Halo

The Saints should be really good, and they know it. There's emerging young talent at receiver (Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks, Nick Toon), tailback (Khiry Robinson) and along the offensive line (Terron Armstead, Tim Lelito). There's Rob Ryan entering Season 2 as defensive boss, with Jairus Byrd, Champ Bailey and second-round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste added as system fits. And there's the improving health (Byrd and John Jenkins will be back soon) and contract resolutions (Jimmy Graham) that Payton referenced.

Bottom line: There's a lot to like.

"On paper, it looks pretty good," Brees said in a private moment after practice. "You got some really good, solid, veteran guys, established guys, and then you've got a lot of young talent, and you can envision how they're gonna fit in the whole thing."

But more than just the talent on hand, there's a looseness and swagger to the players and coaches.

That all makes sense, considering this is the first normal offseason they've had, really, since the one that preceded their Super Bowl campaign of 2009. With the Mardi Gras-infused championship celebration, lockout and Bountygate investigation/fallout in the rearview mirror, the last few months in Metairie, Louisiana, have been relatively quiet.

Yes, the Graham thing dragged on, but the Saints never felt, internally, like that wouldn't eventually be taken care of. With offseason distractions kept to a minimum, the team has enjoyed time to develop an identity. Ideally, the aforementioned looseness and swagger will be accompanied by a fierce edge, mirroring the 2009 championship squad. The hope is, as training camp heats up, this will manifest in the way the team works against itself to prepare for the fight against others. It is, in fact, what you saw in New Orleans during the title season: nasty practices where it looked like the offense didn't like the defense much, and vice versa. Brees said, "I love Rob Ryan, I love his aggressive approach." Ryan, of course, serves as a counterpart to the swashbuckling Payton.

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