WEBVTT - Brendan Nugent, OTAs on Saints Podcast | May 22, 2025 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:09.719 Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, presently by Seacake. 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:14.200 You'll hear from players, coaches, broadcasters and writers did cover 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:18.400 the NFL on a daily basis. The New Orleans Saints 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:25.080 Podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers. 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:31.120 First week of OTAs took place this week Tuesday through Thursday. 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:33.760 As was with the off season programming. So far, the 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:37.520 players have seemed really energized by the work. Head coach 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.159 Kellen Moore said that it's all been by design. 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:43.680 Yeah, Yeah, I think we're really conscious of being really 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:46.000 efficient and the workloads that go into this, and so 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:47.920 Ted Rath is one of the best in the business. 0:00:48.280 --> 0:00:51.040 I truly think he's the best from a sports performer standpoint, 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.360 and so certainly he's a guy that I'll lean on 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:56.600 with connection to the training staff. And so we've had 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:58.240 longer days and so this day was kind of a 0:00:58.280 --> 0:00:59.800 fast day. This is our third day in a row 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.520 that we're really conscious of being reallyffishing with these guys 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:04.640 on and off the field, get them to, you know, 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:06.800 still still go for it. We limited some of the 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:08.720 space and so allows our guys to recover in a 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:10.600 really good way that you know, coming off of this 0:01:10.640 --> 0:01:12.640 four day weekend, we'll be able to attack it again. 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:16.160 A lot of focus during this teaching period is on 0:01:16.200 --> 0:01:19.480 the quarterback room. More announced Thursday that second year quarterback 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:22.920 Jake Hayner suffered an injury and will be limited going forward. 0:01:23.319 --> 0:01:25.200 Just kind of one of those things that happens. Obviously 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:27.560 I do everything I can to make sure those things 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:31.360 don't happen. But this first time I've ever had a 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:33.560 you know, soft tissue deal, you know, pop up, So 0:01:34.120 --> 0:01:35.640 just trying to monitor it. It's not going to be 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:38.320 something that keeps me out for camp or anything like that. Unfortunately, 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:42.000 be down, you know for OTA's which obviously is you 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:44.840 know sucks, but you know, I'm not going to sit 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:47.640 here and feel sorry for myself. Get better, do the rehab, 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:49.840 go through the process, and you know, be ready to 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:50.400 go for camp. 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:52.440 What can you do to stay ready and stay in 0:01:52.480 --> 0:01:54.280 it and be a part of the quarterback room without 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:55.240 being able to be on the field. 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:57.240 Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing a new offense, 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:01.200 new system, new terminology, is be here early, get my 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:05.120 treatment done, don't miss meetings, and then you know, just 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:06.840 take the mental reps when I can. When I'm on 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:10.000 the field and watching and just be around for the guests. 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:12.800 What stood out to you so far about Kellen Moore's offense. 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:15.520 It's very similar to what I ran in college, which 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:17.160 is a good thing, and that's a positive note that 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:21.079 I'm taking Kirby his brother and the same thing. Very 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:26.000 similar concepts, a little different terminology, but protections are you know, 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.520 very similar concepts, very similar. So it's all the stuff 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:31.920 that's helped get me here. So I feel confident with it, 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.200 and you know, I'll be you know, excited to run it. 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:34.960 For training camp. 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.639 Hayna had taken some first team reps prior to his injury, 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.800 as did rookie Tyler Schuck and second year quarterback Spencer 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:46.239 Rattler will be Rattler and Schuck going forward, who split 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:49.919 those first team reps until Hayner is healthy. After practice 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:53.000 on Thursday, Chuck spoke about getting comfortable with the players 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:55.040 around him and his progress. 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:57.320 So far good. It's been really good, just getting to 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:59.760 know everybody, get in chemistry with the guys. I think 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:01.600 it's been the biggest thing is you got new faces. 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:04.240 Obviously you're building the new instaus every single day, So 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:07.080 been feeling really good about that. Starting to just kind 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:08.399 of connect with the guys even more. 