It's one thing to say the New Orleans Saints should move on from Kellen Moore, or that they should start highlighting possible replacements once the time comes to make a change. It's another question entirely to ask: "How appealing will this job be to head coach candidates?"
On the surface, that's an easy response. There's only 32 head coach jobs available in the NFL, so of course it's a coveted opportunity. But these aren't just surface-level job searches. You've got to explore the ins and outs and resources available to a new coach. What would set the Saints apart from their competitors as far as the cornerstone players on the roster, salary cap dollars to spend, and draft picks to invest? What about support coming from ownership and the front
office? And how quickly could things turn around in a competitive NFC South?
With the bye week giving us a lull, here's a look at each of those categories. It's tough to feel like Moore isn't a lame duck after his offense laid an egg in Paris. He's only won 33% of his games and hasn't had the answers for the challenges in front of him on the field or in postgame press conferences.
State of the roster
A lot of Moore's defenders will point out how bare the cupboard is, but the team doesn't lack for blue-chip talent. Pro Football Focus grades were subjective even before PFF sold out, but just at a glance you'll find starters like wide receivers Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele, center Erik McCoy, quarterback Tyler Shough, edge rushers Chase Young and Carl Granderson plus linebacker Kaden Elliss among this year's peak performers. That doesn't get into the first-round picks and big free agent spending on the offensive line that's been let down by poor coaching. A well-versed play caller could get more out of this group while taking action to cover up their weaknesses. Just having a quarterback they can win because of, not with, makes a difference.
2027 salary cap outlook
- Estimates: $28.73 million under (Over The Cap), $26.89 million under (Spotrac), $26.63 million under (NewOrleans.Football)
- Top free agents: S Julian Blackmon, RB Alvin Kamara, EDGE Cameron Jordan, CB Martin Emerson Jr., DL Nathan Shepherd, DL Davon Godchaux, DL Colby Wooden
However you look at the finer details, the Saints are near the middle of the pack in projected 2027 spending. And they have levers to pull to open up more cap space in restructures with Chase Young (saving more than $13.39 million), Chris Olave ($9.29 million), and Erik McCoy ($7.99 million). Just those three moves get them under the cap by more than $58 million. The free agent crop has a couple of past-their-prime big names and some replacement-level starters, but nobody a new coach will feel like he absolutely has to bring back.
2027 NFL Draft capital
- Round 1 (own)
- Round 2 (own)
- Round 3 (own)
- Round 4 (own)
- Round 5 (own)
- Round 6 (via Los Angeles Chargers)
The Saints are projected to pick tenth overall, for now, but Monday night's game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will push them down to No. 11 regardless of who wins or loses. The team is not expected to receive a compensatory fourth rounder for losing Alontae Taylor in free agency, but we'll find out for sure in February (it sure would help). While there are a lot of mediocre teams around the league right now, the Saints' heightened strength of schedules hurts them in tiebreakers, and this could be another year where they end up on the outside looking in despite a bad record. No coach is going to choose this job just based on whether he's picking No. 5 or No. 10, but it does matter to some extent.
2027 scheduled opponents
- AFC: Houston Texans (home), Indianapolis Colts (home), Jacksonville Jaguars (away), Tennessee Titans (away), same-place AFC East team (away)
- NFC: Dallas Cowboys (home), New York Giants (home), Philadelphia Eagles (away), Washington Commanders (away), same-place NFC North team (home), same-place NFC West team (away), NFC South rivals (home and away)
It hasn't helped them after several years of last-place finishes, but a fourth-place schedule does make for a more appealing list of opponents -- hypothetically. If current standings hold, the Saints would host the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans while traveling to face the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins in 2027. With their own division looking so vulnerable, a good coach could look at this as a quick turnaround.
Support from the front office and ownership
We can argue about whether or not Mickey Loomis specifically is a turnoff for candidates, but most coaches are going to want to start fresh with a new general manager rather than someone who has been at the owner's ear longer than them. And Loomis has been there for decades. Gayle Benson highlighting his responsibility to manage the team sparked speculation around the league that he could be on the outs. If he is forced into retirement or a hands-off role in the offseason, the potential for hiring a new coach and GM in one cycle would suddenly makes this job much more appealing. If Loomis does remain in place? Don't be shocked if the Saints' top targets pursue new jobs somewhere else like Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and Brian Daboll did before them.
As for Benson? There is a risk in dismissing Moore midseason and looking like an impatient owner. Coaches are going to want to know they can get two or three years to install their playbook, turn over personnel, and show results. Moving on from both Moore and Dennis Allen during the season wouldn't bring good optics (even if, at the time, the problem with Allen was holding onto him too long). Context matters here. We're calling for Moore's job because he isn't even showing incremental progress. He's losing games the same way and not showing positive growth. So long as a coach can do that and at least look competitive, they'll get the time they need. It says a lot that Moore has already burnt through the goodwill he was given when the Saints hired him.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Would Saints' job appeal to candidates if they did fire Kellen Moore?
