As the league grows ever more reliant upon $30 million quarterbacks and creative play designers to light up the 100-yard skies, defenses are placing increased emphasis on speed, quickness and versatility in the back end. This space could be just as easily devoted to the Patriots, Chargers or Colts, three more Super Bowl contenders embracing the trend toward crowded secondaries flush with extra starters and specialists to match up with spread offenses insistent on stretching the gridiron's four corners to the limit. