Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma sounded off Wednesday morning about comments from an unnamed Saints player that said defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should be fired.


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Vilma wrote via Twitter about the player's comments saying, "don't give me 'anonymous source' bs" and "say who said it."

When asked by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for reaction to the player's comments, Vilma said Wednesday morning, "No. I'm bothered you reported it. We're not the Jets who run to the media for everything."

Then when asked if the player's comments were wrong, Vilma said, "That's not the question or the point. If he's man enough to tell you, he should be man enough to put his name on it. And you should do the same."

A Saints player told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on Tuesday a "resounding" yes that Spagnuolo should be fired after the Saints (7-9) broke the record for most yards allowed in a season in NFL history and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

"Trust me all the guys were being politically correct this season when answering questions (this season)," the player said. "It's bad."

The player added: "To give up what we gave up can't be all talent. Look at where his units (have) been ranked before. I think one top 10?"

The Saints finished last in the NFL in total defense, last in run defense, 31st in pass defense, 31st in points allowed and tied for 29th in sacks.

"Players have no say in anything," the player said. "It was (a) complete opposite from before where it was a simple D that players had lot of control and say. We couldn't suggest (expletive)...Nothing ever changed. It was his way only.

"Don't even get me started on lack (of) ability to adjust during games. Bad, bad, bad."

The player also said every position group on defense was frustrated with Spagnuolo's scheme all season. "(It was) tough putting on a supportive, everything-will-be-OK face, for you guys (the media) all the time," the player said.

The player said it wasn't just wasn't Spagnuolo's scheme that rubbed players the wrong way. It was Spagnuolo as a coach and a person.

"He does have that good-guy persona, but he is a control freak and treats people like crap," the player said. (Spagnuolo has) no patience and zero personality. (He) has a way of pissing players and our defensive coaches off with how he says and does things. (I) think it's even harder after having (former defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams), who guys enjoyed."

Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said Wednesday morning he did not have a comment on the report at that time. Attempts have been made to reach other members of the team for comment. We'll update the story as we get more information.

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Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Ok....Vilma didn't dispute the claims but he is right this

"That's not the question or the point. If he's man enough to tell you, he should be man enough to put his name on it. And you should do the same."


He has every right to be mad. If this is how the majority feels maybe they had an agreement amongst themselves to take it up with SP when he gets back AS A TEAM and all sit down and either work it out or agree to move on to a new DC.

None of this should be in the media.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

The D has tackled poorly, had no D-line pressure, and had spotty coverage since 2010. That is not Spags' fault. We need an Aldon Smith, Clay Mathews type of player on D.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

It's just more BS for the offseason. When a team fails or underachieves there is going to be some irresponsible ass who runs his suck because he's pouting. The reason the Jets were brought up was because they always underachieve and they always whine to the press.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Call them out Vilma!!!!! I like it.
This guy said "Greg Williams who guys enjoyed", so as far as a judge of character, he has already failed.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Enough whining already. Players aren't supposed to have a say in anything, that's why they're players & not coaches. As a player, "yours is not to reason why, yours is but to do or die". You take your assignment & you carry it out to the best of your ability. If, by some chance, you perform your assignment at a high enough level to gain the recognition of your coaching staff, then & only then should you get the opportunity to express an opinion & it's a coaches perogative to not to give a sh#t about what you have to say at that point also!

I hope Vilma has a team meeting (within league policy) and rips the defense a new arse.

The fact the players are griping so much tells me Spags is on the right track to turning this defense around. Get rid of the anonymous players with the man-ginas and it'll be alright, Spags or no Spags.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

this team is a mess right now

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Yeh, can't wait till Dad gets home and the ass-whippings begin.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Whoever said that needs to be cut! We can't have that kind of insubordination. To say something like that about your coach you must not have any class at all,much less talent.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

The defense anyway ... these guys need to get it together and knock this stuff off ... they sound as bad as the Lions for crissake!