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.000 And you're rotating in and out with Spencer right now, 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:14.760 with the ones hainer before. But how has that been, 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:17.000 trying to get acclimated to different groups of guys. 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:19.000 It's been good. I mean, as part of it, you 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:20.880 got to go in there and operate. You got to 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:24.120 taste of that in mini camp. You got brand new faces, expectations, 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:26.520 you got to go out there and perform. And I 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:28.640 love it. And I think you just see the level 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.240 of play here with Alba and Sheet and the kind 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:33.280 of veterannus that we have at all line. It's really 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:35.240 really cool to come in and operate. I feel a 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:37.760 lot more prepared, you know, being kind of an older 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.400 rookie coming in, you know, not being as nervous to 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:43.480 develop those relationships, but knowing that's my whole job is 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:46.200 to continue to earn my role and do everything I can. 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.080 While we are intrigued with the quarterback room, we also 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:51.480 want to know what this Kellen Moore offense is going 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:55.200 to look like. All three quarterbacks gave some insight into 0:03:55.200 --> 0:03:58.280 the Kellen Moore scheme and how quarterback friendly it is. 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:00.520 Yeah, I mean I think it's very key be friendly 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:04.080 in the sense where he's gonna get his quarterback completions early. 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:05.320 You know. 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:09.080 I think in the RPO scheme, the RPR scheme, being 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:12.600 able to get early completions, you know, to the skilled 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:14.600 players early is a part of his game. If you 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:16.039 go only to turn the tape on, there's a lot 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:19.040 of easy completions to get into a rhythm right off 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:20.480 the bat. And then I think they do a good 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:24.000 job of you know, talking to their passers, understanding when 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:26.239 to take the shots, you know, when they present themselves, 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:30.680 and really understanding the why behind it. But then look, 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:32.960 it's a pure progression system, just like a lot of 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:36.360 the systems now in the NFL. But like I said, 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.359 I think the one thing that differential differentiates this system 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:42.320 is there's the bubbles, there's the RPOs, the quick throws. 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:45.360 Some of those things you don't really you know, take 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:48.000 into account. But as a passer, it feels really good 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:49.920 to get into a rhythm early, to be able to 0:04:49.960 --> 0:04:51.919 get some of those explosive plays by not having to 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:54.520 throw it thirty forty yards down the field. So I 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:56.440 think those are the things that you know, can help 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:59.240 separate it and incorporate be another extension of the run game. 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:03.560 I would say there's gonna be answers for most everything 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.279 that you're gonna see, you know, whether they're finding different 0:05:06.279 --> 0:05:09.400 ways that scheme up runs or get into different passes, 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:13.480 or take loads off of certain people. The quarterback, the line. 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:15.599 I think he does a really good job of complimenting 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:18.080 each position and allowing everybody to go out there and 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:20.880 play fast while still giving you a toolbox. And I 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:22.760 think I think where I've had the most success in 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:25.400 my career is having that toolbox, but ultimately letting your 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:26.280 talent go go. 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:29.000 Sean feel great. I think we play fast, play with 0:05:29.040 --> 0:05:31.800 tempo RPOs. QB is gonna be able to use his 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:33.800 legs like you've seen what he's done with QBS in 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:36.760 the past. You know, I don't want to give away 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.719 too much, but it's been it's been great, man. I 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:41.880 think the receivers, the tight ends, the running backs, everybody's 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:44.040 gelling well with this offense and O line as well. 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:46.680 I mean, like I said, it feel smooth, feels good 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:48.760 out there right now. Obviously got to install more, but 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:50.760 you know, we're pretty deep into the playbook and it 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:51.320 feels good. 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:54.040 More as stated since he became the head coach how 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:57.920 important line play is. He's reiterated that constantly, saying you 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:00.240 got to build from the inside out. Set it again 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.040 on Thursday, taking a look at that line and how 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:06.400 it's been configured so far, we have seen first round 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:10.279 pick Calvin Banks Junior moving from both sides, right tackle, 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:13.359 left tackle, and in spent a lot of time at 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:16.520 left tackle this week while Tali sa Puaga was at right. 