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When the New Orleans Saints announced on Monday that they were promoting defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to head coach, it made it so that all nine of the head coaching openings in the NFL had been spoken for. Eight coaches have signed on the dotted line and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell will be announced as the Minnesota Vikings' next head coach on the day after Super Bowl LVI. With Allen being a retread candidate, we have a good idea of what his staff might look like and what his roster construction theories might be. As a defensive coach, that side of the ball has been where he has focused a lot of his efforts as a head coach. While he will probably want to be more involved in the offensive game plan this time around, it is still important for him to have a sound offensive mind on that side of the ball. That brings us to our three predictions for Allen's first year as Saints head coach, the first being the hiring of the aforementioned offensive coordinator…
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3 bold predictions for Saints head coach Dennis Allen
3. Doug Marrone will be Allen's offensive coordinator (good)
Marrone and Allen go way back to their days on the Saints in 2008. Also, On February first, Eric Wolford accepted Marrone's position as the offensive line coach at Alabama. It is unclear whether Doug Marrone was fired, was asked to resign, or he was simply looking for a better opportunity…like the one here. Allen will first obviously call up Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy. Bienemy doesn't call plays for the Chiefs and can make the move to the Saints for the added responsibilities. If Bienemy says no, though, and they strike out, then Marrone is a good consolation prize.
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Former Alabama OL coach Doug Marrone is speaking at a high school coaches clinic today near Syracuse. He said he has yet to make a decision on his next job but has three options.
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) February 4, 2022
2. The defense will once again be far ahead of the offense (bad)
The Saints have a decent amount of money invested into Taysom Hill and the team will likely use that as a crutch to play him as their 2022 starter. With the 2022 NFL draft class and free agency classes looking like weak ones at the quarterback position, it makes sense for the Saints to wait one more year before grabbing their signal-caller of the future. Also, if the Saints do not necessarily try to compete in 2022 (AKA tank), they will be able to offload a few contracts and set themselves up nicely for the 2023 NFL Draft that figures to have a few elite talents at the QB position.
1. The Saints' 2022 season will end with the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft (ugly)
Speaking of the 2023 NFL draft, that is where we predict the Saints can get their franchise back on track. They will be presented with the possibility of drafting either Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce young, or whichever other quarterback can separate themself from the pack during the 2022 NCAAF season. The Saints would find themselves extremely lucky to find their quarterback of the future within two years of the retirement of future Hall-of-Fame QB Drew Brees. If the Saints can get themselves out of their desperate salary cap predicament at the same time, that will just be the cherry on the top.
