It sure doesn't sound like the New Orleans Saints made the most of the knowledge T.J. Paganetti brought to the team. The Saints fired their second-year run game coordinator on Monday, leading fans to expect big changes in the operation -- only for head coach Kellen Moore to admit that he and offensive line coach Brendan Nugent have had the most prominent voices in the room all along, joined by running backs coach Joel Thomas. Nugent has led the weekly install meetings with players all season and worked with them on the field. Paganetti had a big title but the reality may not have been what he expected from it.
And that drew some ire from Jason Kelce. The legendary Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman worked closely with Paganetti for most of a decade,
and he used his platform to stump for his former coach after news broke that the Saints were moving on.
"I don’t comment on things like this often, but T.J. Is an outstanding coach," Kelce wrote on social media. "He brought a ton of value for us in Philadelphia, and was a big part of our success up front. One of my favorite coaches from my time with the Eagles. He’s extremely knowledgeable, driven, and always worked his ass off to put the players in positions to succeed, I respect him greatly. A lot of teams are in need of good coaches, the team that hires him is getting a great one."
That's a strong endorsement. That Paganetti has been a part of so many teams that successfully ran the ball and developed offensive linemen while the Saints limited his influence, then struggled to get guys lined up and in position, doesn't paint a flattering image. Maybe he should have had the hands-on role that his job title would have led you to expect. Either way, Moore made his choice. If the team still can't run or block, he could be the next one to lose a job because of it.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Legendary Eagles OL Jason Kelce reacts to Saints firing T.J. Paganetti