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:20.240 Trevor Penning has been working in at left guard. More said, 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:23.720 Penning absolutely has the skill set to play guard, and 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:26.719 the goal is to build continuity on the line throughout 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:27.560 the off season. 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:31.480 I think one thing with the offensive line is that 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:35.240 group has to be really, really interconnected, and so much 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.200 of it is verbal, but so much of it's nonverbal. 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:40.120 Those guys are in combinations and working together more than 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:43.680 probably any other group in this entire game. You know, 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:45.880 the right tackle on the right guard spend so many 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:48.160 times in combination blocks and they have to be perfectly 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:50.159 aligned and hit it at the same time and have 0:06:50.279 --> 0:06:52.920 these you know, verbal communication, but at times there's non 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:55.560 verbal communications. So the more time these guys spend time 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:59.720 together jelling, communicating, being on the same page is a huge, 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:01.760 huge advantage for any offense in this league. 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:05.000 I sat down with offensive line coach Brendan Nugent to 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:08.479 dive further into how the OL is progressing, goals for 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:12.120 the off season, and Nugent's return to New Orleans. Coach, 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:14.160 thanks for joining me on the New Orleans Saints podcast. 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.240 It's second time around for you, looking around the building, 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:18.720 the people here. What's different? 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:23.760 Uh, cafeteria that's different, that's probably the biggest change, But 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:24.840 a lot of stuff is the same. 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:25.000 You know. 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:27.360 Obviously it's a first class facility, so it's nice to 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:30.400 know what you're kind of walking into, and you know, 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:32.920 knowing a lot of the people, familiar faces, how things operate, 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:35.080 you know, that always helps for you. 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:37.680 What do you bring that's different this time? And you've 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:40.200 had some years away, gone a couple of different places. 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:43.560 Sure, that's uh, you know, it's what I tell the 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:45.600 players all the time too, Like I'm always learning as 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:47.640 a coach too, So you know, been gone three years, 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:51.520 experience some different situations, different organizations, been around different coaches, 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.520 picked up a few different things, you know, from technique standpoint, 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.280 drill standpoint, even from a scheme standpoint about how we're 0:07:57.320 --> 0:07:59.840 coaching stuff, so always evolve and always trying to stay 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:03.360 you know, chase chasing the edges always and you know, 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.040 stay ahead of the game. And so probably there's a 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:07.760 few things a few of the guys who have been 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:09.960 were with me before have noticed. They've said, oh, we 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:11.400 didn't do that before. It was like, yeah, just something 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.480 we've learned over the time. So it's been good. 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:15.680 Yeah, it's funny. I was talking to Caesar Ruiz at 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:18.560 the Golf Classic on Monday and he brought up having 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:20.800 played with you before, and he's like, oh, that's my guy, 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.440 and so you have familiarity with a lot of the 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:25.320 guys on the line, but how have you seen some 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:27.600 of them like Ruiz and McCoy grow. 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:30.520 Well, it's it's been awesome to watch from afar. You know, 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:32.280 I had those two guys when they were young, you know, 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:34.400 Caesar just in his rookie year, Eric for a couple 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:36.880 of years, but you know from Afar, you know, you 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:38.960 see him in film study throughout the league and just 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:41.520 watching those guys get better and better each year each game. 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:43.280 You know, it's kind of it was exciting for me 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:44.960 to come back and it was like, man, there's and 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.160 still feel like there was more to get out of them, right, 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:49.560 And that's kind of like the greatest greatest thing we 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:51.120 do is we can get these guys just a little 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:53.000 bit better and playing a little bit better, and that's 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:55.160 you know, especially when they're playing well to begin with. 