Two guys from profootballfocus.com talk to Larry Holder about the new defense.

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"He's known for his attacking style and his creativity, same with (brother and Jets Coach) Rex (Ryan)," Jeremiah said. "But I think in terms in how they play their guys up front, it's a little more under the Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel traditional style where you're going to want some of those bigger guys that are going to have to take on blocks. The one that does it uniquely is Wade Phillips. He has kind of a unique style where he'll put a nose tackle on a shade and kind of let him play upfield, kind of like Jay Ratliff. Whereas I think you're going to need to two-gap just a little bit more and take on (blocks) for Rob Ryan. So from that standpoint, size up front is going to be a big factor. You're going to want to have big, strong, sturdy guys up front."

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Bowen and Jeremiah rattled off several names as to who they think can make the jump from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Both started with defensive end Cam Jordan as someone who will thrive most in the Ryan defense.

"Jordan, coming out (of college), that's the defense he played in," Jeremiah said. "He played that five technique, and he was very good at it. He can take on (blocks), he can stack blocks and hold up very strong there. I think probably for him, he would be the one player that I would look at and think he would be the most comfortable with this move. ... I think it's a perfect move for him. It fits his skill-set perfectly. I don't think that he's a real dynamic, athletic, up-field guy. I think his best thing is his length and strength and he's very instinctive."

Bowen added: "I'm going back to his college tape. I think he can be a 3-4 outside linebacker. I think he can be a 3-4 defensive end. The guy is a football player."

Martez Wilson came to mind for Bowen and Jeremiah nearly right away, as well. "He's going to be good in this defense," Bowen said. "He's going to be good. He's an athlete. You can stand him up in this defense, you can rush him off the edge." Jeremiah said Wilson should benefit from having a cleaner runway rather than being an undersized defensive end going nose to nose with a tackle. "You watch LSU's Barkevious Mingo," Jeremiah said. "He's lined up an inch away from the guy blocking him. He's not strong enough to get off the guy. But if you get drafted by a 3-4 team, you back him up, you stand him up and now he's got a runway to use his athleticism that will benefit him more. I think that's the same thing with Wilson."

Jeremiah mentioned defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and linebacker Curtis Lofton as two players who may also fit in. He said he'd be interested to see how Ryan could use defensive ends Will Smith and Junior Galette with Smith being a 3-4 lineman, granted he takes less money, and Galette being an outside linebacker.

At safety, Bowen is all-in on Malcolm Jenkins, despite Jenkins' struggles last season. "I'm a big fan of Malcolm Jenkins," Bowen said. "I know there's a lot of up and down opinion on Malcolm. I like him a lot. I think he's physical and has good range. I think he has above-average cover skills. I think he'll be good in this defense because you need a leader back there. You need a safety to lean on. You need an angel in the middle of the field. He can be that guy."

Bowen thinks the Ryan defense is a better fit for Roman Harper if he's back with the team saying, "(Harper) thrived in defenses that required him to blitz off the edge and let him know that the pressure is coming and that he only has to cover for so long." Jeremiah doesn't share the same thoughts on Harper; he said the Saints may want to target an upgrade at safety in April's draft. "I think the game plan is going to be that you won't have to cover for very long," Jeremiah said. "They're going to be really aggressive. Personnel-wise, I really think they need to infuse some talent there, especially for me at safety. That's why (Texas safety Kenny) Vaccaro, if you have a chance to bump out Roman Harper for Vaccaro, and you've got a ginormous upgrade in an athlete."

At cornerback, Bowen questioned the cover skills of Patrick Robinson in the Saints' new defense and isn't 100 percent sold Robinson can be left alone in coverage in this pressure defense. "The reason I bring (Robinson) up is because look what Dallas did last year," Bowen said. "Dallas knew they were going to have Rob Ryan. So what do they do? They spend a bunch of money on Brandon Carr and they trade up in the draft to get (Morris) Claiborne. You need corners. You've got to have corners. Got to. If you're going to blitz, you've got to have corners."

Then there's the Jonathan Vilma factor. Payton said in a Sirius XM NFL Radio interview on Mardi Gras day that Vilma has a role in the Saints defense as the weakside inside linebacker. Jeremiah and Bowen aren't convinced. "I don't think Jonathan Vilma fits in that defense, so you take him out," Jeremiah said. Bowen added: "Does he have the speed to play the outside at his age and does he have the size to play inside? That's what you have to ask."

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