New Orleans Saints: Joe Vitt and the Saints' linebacker corps

Joe Vitt has been with the Saints as their Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach since Sean Payton’s arrival in New Orleans.

May 28, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints rookie linebacker Hau

Joe Vitt has been in the NFL since 1979. His first job was as a quality/strength coach with the then Baltimore Colts. He has held that position with various organizations and has also been a linebacker coach and assistant coach with the Seahawks, Rams, Eagles, Packers and Chiefs.

Vitt has also served in capacity of interim head coach and was brought in by Sean Payton when he came to New Orleans to add some much needed experience to his staff. This was inevitable, being Payton’s first head coaching job in the NFL.

There’s no doubting Vitt’s experience. He’s one of the longer tenured coaches in the league. He’s served as head coach twice in his time in New Orleans, once when Sean Payton suffered a broken leg in 2011 and again during the time of the Bountygate penalties in 2012. Neither period was successful. He has a 9-12 record in his periods as interim head coach while with the Rams and Saints.

November 11, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) against the Atlanta Falcons prior to kickoff of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Ability to develop talent

With the Saints defense being historically bad for much of Sean Payton’s time in New Orleans, the Black and Gold defensive staff is under a stronger microscope and rightly so. Questions about Vitt’s value to the coaching staff are being amplified with the linebacker corps being repeat poor performers.

Aside from the play of Jonathan Vilma in his time in the Black and Gold during the Payton era, there really hasn’t been a linebacker with the Saints who one could point to as a serious Pro Bowl contender. In the draft and in free agency, the Who Dats have a series of misses, and Vitt’s ability to develop young linebacker talent is increasingly up for debate.

With the pick of Stephone Anthony at the 31st spot in the 2015 draft, it looked like the negative trend might change. Anthony’s rookie season, leading the team with 112 tackles from the middle linebacker, or “Mike” position showed great promise for 2016.

But questions about Anthony’s ability to successfully captain the defense led to the acquisition of veteran James Laurinaitis in the offseason, a move of Anthony to the strong side linebacker, or a”Sam” position, and a dramatic reduction of playing time for the second year player out of Clemson.

Sep 20, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints rookie middle linebacker Stephone Anthony (50) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

History of poor drafts

A look back over the drafts of the Sean Payton era is pretty stunning in the lack of picks spent to address the linebacker group. In 2007, a 7th round pick for Marvin Mitchell out of Tennessee. Then in 2009, a 4th round pick for Wake Forest’s Stanley Arnoux. Furthermore, in 2011 a duo of Illini linebackers Martez Wilson in the 3rd round and Nate Bussey in the 7th. Even more in 2014, Khairi Fortt out of Cal in the 4th round and Ronald Powell out of Florida in the 5th. Finally, in the 2015 draft the Saints picked up Stephone Anthony in the 1st round and Hau’oli Kikaha out of Washington in the 2nd.

Kikaha is more of a defensive end/pass rusher, what the Saints call the “Jack” position. But the misses here are obvious. None of these players went on to productive seasons with the Black and Gold except for Kikaha, who is still something of a question mark due to injuries and now the head scratching treatment of Anthony.

Perhaps the only other “success” story was Jonathan Casillas out of Wisconsin who the Saints picked up as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2009. He’s been successful to a degree but not with the Saints. It was after his tenure in New Orleans that other teams were able to get better productivity out of Casillas.

The famous Dome Patrol, circa 1988 (Photo courtesy of Barry Hirstius’ Private Collection)

Where the group stands

Saints fans who remember the insanely dominant Dome Patrol of the late ’80s and early ’90s aren’t accustomed to the low level of play being seen out of this segment of the defense. Vitt’s ability to spot, assess and develop talent has to be addressed.

It looks like free agent linebacker Craig Robertson has been a solid addition to the team, but the rest including the usually injured Dannell Ellerbe and the less than productive Laurinaitis are nothing but names on the payroll at this point.

If the Saints want to have a defense capable of putting them in favorable positions to win, this group, its coaching and talent, will have to be examined and assessed, as decisions have to be made to change the current approach. Joe Vitt certainly doesn’t seem to be the answer.