Spags Released
 

Saints fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and DBs coach Ken Flajole.


Message sent, damn I have missed you Sean

Re: Spags Released
 

show up or ship out.

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WHOLY CHIT!!! Just heard it on WWL

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Lovie Smith..come on dooown!!!

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Wouldn't mind it

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I'm sure Spags is a nice guy. Whatever.

We're in business boys (and girls)!

Championship!

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Square peg, meet square hole.

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I'm shocked... no really I am. I would have thought Payton would have coached at least 1 season with him. Well, life goes on.

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That might just be it. But wow! I didn't see this coming

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HOLY ****!!!!! Whoooooowwwweeeeee!!!!! He's back ladies and gentleman!!!!

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Can we get a Greg McMahon firing as well!!!!!!!

Re: Spags Released
 

Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo, announce plans for 3-4 defense
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 24, 2013, 6:43 PM EST

APSean 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.

Rumor Mill | ProFootballTalk

Re: Spags Released
 

Didn't see this coming. Payton is really shaking things up.

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Welp....guess he didn't get one more year. In Payton I trust. LOL. He was watching for a whole season so he has all the info he needs to feel comfortable making that change so. LETS GO 3-4!!

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3-4? Interesting! Some major personnel changes coming on the defensive side I bet. Dome Patrol v 2.0, we have some work to do. Maybe we should bring back the gold pants too, I miss them.

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This almost shifts our whole draft strategy, is this 3-4 gonna have 4-3 principles or do we have to start looking for a nose tackle now....... Where's Norman hand when you need him.......

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Bunkley is more than suited to play that roll.

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I think we have personnel that could fit. Vilma, Smith are almost certainly gone now with the switch I would imagine. I think Cam, Hicks will fit nicely with it as the DE's. Need a NT. Not sure how Bunkley fits. Its great news for guys that fit it to a tee in Gallete and Tez @ OLB. Wonder who they hire as DC now tho? Lovie maybe?

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Me neither. I advocated for Spags staying, oh well. Sean is a much smarter man than me

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WOW...Do we really have anyone on our D that is suitable for the 3-4??

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I guess Payton must have gained some extra insight looking at things from a distance.

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:jkool:
Did NOT see that coming. I thought for sure that Spag would stay and make a good tandem with Payton.

Anxiety...

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I'd say we have more 3-4 guys than we do 4-3 guys, assuming the obvious that Will Smith and Jonanthan Vilma are released.

Hawthorne and Lofton would make excellent ILB's and Gallete and Wilson would make great OLB's.

Bunkley is OK for the NT and Jordan was projected as a better fit as a 3-4 DE. Hicks has all the tools to be a great 3-4 DE too.

I'm practically giddy.

Re: Spags Released
 

Agreed, but I think that the change to a base 3-4 really was the thing that made Spags "unneeded" since he is firmly a 4-3 guy.

Damn, I really would've liked to see Spags given another chance with SP leading the team, but I guess it wasn't to be.

Interestingly, Andre Curtis, who Spags also brought along with him from St. Louis, continues on the coaching staff as the assistant secondary coach.


Regardless of how things went down, I do appreciate Spags signing with the Saints when he did, and all that he did this season under very trying conditions - I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

:bng:

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Think this has anything to do with two 3-4 teams playing for the championship?

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I'm a little surprised, but I've been calling for it for a while now. I underestimated Sean's hutzpah this time. At times it was a little hard to admit being a Saints fan when the D was on the field.

I've heard Lovie's holding out for a head coaching gig, but I've also heard Marinelli who was Lovie's DC is still a free agent. Dallas is after him, but maybe Benson'd get him to think twice about becoming a Cowpie.

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Not sure about Galette as an OLB, but other than that, I think you're correct about your appraisals.

I also think that Tom Johnson will fit a 3-4 DE role as he played some 3-4 DE in the CFL.

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danno...so happens to the secondary in a 3-4 and who moves where

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It's got little to do with that. This is an extremely circumstantial firing. People are going to either love or hate it, but it's more of a "wrong place, wrong time" situation.

Spin IT: Saints Fire Steve Spagnuolo and Ken Flajole

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Exactly...for someone who picks defenses apart with his playcalling for a living...him sitting back watching it from a distance and seeing all the flaws in real time as supposed to being focused on calling plays and managing the game.

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Nothing personal......jus bidness. Hope the best for Spag's this still gives him a chance to land elsewhere....kinda wonder if Sean's already got a plan....ie coach in waiting. Oh well, cool beans.

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I think it had more to do with talent on hand. Payton commented that we weren't playing to our guys' strengths.

I think our most athletic guys along the front 7 may be better suited for a 3-4. Junior, Martez, Hawthorne, Jordan, Bunkley and Hicks.

I'm curious as to whether we'll convert back to mostly man-to-man in the secondary. IMO every DB we have is better suited for man instead of zone.

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Truth about the secondary, the zone scheme this season was an utter disaster.

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Ain't that the understatement of the year? Greer, Robinson, Patrick, Jenkins and White all looked lost in Spags' zone schemes.

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Maybe Rex Ryan will get an interview?!

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Wow....my cousin must be high. This dude just text me and said "We should get Greg Williams back. We won a SB with him running a 3-4!!"

I'm looking at my phone like WTF?!?!?! I can't even dignify that with a response cuz EVERY word of that text is wrong. LOL. WOW. SMMFH

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I hope the DC will not be either of the Ryan brothers.

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We need better safeties to be able to man up. I think we should try to pick up a good safety and why not try to pick up Tyrann Mathieu?

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Rob just got hired to the Rams so thats one u don't have to worry about.

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Switching to the 3-4 tells me the LAST position to concentrate on right now is either one of our safeties. We have to nail down that front 7 right frigging now, then worry about the back end.