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'Revis Rule' will be in effect when New Orleans Saints face revamped Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary

Has any one unit ever undergone such a remarkable transformation in one offseason as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary?

Has any unit ever needed one more?

The Buccaneers' pass defense actually allowed more yards than the New Orleans Saints' pass defense in 2012 (they ranked 32nd and 31st, respectively). So the Bucs went to extreme measures this offseason to fix their biggest weakness.

They signed the best safety available in free agency, former San Francisco 49er Dashon Goldson, to a five-year, $41.25 million deal. Then they made an even bigger splash, trading a first-round draft pick to the New York Jets for superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Tampa also used its second-round draft pick on cornerback Johnthan Banks after using a first-round pick last year on rising star safety Mark Barron.

"They got a little bit of a facelift there," said Saints quarterback Drew Brees - who will offer the Bucs' new secondary their first real test on Sunday when the high-powered Saints offense visits Raymond James Stadium.

The "face" of that facelift is Revis, who had earned a reputation as one of the top five or 10 impact players in the NFL before a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee sidelined him last September.

Revis is still working his way back into form after sitting out the Bucs' preseason games. But by all accounts, he held up well last week in Tampa Bay's 18-17 loss to the New York Jets, with two early pass break-ups before the Jets stopped throwing his way much later in the game.

The Saints won't be afraid to test Revis - because Brees and coach Sean Payton aren't afraid to test anybody.

"No. You know Sean Payton. You think he's gonna say that?" Saints receiver Lance Moore said of other coordinators who often decide to ignore Revis' side of the field.

But Brees admitted that there is a bit of a "Revis rule," in that the Saints will at least proceed with caution against him.

"I would say there are times where maybe there's a certain corner and you just know that he defends this certain route or concept or play very well. And so all things equal, lets go away from him," Brees said. "And so you definitely say there's a Revis rule as it pertains to some of those things. You just want to avoid giving him those opportunities as much as you can.

"But then again, listen, we're gonna execute our offense. And there's going to be times where we're going to his side or going against him. But we're not gonna be careless about it, we'll be smart about it."

Read more: 'Revis Rule' will be in effect when New Orleans Saints face revamped Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary | NOLA.com

Video: New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees discusses the 'Revis rule' he may live by vs. Bucs: video - Video | NOLA.com

He's coming off a major injury at a position that requires a lot of cutting and reacting. Test him and get in his head. There's nothing like draining his confidence and making him over think things.