Whoever the Saints pick as offensive coordinator will confront a difficult decision not only on how to improve the offensive line, but also on who will coach the team.
As the New Orleans Saints continue their hunt for a new offensive coordinator, one major issue, among others, awaits the prospective hiring before they even accept the position. No, it is not at quarterback. Granted, Derek Carr did not play consistently well in his first season with the team. However, Carr performed noticeably better down the stretch and shown a much greater understanding of the scheme.
The next Saints coordinator will confront a considerably tougher challenge in rebuilding the offensive line, which was one of the worst in the league last season. Furthermore, the incoming coach must decide whether to keep offensive line coach Doug Marrone.
The Saints have replaced longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, WR coach Kodi Burns, and senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell. Running back coach Joel Thomas also left the organization to take the same role with the New York Giants. So far, two noteworthy figures have been retained: Marrone and quarterback coach Ronald Curry.
Marrone, 59, recently ended his second season with the Saints. In 2006, he served as offensive coordinator for Sean Payton’s first staff in New Orleans, where he remained for three years. Over those three seasons, the Saints finished first in both overall offensive yards and passing production twice, while also ranking in the top five in terms of scoring offence.
Marrone left in 2009 to become Syracuse University’s head coach. After four years, he was named head coach of the Buffalo Bills, where he spent two seasons. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as offensive line coach in 2014, but was promoted to interim head coach at the end of 2015 before taking over as full-time head coach the following year.
Marrone coached the Jaguars for six seasons, leading them to the 2018 AFC Championship Game. After being fired at the end of the 2020 season, he was hired as the offensive line coach at Alabama. The Crimson Tide were 13-2 in 2021, losing only to Georgia in the SEC Championship and National Championship games.
Dennis Allen lured Marrone back to New Orleans in 2022, after Sean Payton resigned as head coach. The entire offence has suffered since quarterback Drew Brees’ retirement following the 2020 season.
Since Marrone returned, the Saints have averaged less than 110 rushing yards each game, ranking near the bottom of the NFL. In 2023, they were 31st in the league at 3.6 per carry. Poor pass protection, which can be terrible at times, has also caused the offence to spin its wheels.
Marrone sacked New Orleans quarterbacks 73 times in 34 games and put them under relentless pressure. Injuries and the quarterback holding onto the ball for too long were factors in this. However, the Saints were frequently impotent when confronted with opposition defences’ inside twists, stunts, and blitzes.
Perhaps the most serious charge against Marrone was a lack of development among their young linemen. Nick Saldiveri, a rookie fourth-round pick, played only 18 offensive snaps due to injuries and blocking concerns up front. Starting RG Cesar Ruiz, a 2020 first-round pick, regressed significantly in 2023 after showing some potential the previous season.
The most blatant disappointment has been OT Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-round pick. Penning missed the majority of his rookie season due to a foot ailment, but he was named a starter this year. Penning was benched after only five games due to his lack of progress. He’d play only 13 snaps over the final 11 games, falling behind journeymen and career backups on the depth chart.
Because of their failures up front, most anticipate the Saints to address the offensive line with another early round draft pick this spring. Whoever the new coordinator is will also have to decide if Marrone will continue to coach the team.
The choice must be made immediately so that the team can identify a suitable replacement to assist rebuild the line. It is likely the most serious issue confronting the Saints, their new coordinator, and potentially the entire squad this offseason.
Leave a Reply