Transcript: Defensive Line Coach Ed Orgeron On Ellis

Ed Orgeron

posted April 26, 2008 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com
courtesy neworleanssaints.com

Q: How would you describe Sedrick Ellis as a player?

A: He’s very explosive. His ability to play three technique at nose tackle makes him very versatile. He is an outstanding pass rusher and a very hard worker. He has quickness, great burst off the football and he’s very tough. We feel that he will be a great guy in our locker room. He’ll help make the Saints a better football team. He is an outstanding young man.

Q: Where did you guys have Ellis rated among defensive linemen?

A: We went through the draft process, rated all the defensive lineman and we thought we needed an interior guy. We are very happy to have Sedrick Ellis. I think he is a fantastic football player.

Q: Do you feel that Ellis compares favorable as a player to Glenn Dorsey?

A: Obviously we feel that Glenn Dorsey is a great football player and I have a lot respect for who he is and what he did. But, we saw that Sedrick could do the same things on film. We saw that he was very explosive and his stats were very high. His sack ratio was what we wanted. He was very active. Knowing him and working with him and recruiting him really helped with getting him into the organization. I think he will be able to accelerate from A to Z a lot faster in our system because he already knows it and I think that is a big advantage.

Q: Did you push for the drafting of Sedrick based on your prior affiliation with him at Southern California?

A: We have a process here and it is not more or less pushing for Sedrick, its pushing for the best player. He was one of the best players available in the draft, so I did push for one of the best players in the draft and it ended up being Sedrick. I have an attachment to Sedrick because I recruited him. He comes from a great family and I think it is a great day for the Saints.

Q: Can you discuss the decision to trade up in the draft?

A: I am not involved in that. Upper management is in control of that so I am not going to make any comment on that and I am just glad we have Sedrick.

Q: Can you give us your evaluation of Sedrick as a player and as a person?

A: He is a great young man. We recruited him out of Chino High School. I don’t think Sedrick was a five star player, but he came in and worked very hard behind Mike Patterson, who was a another first round draft choice that we had there. He is very strong in the weight room and quick. We could tell after his first year that he would become a dominating player. I just talked to Pete Carroll and he said he is one of the team leaders and an outstanding young man. We just got a great guy in Sedrick.

Q: Can you discuss some of his strengths in the interior?

A: Explosive. The type of football players that we had at the Miami Hurricanes and the USC Trojans, the type of guys that win national championships. He’s been a part of a national championship. He’s a leader. He’s a disruptive guy. I think the Saints fans are going to be very happy with his pass rush skills and his ability to make plays in the backfield.

Q: Can you discuss your feelings on the club’s defensive line?

A: I think that we are going to have an outstanding defensive line. We have a lot of work to do, but all the tools are in place. They guys are in place and I am very excited about the ability that we have on the defensive line.

Q: Did the coaching staff feel that Ellis would be a good fit for this system?

A: I think everybody was in agreement with Ellis. I think it was a no brainer the way he played on film and to be able to stack him up against the other guys. The defensive coaches went to see him at pro day. He had an outstanding pro day and we liked him at the combine. It is not hard to pick Sedrick as one of the top players in the country when you watch him on film.

Q: The Saints had already begun the evaluation process on college players by the time you were hired by them. Did you fill them in on your knowledge of Sedrick at the Senior Bowl in Mobile where you were hired?

A: They were out there but it was minimal. We didn’t talk about the draft yet. I was trying to get a job with the Saints. I think the input and the history that I have with Sedrick played a small part. I think our scouts did an outstanding job of evaluating Sedrick.

Q: Was it beneficial for Ellis to play the three technique at the Senior Bowl?

A: He did very well and I think he is very versatile. He can play both. He can play over the guard and he can play over the center. I think over the center is his natural position, but we are going to look at him over the guard some. I think he brings a lot to our defensive line and the ability to play three downs, first, second and third down.

Q: Can he play either position well?

A: There is no doubt that he can do that. He knows our system and we are looking forward to him coming in, meeting with him and getting him ready.

Q: How hard did you push with the front office and Sean Payton for the club to pick Ellis?

A: I just said my recommendation and I think it was a consensus of how good a football player he is. There was no hard push from me, but I did want him here.

Q: Can you discuss the difference in Ellis’ performance at the scouting combine as opposed to the USC Pro Day?

A: I think he lost ten pounds from the combine to the pro day. He looked good. I think a lot of guys are more comfortable at home sometimes and it was evident in his pro day. He ran very well.

Q: Was Ellis’ scheduled visit with the Saints cancelled?

A: It was one of the visits. We knew him well enough.

Q: Do you feel that Ellis is the same caliber of player that Glenn Dorsey is?

A: Yes. They are very close in a lot of things. Sedrick did a lot of things very well that we thought were comparable. Although I have a lot of respect for Glenn Dorsey and the type of player that he is, we think that Sedrick is pretty close.

Q: Are there any current NFL defensive tackles that you can compare Ellis to?

A: I haven’t been in the NFL that long so I can’t say that yet. Hopefully, he creates his own style, but I know he fits the attack four-three mold that we want in our defensive line and adds some quickness and some play making ability to our defensive line.

Q: Will Ellis be entering a similar defensive system in New Orleans compared to what he played in at USC?

A: I think there will be a slight difference, but as far as the way I teach it on the defensive line, he is very accustomed to that and I think that is what is important. It is not about the system overall on defense, what the coverage is and the fronts are, but more or less how we are going to play on a down in, down out basis up front. He is very familiar with that.

Q: Can you discuss USC’s defensive system up front?

A: They (USC) use a nose and a three technique on first and second down and then they have two three techniques on third down, which he played three technique on third down. But, mainly he played nose on first and second down.

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