AP

Saints coach Sean Payton gave lip service to taking his time and talking to a lot of people in order to find his next defensive coordinator. In truth, the Saints were locked in on the biggest name left on the market.

New Orleans hired former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo to be their next defensive coordinator, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.

It’s a great fit for both sides. Spagnuolo is a talented defensive mind that knows how to create a pass rush, something the Saints can certainly use. He can keep New Orleans’ 4-3 attacking defense in place.

It’s an ideal landing spot for Spagnuolo because he can rehab his coaching reputation during games in the national spotlight with a chance to compete for the Super Bowl.

Spagnuolo interviewed with the Saints on Wednesday. He was the only known coach to talk with Payton about the position since Gregg Williams left for the Rams.

A lot of Saints fans will feel like they’ve upgraded their defensive coordinator spot significantly. We have a lot of respect for Williams and don’t think it’s that simple, but New Orleans certainly did well to land Spagnuolo before a team like the Eagles or Colts tried to hire him.