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:57.559 So that was that was exciting for me coming back, 0:08:57.640 --> 0:09:00.720 having the familiarity, knowing how they had progressed, and can't 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:02.120 wait to help him progress even more. 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:03.839 Why did you want to come back here? 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:06.880 A couple of reasons. One, we love this area, you know, 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:09.520 we're here, my younger two kids were born here, you know, 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:11.640 we spent seven years here, fell in love with the place. 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:15.160 And then, probably more importantly, it's the organization. I know, 0:09:15.200 --> 0:09:17.319 it's a great organization. It's people I know. And then 0:09:17.400 --> 0:09:19.320 I believe in Kellen. You know, I've got the opportunity 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:21.120 to work with him for the year. You know, I 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:23.440 believe in how he views it, how he goes about it, 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:25.800 what he's about And so that was a big, big 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:28.360 factor in saying, Hey, yes, let's let's come on back. 0:09:28.400 --> 0:09:30.480 Let's do this thing with Kellen and an organization and 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:31.600 a place that we know and love. 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:34.800 So Coach Moore said that, and he said this many 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:37.040 times before the draft, that you build it from the 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:39.920 inside out. And he's really big on the line put 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:42.320 any pressure on you, how do you approach that. 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.240 I'll take it. I'll take any first round pick you 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:46.880 want to give me, I'll take right. I don't do 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:49.400 it as pressure, right, Like, everybody's got to put five 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:52.280 guys out there, and you know, we talk about it 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:54.959 as an organization here, right, it doesn't really matter how 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:58.240 you were acquired, what round, free agency, whatever, Right, we're 0:09:58.240 --> 0:10:00.720 going to find the five best guys. So building it 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.080 from the inside out. I love that because that is 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:05.439 how the game is won. But I don't feel any 0:10:05.480 --> 0:10:07.199 pressure with it. I just feel like, yeah, because we 0:10:07.480 --> 0:10:09.480 need to. If you can't do it up front, then 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:12.199 nothing else on the outside matters. So we need to 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:14.600 be able to handle things up front, and I'm all 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:14.920 for it. 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:17.319 You have a couple first round picks now on that line, 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:21.320 most recently with Kelvin Banks. He's moved a couple different positions. 0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:23.800 What have you seen from him that you've liked so far? 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:26.320 It's everything we kind of learned about him in the 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:28.840 pre draft process, kind of at an organization, you know, 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:31.280 it's kind of as advertised, right. He's smart, he's got 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:35.480 great character, he's tough, he understands football, understands a big picture, right, 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.160 and then he's a really good athlete and really good 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:40.560 football player who still has potential to even get even better. 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:42.839 And he works at it right, He's not afraid to 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:45.280 try stuff, not afraid to keep working and grinding through it. 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.320 So it's been good, and you know that's the fun 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:50.400 part for us is trying to find the best combination 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:52.120 of those five you know that's going to give us 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:52.960 the best chance to win. 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:55.080 Last year we saw it's Holly, I say, log up 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:57.720 flip sides and he did very well. Trapper Pennies moved 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:00.800 around a little bit. At what point do you need 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:03.040 to feel comfortable with where people are? 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:05.840 I would say sooner than later. You know, were's still 0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:07.719 in May right now, so we kind of have a 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:10.160 little bit of flexibility to kind of try some different 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:13.199 combinations and move guys. But I think, you know, ultimately, 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:15.920 just having done this for a lot of years now, 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:18.280 the sooner we can get those five guys, and especially 0:11:18.320 --> 0:11:20.240 the guards and the tackles working next to each other 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:23.920 because they developed that rapport and that relationship, so it'll 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:26.559 happen sooner than later. But we're still have some flexibility 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:28.680 with just where we are in the in the off 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:31.240 season right now to work with some of those things. 