Despite having a defense that has sabotaged a playoff-worthy offense and featured a player, Jason David, who Football Outsiders determined was less effective in coverage in 2007 than thin air, the Saints' defensive coordinator vacancy is actually desirable.It didn't take long for the Saints to bring Gregg Williams in for an interview after the firing of Gary Gibbs. Apparently the team was interested, as Williams was in town that night. And cccording to his agent, after the interview, Williams has a "strong interest" in joining New Orleans.
This could be the Williams camp pandering and playing the game as they continue to tour the circuit (indeed, Williams indicated he'd stick with his other interview commitments and has already since interviewed with the Packers), but it's not a stretch to believe that Williams does actually have a strong interest in the job.
For one, the defense doesn't need to be a world-beater for the Saints to be a legitimate threat in the NFC. With a league-leading offense, Williams merely has to guide the unit a step or two forward to for the team to be a contender. They already runs his 4-3 and features some attractive young players to build around in Sedrick Ellis, Tracy Porter, and Jonathan Vilma (who's expected to re-sign despite being a free agent).
Though Williams' defense in Jacksonville last year was mediocre at best, he's got a strong enough resume to be one of the most prominent and probably most expensive coordinators on the market this year. That the Saints had him in town so quickly indicates that price tag isn't an issue, nor should it be -- if the team really wants to make a championship run before the window closes on this offense, Williams could realistically help that happen.
