Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo, announce plans for 3-4 defense

[Midswat]

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 24, 2013, 6:43 PM EST


Sean Payton is back as the Saints’ head coach, and his first act is to fire his defensive coordinator and reshape his defense.

The Saints have announced that Payton fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and secondary coach Ken Flajole, and that Payton wants to shift to a 3-4 defense.

“I personally want to thank Steve and Ken for their contributions during what was an unprecedented 2012 season,” Payton said in a statement released by the team. “Philosophically we are changing our defense to a 3-4 alignment and right now is the best time to accomplish this transition.”

Spagnuolo replaced Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator a year ago, after Williams left for St. Louis — and before the news broke that the Saints had previously run a bounty program that would result in Payton being suspended for 2012 and Williams being banned indefinitely. Now Payton is back and Spagnuolo is out.

 

[cmd34(work)]

Parcells always said you want to run the defense that fewer teams use, so there are more scheme specific players available to you. Good to see the majority of teams going to a 3-4.

 

[cmd34(work)]

I wonder if OLB Jonathan Casillas, a Saints free agent, could be had on the cheap. Like Ernie Sims cheap. I really don't want to go into next season with Alex Albright as option A at SOLB.

 

[Theebs]

howcome tom benson didnt hold a press conference to announce this?

 

[GloryDaysRBack]

solb is probably the least important position on this defense...we will be fine w albright and wilber

 

[cmd34(work)]

we will be fine w albright and wilber

this is the attitude that kills us every year.

We'll be fine with Alan Ball. We'll be fine with Kevin Ogletree. We'll be fine with Phil Costa.

Competition. Don't just hand jobs to unproven scrubby players.

 

[GloryDaysRBack]

we dont have money or other resources to waste on a SOLB

youre not going to have players at every position

and albright has proven he can hang

 

[GloryDaysRBack]

albright is serviceable..thats all we need from him

 

[cmd34(work)]

albright is serviceable..thats all we need from him

He's too slow for this scheme. He could maybe play the Elephant Position like Clay Matthews played for Carroll at USC but that's not an everydown position. LB's, even the SOLB, must be quick. He will get killed in the flats.

 

[GloryDaysRBack]

you want speed there...you can play sims..he will probably be cheap...you can platoon albright wilber and sims...

youre also forgetting...solb barely plays...most teams are playing 3 WRs at least 50% of the time...so in these situations, SOLB is on the sideline..its not that big a deal

 

[Midswat]

I actually think highly of Albright.

 

[GloryDaysRBack]

cmd is a known racist

 

[cmd34(work)]

cmd is a known racist

Duh, I post at DCU. It's a requirement, Right Hos?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I think we should go after Geno Hayes. Signed a free agent deal with Chicago last offseason (backed up) and played 4 years for the Bucs before that, being their original draft pick (started).

He hasn't even turned 26 yet.

 

[peplaw06]

fire kiffin and hire spagnuolo now. jerry can say that kiffin napped through a couple defensive meetings and had to leave at 3:30 every day to get to Luby's before the early bird special was over.

 

[UVAwahoos]

lol

I never knew that Luby's charges per plate until I got rung up for $17 at the end of the line by some 90 year old lady. Furr's is the way to go.