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:34.200 With the quarterback room and that being up in the air, 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:36.240 not knowing who the starter is going to be. There's 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:38.280 chemistry that has to be developed there with the line 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:41.360 as well. What do you talk to your alignment about 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.280 and how they can approach that so things are easier 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:45.680 for whoever is back there. 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.800 Sure you know it's at the end of the day, 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:51.559 the quarterbacks in general, right, Like we say, everything runs 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:53.400 through the line, but he's the general out there. So 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:55.440 you know, the way we go about it is, hey man, 0:11:55.440 --> 0:11:57.400 we got to learn all of these guys. We have 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:00.000 to learn their nuances, their cadences, right, and that's all 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.040 us to figure it out, right how whoever, however that unfolds, 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:05.040 we got to be ready to go with any of them. 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:08.319 And so that's not you know, obviously them like they'll 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:10.840 work to all try and be similar with cadences and 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:13.720 how they call plays, but everybody's different. But that's on 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.280 us as a unit to be able to figure out 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.520 all those guys and be ready to roll with however 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:19.600 that shakes out in that room. 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:22.560 When you were here last as the offensive line coach, 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:25.280 one hundred and thirty one sacks, surrendered first in the 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:29.040 NFL and tied for the most rushing touchdown, So the 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:32.600 line was really working. Then how do we get back 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:32.880 to that? 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:37.400 Just hard work, you know, it's it's a combination of Look, 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:39.200 it's at some point changes and have a ble in 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:41.079 this business. You can just look at my career over 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:44.040 the past four years and see that. But you know 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.280 it's again you just come in and callan said it. 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:49.840 You know, it's a blank slate. Everybody's got a blank slate. 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:52.360 And so now we just slowly build this thing up 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:54.679 right from the ground floor and then we just get 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:57.200 back to playing Saints football like we know it is 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:58.760 and that we have the talent to do. Now, we 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:00.400 just got to make sure we put it all together. 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:02.640 And it's just, you know, it's an old cliche, but 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:04.640 it's just one day at a time and just hard 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:06.800 work and keep getting better and better and better, and 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:08.720 then all of a sudden things just start going and 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:11.640 then they click and now we're rolling and running all right. 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:14.320 So you were a linebacker how did you end up 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:15.320 coaching the line? 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:19.560 So about twenty two years ago. Now I think my 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:22.320 math might be off. I had coached high school ball 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:24.520 for one year. Back in my high school, I coached 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:28.480 linebackers and quarterbacks, and then I got a job offer 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:31.200 at the University of Iowa, and it was kind of 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:34.720 working with the offense, but a lot with the O line, 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:37.680 and so I kind of learned a little bit there. 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:39.520 And then throughout the course of the years I was 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.200 in college, I coached pretty much every position on offense 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:45.520 except quarterbacks exclusively. And then when I got to the 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:48.600 NFL thirteen fourteen years ago, whatever it was, the job 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:51.360 was with the O line, and I've been there ever since. 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:52.920 So I kind of got a background in it, you know, 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.640 my first college job, and then kind of always kept learning, 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:59.040 always intrigued by it, and you know, worked with tackles 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.160 and tight ends and difference spots, and then you know, 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:02.760 just since I've been in the NFL, I've kind of 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:04.920 learned from the ground floor up in the old line room, 0:14:04.960 --> 0:14:08.440 and it's I'm passionate about it. So I love doing it. 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:10.400 I love being in that room with those guys. 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:13.560 How much does it help having somebody like Jaria Evans then, 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:16.600 who did play the position at extremely high level right 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:17.520 there alongside you. 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:20.360 Oh, it's great. Like I've said this before to other people, 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:24.520 like I've learned more about this position from players than 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:27.080 I have truly from other coaches who have coached it right. 