Kellen Moore shared a lot of information in his introductory press conference as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Some of what he said wasn’t as interesting as what he withheld, like his vision for the defensive scheme and the future of players like Derek Carr. But he did offer up one nugget that comes as a bit of a surprise.
“Yeah, so my first NFL experience was a 30 visit to the New Orleans Saints,” Moore grinned, “2012, I was coming in as a player, so it’s kind of funny coming full-circle, thirteen, fourteen years later, whatever it is.”
It’s been a while since Moore was turning heads at Boise State, then turning pro as a prospect in the 2012 draft. He said that quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi and backup QB Chase Daniel showed him around the facility: “It was a fun opportunity just to get to know the NFL and know this place, again, I quickly realized how valuable it was.”
Remember, teams are allowed to host 30 non-local draft prospects at their headquarters each spring, and while these are often reported as “Top 30 visits” they often focus on players up and down the draft board, not just at the top. Moore wasn’t picked and ended up signing with the Detroit Lions as a rookie free agent. More than a decade later, he’s back in New Orleans and walking the halls at the Metairie practice facility. But he’s doing so in a much different role than last time.