ryan during the 2015 season. Allen has rebuilt his reputation in coaching circles after a difficult stint as the Raiders’ head coach from 2012-14, and his name has popped up as a head coaching candidate in the last couple of years. His unit ranked second in the league against the run and tied for fifth in the NFL in sacks in 2018.
In a separate tweet, Marvez appears to suggest that Allen is the Bengals’ top choice for the job and that Del Rio and Fox may no longer be under strong consideration. Marvez reports that, if Cincinnati cannot get Allen, the club will turn its attention to Dom Capers, who worked as the Packers’ DC from 2009-17.
We recently learned that Allen’s contract with New Orleans is up, so he is a free agent at the moment. The Saints reportedly want to keep him, but they now have some serious competition for his services.
Regardless of whom the Bengals hire as their next defensive coordinator, it looks as though they want an experienced candidate to pair with rookie head coach Taylor and rookie offensive coordinator Callahan.
Saints Lose Assistant To LSU
On the surface, the Saints reluctantly enter their offseason without many avenues to improve their roster. They traded away their 2019 first-, third- and fourth-round picks and stand to hold less than $20MM in cap space. However, they may be open to another extension that knocks down Drew Brees‘ NFL-high $33.5MM cap figure. Another place the team could look to for potential cap savings is Andrus Peat‘s contract. The 2015 first-round pick has a $9.625MM fifth-year option salary, but with those deals guaranteed for injury only, The Athletic’s Larry Holder writes (subscription required) the guard is not a lock to return to New Orleans in 2019. Four of the Saints’ top six cap charges stand to go to offensive linemen, and Peat graded out as Pro Football Focus’ worst full-time guard this season. Peat broke his hand in December, but having played in both New Orleans’ playoff games, passing the fifth-year option physical before the new league year seems like a decent bet.
- Shifting back to the Saints, they will lose a staffer to the college ranks. Offensive assistant Joe Brady will become LSU’s passing game coordinator, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets. Brady spent two years with the Saints.