Dennis Allen: Even with co-DCs, there’s really one…

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After Sean Payton stepped down from being the Saints head coach, the organization elected to go with continuity by promoting defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to the role.

Allen had been New Orleans’ DC since 2015, establishing a clear system. And that is expected to continue with more stability on the coaching staff, as Allen promoted secondary coach Kris Richard and assistant head coach/defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen as co-defensive coordinators.

With Allen continuing to call the defense as head coach, he said Friday that he had two highly qualified individuals who could do the coordinator job.

“Both of them bring a unique skillset to the operation,” Allen said at the NFL Scouting Combine, via Amie Just of NOLA.com. “I just felt like both of them are qualified to do it. Both of them deserve a shot to do it. And why not make them co-coordinators? Because at the end of the day, there’s really still one voice and that’s mine.”

Allen also dismissed the notion that by having co-DCs and a head coach who calls defensive plays, the Saints will have too many voices for one scheme.

“That’s not really the case. It’s a pretty organized plan as to how things are going to operate,” Allen said, bringing up again how he will continue to make the calls on gameday. “In that sense, there’s not a lot of things that have changed. We’ve got a great group of guys that work really, really well together.

“I’ve got zero challenges in terms of how that’s gonna work. For our team to have success, regardless of who’s the coordinator, who’s not the coordinator, who’s calling it, who’s not calling it, we’ve all got to be unselfish and be willing to put the team in front of ourselves.”

The Saints have plenty of personnel moves to make to get ready for the 2022 season. But the team’s defense should maintain its high standard with Allen at the helm.