Report: Saints to block Bengals from interviewing Glenn

The New Orleans Saints intend to block Cincinnati from interviewing secondary coach Aaron Glenn for the Bengals' vacant defensive coordinator position, NFL Network reported Thursday. The news of the Saints' plans came hours after ESPN reported the Bengals had interest in Glenn for their opening. ESPN's report came shortly after Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham rebuffed Cincinnati's interest.

Grantham met twice with Bengals officials this week, according to reports, but the Gators announced Thursday that Grantham is staying, receiving a one-year contract extension and a raise to $1.8 million per year. That should place him among the top five best-paid assistants in college football. The Bengals then turned their attention toward Glenn, per ESPN, but that now appears to be a dead end.

Glenn has coached with the Saints since 2016. He was assistant defensive backs coach with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and 2015 after spending two seasons with the New York Jets as a scout. Glenn was a cornerback in the NFL for 15 years from 1994 to 2008, playing for the Jets, Houston, Dallas, Jacksonville and New Orleans. He played in 205 games (176 starts), intercepting 41 passes.

Other names linked to the Bengals' opening include Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant -- who worked with new Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor in Los Angeles for the past two seasons and interviewed for the opening last week -- and Marquand Manuel, who was fired as the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator after last season. According to multiple reports, veteran coaches Jack Del Rio and Dom Capers took their names out of the running for the job earlier this month after determining it wasn't a good fit.

--Field Level Media