New Orleans has its leader as the franchise moves beyond the Sean Payton era.
The new guy isn't very new at all, though, and he's not interested in shaking things up too much.
Dennis Allen has been in the Big Easy since 2015, working under Payton first as defensive coordinator until he emerged as New Orleans' choice in its head coach search. He's very familiar with how the Saints operate, and he's ready to put his stamp on the franchise while also relying on past experiences gained both in New Orleans and elsewhere.
"I want to take the lessons that I've learned, I want to build upon those lessons, and I want to create my own legacy here with the New Orleans Saints," Allen said Tuesday during his introductory news conference. "I know this is a job that you have to do with your own personality, and that's the way I plan on attacking it."
One of the first major challenges Allen will have to tackle in his new role is sorting out New Orleans' roster. It will require a collaborative effort between Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis to get the Saints out of their current cap situation, which stands at nearly $76 million over the league limit.
New Orleans has made a habit out of restructuring deals by often adding void years to contracts in order to spread out the cap hit over multiple years. It's allowed the Saints to remain competitive while also squeezing the most out of the salary cap and should be anticipated again in 2022, though there exists a significant difference at the game's most important position, quarterback.
"I think it's the most important decision that you make," Allen said of determining who will play the position for the Saints in 2022. "And so that's going to be one of the first things that we do, is we get together as a staff, as an organization and evaluate that position."
New Orleans currently has Taysom Hill and Ian Book under contract, and neither seems to be a legitimate solution to the lingering issue. Hill was a favorite of Payton's, but isn't a viable passer, instead finding most of his success as a runner and gadget-like player with the Saints. Book lacks experience and struggled mightily in his only significant playing time as a rookie.
Jameis Winston could return to the Saints after starting at quarterback up until he suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the Saints will first have to remedy their cap situation to create room to bring him back. Trevor Siemian, another backup who ended up taking a significant amount of starting snaps in 2022, is another option, though he didn't do a whole lot to convince the Saints they should retain him.
Even with this cap situation considered, Allen isn't about to shake things up when it comes to how the Saints construct their roster. The status quo is just fine for him, even if it means a couple of key players might end up departing for the financial good of the franchise.
"It's been working. What's not broke, let's not try to fix it," Allen said, . "There may be some things with how we go about doing things, but I don't think from a fundamental philosophy standpoint. I don't really see that changing."
The main takeaway from Allen's introduction as the next Saints coach is easy to see: New Orleans is looking to maintain as much normalcy as possible by promoting a key lieutenant to Payton. On the surface, that should be comforting to Saints fans concerned about the future of their beloved team. It will be up to Allen to match Payton's success, though, when it comes to wins and losses.
