ESPN analyst Ryan Clark stirred controversy with his comments suggesting that New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore isn't fit for his job after selecting quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the NFL Draft instead of Shedeur Sanders, who eventually fell to the fifth round.
Clark's comments came after ESPN's Dan Orlovsky questioned whether Moore could handle Sanders' personality, prompting Clark to declare on social media:
"The Saints just drafted Tyler Shough. He can absolutely spin it. He could be big time, but Dan Orlovsky asked a question that alluded to a reason the Saints & Moore wouldn't pick Shedeur... What if Kellen Moore couldn't handle Shedeur Sanders Personality? My answer is simple... Then he shouldn't be a head coach."
Moore, who previously served as offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles during their Super Bowl LIX run before taking the head coaching position with the Saints, actually addressed the Sanders situation directly. He confirmed that Sanders "was right in those conversations" and called the draft decisions "really tough."
Moore explained, "He's a really good player. What he accomplished at Colorado and when you watch the film, it's really, really good. I think really highly of him. Ultimately as you go through it, you've got to make a decision and we felt like Tyler was the one for us."
Let's be clear: calling for a coach's job before he's even coached a single game is the definition of an overreaction. Moore deserves the opportunity to implement his system and develop the players he and his staff selected before facing this kind of criticism.
The draft is always full of second-guessing, but ultimately, time will tell whether the Saints made the right call in selecting Shough over Sanders. What's certain is that judging Moore's coaching ability based on a single draft pick before he's even called a play from the sideline is premature and unfair.
The entire NFL world knows that Moore has a sharp offensive mind, and Saints fans should at least give him the chance to prove himself on the field before calling for his replacement.
