• New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints fans no doubt see the start of the NFL Draft as finally a turning of the page to a forgettable and gut wrenching season. As Saints players conclude their second week of “voluntary” offseason condition programs, the team is hoping to once again find talent that will help build a winning football team.

The Saints have five picks as they head into the draft. The 15h overall pick in the first round, the 75th overall pick in the third round, the 109th pick overall in the 4th round, 144th overall pick in the fifth round and in the sixth round the 183rd overall.

A QUICK LOOK BACK

• Michael C. Hebert / New Orleans Saints
• Saints quarterback Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton filled another position to his coaching staff on Monday as Wesley McGriff was hired as the team’s secondary coach.

McGriff spent last season serving as the co-defensive coordinator / cornerback coach at Ole Miss. McGriff has coached collegiate football for 22 years and was a part of a turnaround season at Ole Miss as the Rebels went from a 2-10 season in 2011 to a 7-6 season.

Payton fired defensive coordinator Steve Spanuolo and secondary coach Ken Flajole a day after joining his staff in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl. The Saints defense gave up an NFL record 7,042 yards of total offense last season. Poor tackling, lack of coverage and overall ability to make plays plagued the defense last season.

• MICHAEL C. HEBERT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Thomas spent the last four seasons with the Saints and was a key part of the offense as he played alongside tight ends Jimmy Graham and Jeremy Shockey. “This was an extremely difficult decision to make with David today,” said Loomis. “Since he came here in 2009, he’s been an important part of our team, both with his performance on the field and with the outstanding veteran leadership he’s provided for us.”

“David has been important part of our team since the day he arrived here immediately after the 2009 preseason and we appreciate everything he did for us these last four seasons,” said Head Coach Sean Payton. “With his dependability, intelligence and work ethic, he was someone our players and coaches could always rely on. On the field, he would set a physical tone and his versatility proved to be a great asset for us.”

• Michael C. Hebert / New Orleans Saints
• Tackle Jermon Bushrod is looking for a big deal and with consecutive Pro Bowl appearances he is likely to get it.

Quarterback Drew Brees was franchise tagged last season and we all saw how well that went. Teams place the tag on players more as a way to buy time to work out a longer term deal than it is in hopes of having the player play for the franchise tag salary. A player franchised is guaranteed the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position, a pretty penny yet routinely players tagged see it a sign of disrespect or insulting.

The Saints don’t have any obvious players like Brees that could be franchise tagged out of their 11 unrestricted free agents. Those players being: tackle Jermon Bushrod, wide receiver Devery Henderson, quarterback Chase Daniel, wide receiver Courtney Roby, tackle William Robinson, on offense. The defensive free agents are: defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, linebacker Scott Shanle, linebacker Jonathan Casillas, defensive end Turk McBride, cornerback Elbert Mack and linebacker Ramon Humber.

• DALLAS COWBOYS
• Saints quarterback Drew Brees will face Ryan's defense everyday at practice now with his hire.

The Time-Picayune minutes later confirmed the report and said that the team will make the announcement official later in the morning and indeed an hour later the team released the statement confirming the hires.

“I’m pleased the opportunity has presented itself for us to be able to add both Rob Ryan and Stan Kwan to our coaching staff,” said Head Coach Sean Payton. “In regards to Rob, we have experience in preparing and playing against his defenses and they’ve always been challenging in terms of the different looks and pressures that they feature. We’ve had the chance to visit with each other and talk about our visions for our team and I’m excited about moving forward as we prepare for the 2013 season.

Rob is enthusiastic about joining our team and getting right to work. Stan is a veteran coach that understands all nuances of the special teams games and will work closely with Greg McMahon. He has a wealth of knowledge and I believe he will be a good fit on our staff.”

This is Ryan's fourth time being a defensive coordinator having led defenses in Cleveland, Oakland and Dallas previously.

The search for the new New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator will not include a member of the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. Reports from the NFL Network and the Times —Picayune say the 49ers did not grant the Saints permission to interview secondary coach Ed Donatell.

“To interview you have to get permission,” Payton said in the interview in regards to wanting to talk to what he said could be between 2-4 candidates. “Just because it’s a promotion it’s not a given that they would grant that permission. There’s a couple of those requests out there to other teams in regards to a position coach that we would have interest in interviewing as a coordinator.”

Tuesday night it was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and tweeted by Fox Spots Jay Glazer that the Saints planned on hiring former Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Subsequent reports have the team interviewing Ryan on Friday and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on Thursday.

“I think we’ll know in a week,” Payton said in an ESPN radio interview on the Mike and Mike show Wednesday morning.