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He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients for a good defense

After the Saints walked away from the draft with six defensive players, a talking point emerged that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan handpicked the groceries for the upcoming season.

This isn’t true -- at least not entirely. While New Orleans certainly made an effort to acquire players who fit his scheme and a certain profile, Ryan wasn’t any more involved with the selection of these players than a coordinator would have been in any other season.

“With (coach) Sean (Payton) and (general manager) Mickey (Loomis) being here, and (assistant general manager) Jeff Ireland -- they’re going to ask the coach’s opinion,” Ryan said. “But we have three of the best in the business doing the selecting.”



The coaches’ opinions carry some weight. At some point in the pre-draft process, they’ll be asked to watch and grade players and put them through workouts or watch a pro day. Their observations and opinions might change how the team views that player. But the idea that Ryan, or any other coach, can handpick his players is misguided.

In fact, how much sway the coaches hold in the draft process is debatable. There are conversations each year about the offense and defense, and what body types the coaches are looking for that will fit the scheme. However, there are not many conversations about which specific traits a coordinator is looking for in players. The team primarily relies on its scouts to assign values on players and help guide decisions.

So while Ryan might have been able to make some suggestions on what groceries were brought home and how they were prioritized, and been heard when doing so, he wasn’t the one writing the items on the list.

“They have some input, it’s more about (in their role), they’ll write up the grades on players we ask them to grade,” Payton said. “Jeff Ireland, myself and Mickey will kind of closely be (more) involved with the overall process. ... They are part of the process, the coaches are, but ultimately it would be the (scouting) reports.”

He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients for a good defense | Saints | The New Orleans Advocate — New Orleans, Louisiana

dizzle88

On paper this looks like one of the more complete drafts we've had.

No early picks spent on "project" players
Plenty of players who could be immediate starters
Players drafted to address our glaring weaknesses last year.

Only position we missed in my opinion is receiver but if the guys we have step up this year I'll gladly retract that statement.

ScottF

BS. He's a highly-compensated DC and interviewed and worked out all of those prospects.
Maybe he didn't get his number 1 choice (what with 31 other teams in the mix), but he knew the strengths and weaknesses of all of those guys.

With this draft class RR will either be on a pedestal or shown the door.

SmashMouth

There may be some hidden gems in the UDFA WR/TE class.

hagan714

He might not have solely picked the groceries.

oh goodie he is already leaving himself an out.

what happen to the head lines "This Draft Has Rob Ryan written all over it". so now i guess it doesn't. some one is looking out for some back i think.

Danno

How is someone else saying he has minimal input a way for him to have a way out? That makes no sense at all.

SmashMouth

ChrisXVI

Yeah I'm with Danno... How does what other people have said equal Rob Ryan having excuses?

saintsfan1976

Maybe Rob picking the groceries was the problem...

jeanpierre

Exactly.

End of the day, good coaches play hard, win with what they have...

Granted, we've not made a real concerted effort in the draft on defense until now...

But he had earned my respect after 2013, the slide back last year had as much to do with injuries on the d-line, poor contract choices (i.e. Galette's incentive-laden contract, a historically oft-injured Byrd, lack of no.2 cornerback, lack of a third pass rusher)...

Don't start backing down now Ryan, you've gotten some damn good weapons this off-season, make it count...

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...