New Orleans Saints pass rusher Cameron Jordan has hung around so long that he's now older than his new head coach -- by two days.
Jordan turns 36 on July 10. Saints coach Kellen Moore hits that birthday mark on July 12.
The dynamic with a young coach doesn't change the eight-time Pro Bowler's approach. In fact, Jordan has followed Moore's career closely.
"He's become an offensive coordinator at multiple places. He's worked his way through the ranks, and now he's a head coach," Jordan . "He's coming with a plan, a clear direct plan. A directive, as well as a cabinet of coaches that I think have had a myriad versions of success. When you have a strong coaching staff, I think it puts you in a position to excel."
Entering his 15th season, Jordan is now on just his third full-time head coach. The transition from Sean Payton to Dennis Allen was markedly different. Allen's takeover attempted to extend the Payton era with little initial changes. After Allen bombed out, Moore's hire is a turn for the organization.
Jordan noted that it doesn't matter what age or experience level a new coach has. The only thing that concerns him is the preparation and message.
"Anytime you have a head coach -- young, old, indifferent -- you gotta be able to buy into the message," he said. "The message is clear: Let's have fun. Let's clean up all our missions. That's knowing your technique, knowing your abilities and knowing where you're going to be, knowing where your teammates are. I think the message has been loud and clear."
The comments out of New Orleans in the early stage of Moore's tenure have been positive. That's par for the course with most first-year coaches. How things look as the season approaches, or more importantly, how the coach reacts if the campaign gets off to a wobbly start, will better indicate whether the 35-year-old coach is ready for the big chair.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Kellen Moore was on Boise State's 2006 team that won the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma.
