Saints Assistant Head Coach & Linbackers Coach Joe Vitt

“Right now, it is a little bit more zone. We have done that for a reason, because of the big plays taking place in the National Football League right now. Against zone defense, they are less prevalent. It is a little bit of a transition for Patrick (Robinson) and  Jabari (Greer) but they have really done a good job so far fitting into that mode. There is a little bit more adjustment-wise with motion and formation variation but that is why we have OTAs.”

How has the attitude changed on defense?

“Spags is a hands-on coach. He loves to teach. He loves to have the whole defense in there so everybody is on the same page. I would categorize him as a player’s coach. He puts a lot of the decision-making on the player in the course of practice and the course of a game. He doesn’t dwell on mistakes. I think he is going to produce a very positive atmosphere around here for us.”

What would eliminating some of those big plays do for the team?

“We talked about that this morning. Offensively, last year, we had 124 big plays of runs of 10 yards or more or pass plays of 20 yards or more. Defensively, we gave up more last year than we ever have at 99. The big plays on offense, we would like to keep that number exactly where it is. We have to get that number on defense down to about 75. Just a little bit more zone defense and not selling the farm is going to give you an opportunity to keep those big balls off your back.”

Are you still transitioning to your new role and the new responsibilities?

“What I have done this week is I have tried to concentrate on the practice and feel the linebackers. Next week, I want to really concentrate on coaching the linebackers and feeling the practice. This is a transition for me and I have to do whatever is best for our football team. I am not going to lie to you, I am still finding my way a little bit.”

How much will the addition of Brodrick Bunkley help Sedrick Ellis?

“We are really happy so far with Bunkley. This is a very serious man who is serious about his craft and his trade. He comes to work every day and wants to get better. We haven’t lost confidence at all in Sedrick Ellis but healthy competition is always good. There is a lot of competition in that room right now. It is going to be interesting to see how it shakes out.”

From a leadership standpoint, is there anything you lose by not having Drew Brees here?

“Drew has always been a leader through his performance. These are OTAs, we are not getting ready for a playoff game or a Super Bowl game. I think this is a great opportunity to see what some of our other players can do and some of the leadership roles our other players can take. So far, it has been positive. Do we miss him? Absolutely. These other guys have stepped up and done a nice job.”