It's understandable a few guys are gonna' lose their jobs next season, no need to act like junior high school girls and cry to the press, :rolleyes:.

Nothing pisses me off more than dissention among the ranks, :mrgreen:. Nip that stuff in the bud right off, before it spreads.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Well it wasn't anyone new to the Defense, so that rules out a few at least. It sickens me that this leaked out. How can our "culture" have changed so quickly?! I hope it doesn't take SP too long to fix this mess!!!

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

We really don't know the level of stress these coaches were under this season. The defense was awful but I think the man deserves another shot, he has proven himself already in the NFL and it's impossible to build a solid defense in one season. Bringing in someone else and starting over seems counter productive. I don't want to see that happen at this point. He has a whole off season to clean it up. I think it will be fine.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

How about this point of view:

If we had a playoff game on Sunday would that player still be saying this? Had we finished with the same record but the defense was ranked 25th, would this player still be saying this?

I am of the opinion that this guy has no more than 2 years with the Saints... Everyone else knows the value of Las Vegas.... and what happens in Vegas.... This also strikes me as someone new that came from somewhere where there was a different environment.. again a rookie. Vilmas comments further enforce that this is someone with very little history with the Saints. The Patricks have been getting beat to all hell ... look in that direction. It fits.

As far as for Vilmas comments: J.V. doesn't hold back as we have seen through out the season. If the statements were true he would have at the minimum alluded to some friction. He didn't.

Lofton didn't just claim he was OK with being in New Orleans, he has been pretty adamant that he is loving it. Not something you expect to hear from a guy who is miserable with his Coach...

Lastly make no mistake here. When you go into an organization and want to make full scale change there is always resistance. You must break them over to the new way with no discussion. Once it is broken over then you can discuss how to make things better.

I find it EXTREMELY difficult to believe that Loomis and Payton would have brought in the personality that the anonypuzzy described as being Spagnuolo.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Whom ever made that statement regardless of it being true or not deserves to be cut... He has no concept of TEAM, or unity.

Those are the people that find a pin-less grenade in close proximity by accident.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Obviously we don't know who said it, but I am willing to bet that Sean Payton would never tolerate that kind of gum-flapping and finger-pointing and attitude if he were here. You'll notice the old guys from the Super Bowl (like Vilma) are far more concerned with character and personal behavior, responsibility, and how you carry yourself. You don't say that kind of stuff. This type of backstabbing, whining, whispering, and finger-pointing has no place in a Sean Payton Saints locker room. He would absolutely have a cow if he were here right now.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

He is probably dilated right now....

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Lets not forget....the reason why we had such a s*** season.....


because someone who didn't like the fact that he was being let go....decided to be an unnamed source in a BS investigation to take the team down......



guys who lack testicular fortitude are usually the guys who end up destroying teams.....hopefully this guy is already on his way out or going to be after the SB and Payton gets back (especially if this story lingers in the mean time)

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Please stop blaming spag's. it's not his fault he does not need to be fired. Our D line couldn't get pressure when GW sent the whole house plus the kitchen sink. Our defense is out of shape slow take horrible angles. This has been a revolving problem. Spag's is a hell of a coach. Our defense just under achieves. They have the mentality of "oh if we screw up our offense will bail is out" I'm getting tired if hearing that. DO YOUR JOB AND STOP OPPOSING OFFENSES!!!!

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Man oh man I do love me some Vilma. The man has bark AND bite.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Since ya no longer need evidence or sources when reporting, I'd like to issue a press release that Roger Goodell has had a long term sexual relationship with herds of goats. Plural.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Probably some player that's on the verge of being cut or this season being the last year of his contract. Our defensive unit performed badly. His market value is probably a sack of rocks. Now it's time to "leak" how bad of a coach Spags was and use it to rebuild some market value.

Yea so Spags may have sucked this year... man up and take some responsibility for yourself and your play. Vilma is absolutely correct. We are not a team full of egotistical primadonna's like the Jets. This team has no place for cowards.

