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

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.”

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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

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Maybe Rob picking the groceries was the problem...

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

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...

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

that is a good point. lets see who makes the team this year

but still 8 games of solid defense in the time rob has been here does not sit well with me. i am still not a fan. lack of adjustment and bad play calling at the end of the game is still his MO and that has not changed.

remember do not trust the media or the kool aid they are serving.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

IMO, Ryan is an X's & O'x guy. And not much more than that.

Not so much a talent evaluator (hello, Jeff Ireland)

Not so much a coach (hello, Dennis Allen)

But by taking some of the pressure off Ryan (as in too much responsibility), he can concentrate on scheme and game plans.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

But he didn't pick P-Rob, White, Martez Wilson, Johnny Patrick, Romeus, Bussey, Arnoux, Vaughn, Woods, Pressley etc...

Doesn't really look like he was the problem.

Most likely the problem was the head of College scouting, Rick Reiprish, whom we fired.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Yes, our draft history is pretty ugly.

But Ryan also had the best season of his career with players we already had in house. Then we fall apart in 2014.

Most of the issue was due to injury IMO but I wonder who had the most influence in drafting players like Powell, Fortt and SJB...

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Well Ryan has been with us since 2013 and the defensive selections have been:

2013
Kenny Vaccaro
John Jenkins
Kharri Fortt
Vinnie Sunseri
Ronald Powell
Rufus Johnson

2014
Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Khairi Fortt
Vinnie Sunseri
Ronald Powell

I'd sure like to know how the Saints scout, grade, rate and select picks...

While you can't hang all the defensive woes on Ryan, I sure don't like crawfishing...

Coach Payton sets the tone with his attitude - these are the guys and it's up to us coaches to get it done...

That's what Ryan should have been saying is the point...

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Sorry I can hang all the excuses Rob as BS.

If you want to see what a good DC does under adverse condition look no further than the job Todd Bowles did with cards in 2013 and 2014. Lost players injuried players, you name it. He did not bat an eye. his players stepped up. he adjusted and moved forward. Rob is not that type of coach. no were near that type of coach.

Todd was higher on my list than Rob in 2013

yes this is comparing apples to oranges. Bowls was never a DC before being hired by the Cards. so he did not have the experience of Rob.

So far Rob has been exactly what he was pegged to be. so lets see if he finally learned his lesson and learns to be a motivator of men.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Can any one of you point to where Rob Ryan was crawfishing?

Or where he actually provided a quote that gave him "a way out"?

I'm pretty sure Mickey and Sean know exactly how much input Rob had.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Don't get this one. Byrd missed some games in 2009 with a groin injury, but had missed no time until this past season. His off-season back surgery had nothing to do with injury. It was done to correct a condition that created a narrow spine chamber. It was a very common procedure to enlarge the opening which would prevent possible future issues.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

And the injury thing will be a myth repeated over and over again, just like Strief being a poor RT.

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

These types of uninformed statements help informed members spot lack of credibility, but it unfortunately spreads these fallacies to those members who either have no time to research themselves or are to lazy to do the same.

In other words, don't believe everything you read, especially in here when stated without factual support.

:rolleyes:

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Byrd needs cover CB so he can free range back there. that is what made him so good with the Bills. they had press man corners. looks like the saints took a huge step in the right direction in the off season to get their moneys worth out Byrd. now we need a SS that can lay some lumber in run support to minimize damage to Byrd. Kenny has one more tear to prove he is a safety and not just a hybrid. unless Kenny Phillips arises from the dead i do not see that player on the roster after those two. i am not banking on it. so SS/FS will be on the shopping list for 2016 i am betting

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

But, we've got like a hundred safeties already........:dunce:

Re: He might not have solely picked the groceries, but Rob Ryan believes he has the ingredients
 

Speaking of safeties, I'm expecting Sunseri to make a splash this year. I think this guy is clearly more valuable than just special teams play.