By Ross Jackson
Over the offseason, the New Orleans Saints spoke a lot of culture and buy-in.
So much so that a team meeting was held wherein Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and others addressed the players and staff in an attempt to establish the unification that was desired across the organization. From that conversation on, the Saints went into their offseason and made several changes to the roster and coaching staff, bringing in and retaining contributors to that redefined culture.
The result was a fully rebuilt offensive coaching staff as well as some tweaks to the roster, most notably being the split between the Saints and wide receiver Michael Thomas. Though, that split looked to be on the way much earlier than any team meeting would have preempted.
Amidst the changes, some things stayed the same. New Orleans, unsurprisingly, did not make many big changes to the offensive personnel outside of re-outfitting its wide receiver room behind three young talents. The Saints also made adjustments along the offensive line and would eventually add new faces to each unit through the draft and free agency.
The one position on offense that saw the fewest changes was tight end. Same coach, same top talents in the position room and a notable undrafted free agent addition the team called its “8th-round draft pick”, Dallin Holker. Tight ends coach Clancy Barone was the lone lead offensive position coach that was not replaced, and for good reason.
Barone has been nothing short of legendary when it comes to coaching the position. He’s worked with multiple All-Pro and Hall of Fame players at the position. In speaking with Barone this offseason, he gave a look at the impact of the team’s culture from his perspective.
“Building that culture to where it is peer to peer accountability,” Barone said. “Where no one no one wants to let down the guy next. And I’m most proud to be part of that. It’s awesome.”
The drive to not let down teammates has been a sentiment echoed throughout the locker room, regardless of position. Even during the team’s four-game losing skid, that mentality is still very much intact.
We wrote a story earlier this season about how the tight ends, specifically Foster Moreau, should be more involved as targets in the passing game. Especially with the Saints, at the time, running the ball more than 63 percent of the time when Moreau was in the game. That was simply too stark a tell for a team that lines up in two-tight end sets quite a bit and wants to predicate its offense with the run game. But while we were pointing this out, the team’s tight ends were not bothered by their usage at all. Because of a culture built on one foundational ideal: selflessness.
“I don’t feel like guys were selfish before,” said tight end Juwan Johnson. “But it’s just more so guys are giving more of themselves. They’re surrendering and sacrificing their personal desires for the team’s desires. And I think in this offense, you kind of have to. Because it takes all 11 guys.”
Johnson would go on to make a quip about how he, nor anyone else, would be surprised to see starting quarterback Derek Carr throw a block at some point in the year. Carr did exactly that during the team’s Monday night matchup in Kansas City a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, that game ended with Carr sidelined for multiple weeks with an oblique injury, but a good example was set earlier in the game of that very selflessness that has been shared by many players.
That mindset is being put to the test now that the team has not won a game since Week 2. But the way out of their present situation is likely through the same mentality with which they started the season. Johnson spoke with the media ahead of their Week 7 game against the Denver Broncos, and he pointed out a very important element of the mentality that must be carried forth.
“I like coach (Darren Rizzi’s) moto 1/11th,” he said. “I think if you’re doing your part out of the 11 guys and everybody is doing that exact same thing, I think you’re going to have pretty good results. And that’s not just on the football field. That’s in the film room. That’s in recovery as well. I think that’s just probably one of the biggest things that we have going. I’m not saying guys aren’t doing that, but it is also a reflection of the scoreboard as well. We just have to like Coach Rizzi says. We just have to do our 1/11th.”
One might expect it’s only the veteran players that are thinking like this, the ones with NFL experience and those that may also have experience being counted out midseason. But the message has been so strong in the meeting and locker rooms that even the rookies like Holker are having no trouble buying in.
“I think everyone’s super selfless in this offense,” Holker said. “You’ve got to block. You’ve got to run around. You’ve got to be able to do everything. So, you can’t be a one-way player in this offense. You’ve got to be able to do everything. I think everyone understands that. So, it’s pretty cool to see everyone be selfless and giving up (themselves) and just wanting to do what’s best for your team.”
This frame of mind, this culture of selflessness, may be balked at while the team is struggling. But it may be the very mentality that is necessary to any shot at a turnaround. That mindset is on full display by one of the positions that’s asked to do the most. Tight ends have to run routes, catch passes, block in run and passing games and contribute on special teams, including as tacklers. And some, like Taysom Hill, are asked to do even more.
So if any room is going to exemplify what it means to do you “1/11th”, Barone’s room helping to set the tone feels awfully appropriate. Especially with a rookie quarterback, Spencer Rattler at the helm. It’s always said that a tight end is the safety blanket for a young passer. Last week’s game against the Buccaneers was a solid example of that, and their next bout with the Broncos may be another.
