The NFL’s hiring cycle is winding down, and the New Orleans Saints appear to have escaped with their coaching staff largely intact. But there was one big departure in overqualified linebackers coach Mike Nolan, who was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys as their new defensive coordinator. Nolan’s loss with the team is huge; before he was hired in 2017, the Saints largely acted without a plan or presence in the middle of their defense.
Since Nolan’s arrival, the unit has put up some of the best performances in recent memory, or at least since Sean Payton was hired as head coach.