If Kellen Moore is going to coach the Saints, he must bring this assistant with him
However much credit Jeff Stoutland gets, it probably ain't enough 😏
Stoutland U has the @Eagles in the midst of another deep playoff run. #NFLFilmsPresents pic.twitter.com/xFrPlzsI9A
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 22, 2025
Kellen Moore shouldn't be the only Philadelphia Eagles coach on the New Orleans Saints' radar. If they're serious about hiring him as their head coach, the Saints must make a strong effort to recruit Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland into becoming his top assistant.
There isn't a better offensive line coach in the league than Stoutland, who has held that job since 2013. That's through multiple regime changes and head coach firings, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a team which has done a better job drafting and developing offensive linemen than the Eagles over the last decade-plus. He was given the run-game coordinator title back in 2018 and has been a vital part of one of the league's most consistent rushing attacks.
Stoutland has demonstrated a unique ability to scout talent and teach his players the techniques they need to win on Sundays. The Eagles reached a deal on a new contract extension for him in 2023 to ward off interest from other teams interested in hiring Stoutland as an offensive coordinator. Whatever number he needs to move from Philly, the Saints must match it.
Much of Moore's success calling plays has come because of the work Stoutland does getting his linemen ready to block well and fight in the trenches; the best-designed plays fall apart without good protection, and Stoutland has done an excellent job making sure that blocking is great, not just good.
So pay him what he wants to wear the offensive coordinator title. Maybe draft an explosive running back who can take advantage of the lanes his blockers open up, and take some pressure off Alvin Kamara's shoulders in the final stretch of his career. Let Stoutland take in young pros like Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning (both 25 years old) and Taliese Fuaga (22) and see if they can hit their ceilings under his tutelage.
The Saints have gone through three offensive line coaches in the last four years; Brendan Nugent in 2021, Doug Marrone in 2022 and 2023, then John Benton in 2024. If they're going to bet big on Moore succeeding as a first-time head coach, it's only right for them to back him up by spending big on his support cast. You can bet the Eagles want to keep Stoutland around until he's done coaching football. But there's no salary cap on paying coaches. If they can't get the most out of their investments along the offensive line, it won't matter who's throwing the football or running with it, or even calling plays. And Stoutland has the resume that makes gambling on Moore worthwhile, as long as they're a package deal.
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