New Orleans Saints top 5 offseason moves in 2022

New Orleans Saints top move no. 3: The Hiring of HC Dennis Allen

If all you know about Dennis Allen comes from his time in Oakland, then you don’t know Dennis Allen.

He was the secondary coach on the Super Bowl Champion Saints team in 2009. Other stops included Denver and Atlanta. He was the HC for the Oakland Raiders from 2012-2014 and returned to the Saints as a defensive assistant in 2015.

Most recently he oversaw the revival of the Saints Defense. When he took over as the DC midway through 2015 this defense was BAD. In 2021 they were 4th in points allowed and 7th in yards allowed per game.

When Sean Payton missed week 15 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Allen was tabbed as the interim HC – a game they won 9-0.

Most importantly he has been able to retain the core members of the coaching staff. Both OC Pete Carmichael and QB coach Ronald Curry (Who should get a shot to be HC one day himself) are back.

Same on the defensive side of the ball. Both Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard have been promoted to Co-Defensive Coordinator.

Even Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi is back. This kind of continuity is uncommon for a new HC.  This staff believes in him.

Allen’s tenure with the Raiders was bad. He was placed in a very difficult position with cap problems, missing draft picks, and a roster lacking in leadership and ability. He won’t have to worry about those issues save for the cap situation in New Orleans.

Here and now, Allen is in a much better position and more experienced than when he was in Oakland. I’m banking on a 10-win season in NOLA.