0:14:27.120 --> 0:14:29.360 And it's like I said earlier, like I'm always learning. 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:31.080 I'm an open book. I want to know, Hey, Jari, 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.640 how'd you do this? So having somebody like that who's 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:36.280 about to be a Hall of Fame player right about 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:37.600 to be in the Hall of Fame as a guard 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:39.480 like that, is just to rely on that and have 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:41.440 that in the room and say, you know, how do 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.600 you see it from a player's perspective, Joh, how did 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:45.320 you do this right? It's invaluable. 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.280 This is the first stage of OTAs. What's the next 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.720 few weeks look like as we progress towards mandatory mini 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:54.120 campus What you would like to see from the line? 0:14:54.160 --> 0:14:56.720 Sure, you know, it's the way we're kind of structured here. 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.000 You know, it's a lot of emphasis on individual drills. 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:00.680 For us, it's an old line, not a lot of 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:04.040 team more of a walkthrough tempo team setting at the end, 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.560 which for us is great because we can really boil 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:09.480 it down to like the nuts and bolts, Like we 0:15:09.520 --> 0:15:13.480 could start slow and truly progress through the fundamentals and 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:17.320 not have to dive crazily into scheme early, so we 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:19.800 could really like, hey, make sure our fundamentals are on points. 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:21.880 So over the next couple of weeks, even leading into 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:24.760 mandatory mini camp, we'll just keep building, you know, slowly 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:26.960 on those fundamentals, make sure we got them right before 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:28.680 we go on to the next one, and then as 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:30.680 we intertwine the scheme with it, it all kind of 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:33.440 makes sense. So it's just all building towards training camp. 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:34.800 And then when we get the pads on. 0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:37.160 When we get the pads on, we're rolling. Hopefully we've 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.080 created enough of a base here in the offseason fundamentally right, 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:42.240 we won't abandon them, and training camp will still work them, 0:15:42.280 --> 0:15:44.160 but it'll be more of an emphasis on, all, right, 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:46.160 let's make sure our fundamentals are on point, and then 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:48.120 dive into the scheme and how we're doing stuff in 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:49.920 the specific techniques and stuff like that. 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.200 With Eric McCoy and the way that he's just anchored 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:55.280 this line for so long, has knowledge of the game, 0:15:55.800 --> 0:15:58.720 how valuable is he with the youth that you still 0:15:58.840 --> 0:15:59.480 do have there. 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:02.200 Great Eric is a vital piece for that, right. You know, 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.520 he's unquestionably the leader in that room. You know, he 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:07.720 was strussed in the starting position his rookie year, so 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:09.440 he's seen a lot of football from a lot of 0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:15.280 different perspectives. So he understands the game and he communicates outstanding, 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:17.880 and he can get to make sure everybody's on the 0:16:17.920 --> 0:16:22.200 same page at all times, right, And that's valuable, especially 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:24.840 right when you have a young group like you said, 0:16:24.840 --> 0:16:26.800 where he could just make get everybody on the same page, 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:29.240 and it's just tomming presence, especially when he's out there. 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:31.640 Well, we're looking forward to the rest of OTAs and 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:33.440 to see how this line shapes out. Thank you so much. 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:34.720 Thank you so much for having me. 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:39.920 Establishing that chemistry with the line and quarterback will be important. 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:43.120 The chemistry between the quarterback and the wide receivers will 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:45.920 also be key. And the best play that I saw 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:49.400 during the open portion of OTAs on Thursdays was from 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.680 rookie Tyler Schuck. He pump faked it, threw it down 0:16:52.760 --> 0:16:58.280 the right sideline to Rashid Shiheed about fifty yards. Rashid 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:01.120 is fast. Shuck got the timing right and the connection 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:02.760 was perfect. 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:05.639 Yeah, yeah, we just had a little double move on. 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.240 You know, we're building through the installs, so naturally, you know, 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:12.120 shorter based plays right in the beginning. We'll start kind 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:15.080 of get into more exotic ones. But yeah, it's been 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:18.199 good to develop dot Camra Street with the guys like 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.320 Sheet and He's you saw him go out there and 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:22.159 go make the play, so he's he's got some some 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:23.040 big playability. 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:27.200