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How do you work towards a more aggressive approach to the defense then it was last year? How do you begin to instill that kind of culture during a mini camp like this? Is there a way to do that?

"Well the first thing is we are working against the number one offense in football. They have the (some of the) best coaches. I think Sean Payton, Pete Carmichael, and (Joe) Lombardi are three head coaches. So we have our work cut out for us not just coachingwise but playingwise. There’s a lot of talent over there. We have to do a better job than what we did today. We had some substitution problems which seems to always follow me on the first day of a minicamp but that’s just who I am. We will run multiple personnel groups and sometimes it takes a couple of days to figure that out, but I am excited with our guys. They play hard and have been well-coached so it’s an easy transition."

What has Rufus Johnson showed you so far?

"He is doing well. He is a big, young kid and he has a lot to learn. We are playing this young kid from Tarleton State and changing positions is the first thing he is doing. So, he has a lot on his plate but talent wise and physically, this kid is going to be good."

You guys looked at defensive backs early in free agency and even after you signed Keenan Lewis, you guys kept looking at more. To fit this system, did you want to target more depth, more physical corners? Is it part of your defense to have a lot of guys available?

"The way the game is played nowadays, you need to have multiple players. I think, if anyone follows me, we were number five in the league ten weeks of the season until every single player on the team was hurt and I got fired. We should have been number one but I learned that you can't have enough good players. We have a lot of talented guys here. This secondary is extremely talented, probably the most talented group that I have been a part of, but that still doesn't mean we don't want more. We always want more players and that’s what gets you beat and fired when you don't have enough.

What do you think about some of the guys getting interceptions today? Is that a good sign to see right now?

“Absolutely. We are going up against the number one offense in football and like I say, they have the best coaches over there. Pete Carmichael and (Joe) Lombardi are outstanding and are future head coaches in the league. We are just going to battle them every day and see what happens.”

Read more: Rob Ryan: "This Secondary Is Extremely Talented"

SmashMouth

Anybody buying this dribble yet?

xan

Yes, in the reality show "How to imitate a Sieve and make $3 million", they exhibit genius traits.

TheOak

I wouldnt call it dribble.


There is no contact going on right now, making it easier for the secondary. We will have to see how things progress once contact is allowed.

Danno

I'd much rather believe all the message board fans that claim every player we have in the secondary is total garbage.

Utah_Saint

I am!!

(beats being bitter)

WhoDat!!

Beastmode

More concerned with the rush and tackling. Won't know that until after the coin flip.

AsylumGuido

Yup.

Seer1

It sure beats the alternative...

AsylumGuido

[pet peeve rant]

I got hung up on the first sentence. I hate the butchering of the English language. The correct word is "than", not "then". "Then" is linear and deals with time. "Than" is to be used when comparing.

Two is greater than one.

How do you work towards a more aggressive approach to the defense than it was last year?

The number one comes first, then the number two.

If the defense is a good deal better than last year's, then the Saints will win the Super Bowl.

[/pet peeve rant]