Sean Payton could not come back soon enough.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Can't wait for his bite of the Goodell apple! It should remove some of Goodell's net worth!

Roger Goodell Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Steve Spagnuolo criticism a by-product of rare losing season by New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com

a quick update ...

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Bet it was Sedrick Ellis!

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

choupique said:
That was already litigated. Goodell proved the goats had a bounty on him.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

I see Vilma and I had the same first thought, that this is the kind of bs that happens with the Jets, not us. Even if it is all true, if you can't put your name on it, it did't happen.

I love Vilma and hope he stays.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

When you mentioned 'the Patricks' and/or someone with little or no history with the Saints, a light bulb switched on in my head. Titus Young (drafted 2011) caused huge problems in the Lions lockerroom and from what I've been seeing, a lot of these young/new guys in the league have huge character issues.

I say Vilma & a couple team veterans round up the new guys & let the hazing begin. Stress it out of 'em until one of 'em cracks, :lol:.

Some of these kids coming out of college early really do seen pretty dumb.No doubt they work hard to make the most of there talent but for some its too much too soon.The exposure they get in college may have something to do with it.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

I can confirm this is completely factual based on ESPN sources.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

From the statement(s), we may deduce that the player in question is not one of the recent acquisitions that has not played under Williams, ruling out...

Broderick Bunkley
Curtis Lofton
David Hawthorne
Akiem Hicks
Elbert Mack
Rafael Bush
Chris Chamberlain
Jerico Nelson

so that would leave...

Will Smith
Roman Harper
Scott Shanle
Jonathan Vilma
Sedrick Ellis
Jabari Greer
Malcolm Jenkins
Jonathan Casillas
Junior Galette
Patrick Robinson
Johnny Patrick

Unless Vilma is a passive agressive, we would rule him out...

And Scott Shanle did not have kind comments for William's system or methods last season...

...And it's someone who liked Greg Williams...

...someone who liked things as it was under Williams...

...hmmm...

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

My vote goes to Ellis... His playing time was drastically cut as the season progressed and he did absolutely nothing; did he even record a tackle this season?!

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Thing is, his snap count didn't really go down compared to the other DT's. Despite being constantly ranked the worst DT on the Saints, he had almost 300 more snaps than the next most frequently used DT, Tom Johnson. 719 snaps for Ellis as compared with 431 to Johnson.

If anything, Ellis should be Spag's biggest supporter. Steve S. might be Ellis' biggest, if not only, supporter.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Jenkins seems to be in a position that requires the most "thought". He was also most always out of position.

Harper? No he was bad last year too...

Ellis? sure, he has nothing to lose.

Smith? Doubt it. He loves being in new orleans, wouldn't risk it.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

KUDOS Jonathan
This is the kind of leadership that was missing when he was suspended/hurt early this year. I hope we find a way to hang on to him. I don't think he is the problem.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

I agree, though I wouldn't say our defense is acting like the Jets are Lions. It's just one guy, as far as we know. Others might not like Spags, who knows, but at least the rest of them have kept their mouths shut.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

I see it this way, Spags doesn't tackle, and either do our players. How many times did our players miss tackles in games that allowed big yardage. You can't blame that on the coach. The Coach don't cover receivers or backs, and with what I saw all year neither did our Defensive backs. Roman Harper blew so many coverages, as did Malcom Jenkins. Our corner backs couldn't cover a rock if it was standing still. Linebackers were hurt most of the year, and our defensive line got no penetration all year. So maybe get rid of the Coordinator, But I think we need to revamp our whole defensive personel.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

I hope the veterans have a soap and sock party with the anonymous source.

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

I'm bothered you reported it. We're not the Jets who run to the media for everything."

Do your job !

Re: Jonathan Vilma takes issue with Steve Spagnuolo report: 'We're not the Jets'
 

Yeah, that's true, it's an isolated incident of drama and not runaway drama yet, :lol:.