IRVINE, Calif. — With the arrival of Saints new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in offseason, a lot of attention has focused around a new playbook and how the offense will embrace and execute a new gameplan following 15 years under previous OC Pete Carmichael.
"It's awesome," Saints tight end Foster Moreau claimed. "There's a lot of discipline, there's a high level of accountability, everyone's meeting together and we're all hearing it from the same mouth. I think that's important. The secondhand information stuff that we've kind of delved in in the past, we're done with that."
Kubiak replaced Carmichael, who first joined the Saints as a quarterback coach under newly hired head coach Sean Payton in 2006.
With Carmichael ousted after 18 years with the team, Kubiak joined the Saints in Dennis Allen's third year at the helm and four seasons removed from their last playoff appearance.
Moreau, a former Jesuit High School and LSU football star, not only welcomes the change in communication, but also in offensive strategy which may see a more grounded approach this season.
"There's a lot of complimentary action and a lot of play-action stuff," shared Moreau. "Obviously, in this league, nothing goes without the run, right? You can pass and score all you want, but you gotta run the ball to win. For us, it's been a huge point of emphasis."
The Saints ranked 21st in the 32-team league in rushing with 1,742 yards off 480 attempts (No. 23) – tied second to last with the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 3.6-yard average.
"We have a very talented back room, we have a lot of skill in the offensive line room," he continued. "I'm putting a lot on myself, I'm in for a lot of the run downs. Getting more yards per carry is a big point of emphasis and something we definitely need to address and I think we have been. These guys are really pushing, working to finish."
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Prior to signing with the Saints last year, team doctors discovered abnormalities that led to a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma. After a positive prognosis, Moreau signed a three-year, $12 million contract with New Orleans in May 2023 after spending his first four seasons with Saints quarterback Derek Carr while both were with the Raiders.
For now, the 27-year-old Moreau is happy to be back in 'Black and Gold' without the distractions surrounding him a year ago.
"I definitely had some stuff going on last year and I still had a little going on this year, but everything's worked out and I was in the training room, in the weight room, on the field as much as I could," explained Moreau. "I was limited for a lot of the OTAs, but then getting to take some actual team reps late was awesome, and continuing to grow and prosper and put a little more on myself is something I absolutely needed to do."
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