Rob Ryan has holes to fill and resources to do so

    It’s summer time, and praise is rolling in for the changes made in the Saints’ defense.
    “I think the scheme really fits the players on this defensive line as opposed to last year, maybe,” said one Saint.
    “Now you get to the keep your eyes on the ball,” said another Saint. “Now we get to react better to the quarterback and get a better break on the ball instead of always having our back to the quarterback.”
    Sounds great, doesn’t it? But, those were quotes from training camp 2012. They were spoken by former Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and current Saints safety Roman Harper.
    So much for the summer hype. It is time to give new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan some time. It might take a half-season or more for the Saints to adjust to a scheme with a ton of wrinkles. And it will take more than one good draft for the Saints to acquire more quality defensive players.
    But, for now, the players are responding to Ryan on a personal level, much like they did with former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. But there’s a noticeable difference between Ryan and Williams.
    Williams was very good in front of television cameras and enjoyed that part of the job. Ryan is very good in front of television cameras but doesn’t make a real effort to garner publicity. On the first day of training camp, as a horde of television cameras swarmed players and coaches, Ryan did his best to move as quickly to the door as possible.
    Ryan appreciates the opportunity, but unlike Williams, he will not upstage the head coach. Ryan understands this is the best situation for him as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He has stable ownership. He has a general manager that has worked at the same job for 11 years. He is working for a Super Bowl winning coach.
    And, his offense is being quarterbacked by a Hall of Fame signal caller.
    When Ryan coordinated defenses in Oakland, Cleveland, and Dallas, he had no such luxury. Would he rather work for Jerry Jones or Tom Benson? Would he rather work for Jerry Jones or Mickey Loomis? Would he rather work for Jason Garrett or Sean Payton? Would he rather have Tony Romo as his quarterback or Drew Brees?
    Ryan has a lot of holes to fill, and there are many unknowns. Can Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma, two veterans who flourished in 4-3 schemes, make the transition to a 3-4? Is there a legitimate pass rusher on the roster? Can the Saints improve their bad run defense?
    Payton and Loomis have already gotten Ryan better players. Cornerback Keenan Lewis and rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro appear to be potential anchors in the secondary. But player procurement will take more years and drafts.
    In the meantime, Ryan has a huge opportunity. If he succeeds and the Saints win big, Rob could possibly parlay that success into being an NFL head coach. New Orleans is a great spot for Ryan. And, this summer, he’s acting like a man who knows it.
    Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].