The Saints aren’t going to the playoffs, which means it is time to look ahead to possible changes in the offseason.
It’s hard for one to gaze in any direction other than the defense given the team’s bottom of the league rankings in both points and yards allowed this season. There were reports of problems between head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan that Payton denied during the season, but the performance of the unit was enough to start speculation about a change.
Two of Ryan’s charges want to see him back with the team next year, though.
“I want him back,” Lewis said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I’m going to ride with him, one hundred. He’s a great coordinator. You just can’t blame him when things go wrong. We’re the ones out there playing.
Safety Kenny Vaccaro went further, saying Ryan would be back next season although Vaccaro’s lack of decision-making power in New Orleans means that we’ll have to wait for actual confirmation of the Saints’ plans. The Saints were one of the best defenses in the league in 2013, Ryan’s first year with the team, but slipped across the board this year to help slam the door on any postseason aspirations.
