Big Easy Believer
Fansided

Changes Reportedly Coming For Saints Scouting Department

By Gene Higginbotham

facebooktwitterreddit

According to ESPN’s Mike Triplett, changes for the New Orleans Saints aren’t coming for just the roster but for the office personnel as well.

Triplett credited Eric Edholm and Charles Robinson, both NFL writers for Yahoo!, for first breaking the news regarding the changes involved in the scouting department.

Currently the Saints have five area scouts listed on their staff page:

  1. Brian Adams–second season as an area scout, sixth as member of players personnel dept.
  2. Mike Baugh–21st season in NFL, responsible for prospects located in central region.
  3. Ryan Hollern–second season as area scout, previously was Combine scout for four years.
  4. Joey Vitt, Jr.–first season as area scout, previously was club’s Combine scout for 2 years.
  5. Terry Wooden–seventh year as area scout, responsible for prospects in western region.

Who the area scouts being let go are still undetermined but the moves really aren’t that shocking when you are seeing Jeff Ireland’s name attached.

Aug 29, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland looks on prior to a game against the New Orleans Saints at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Ireland came to the Saints with a determination to make his mark and he’s doing just that with going from being involved with overseeing the college scouting to getting bumped up to assistant general manager.

While the Saints had what as viewed as a successful draft, the timing may seem awkward to what outsiders will call a job well done.

More from Big Easy Believer

But scouting college players will begin again shortly as the collegiate football season begins just months away and Ireland is wasting no time in getting new eyes in the form of area scouts.

Yes this draft was deemed(so far) as triumph but the past three have not been the greatest for the Saints with the team striking out on players, with the most notable being project cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste.

General manager Mickey Loomis admitted they knew he’d be a project, yet the scouts involved must have assigned a high grade to him in order for the Saints to take that big of a chance on him in the second round last year.

Other misses include players that never even saw the field and were released such as linebacker Khairi Fortt and offensive lineman Tavon Rooks.

Jun 11, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Khairi Fortt (54) during minicamp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Ireland has brought what was described as a calming effect in this years draft with Loomis alluding to the fact that they wanted to jump on the phone several times with a trade while Ireland stayed their hand.

More from New Orleans Saints

If the Saints are sticking with fresh perspectives as they have so far, then Baugh and Wooden could be two of the scouts let go.

Even though they have the most experience, their player evaluation methods could be viewed as stale in Ireland’s eyes.

But Adams, Hollern, and Vitt might not be safe either in regards to the past few draft debacles especially last year’s “soup sandwich” of a draft.

Whatever the changes are, it’s not just the players that are on notice from now on, but anyone involved with making the team better in the future…..

Next: Long Before Brees, Another QB Was Beloved in NOLA

Home/New Orleans Saints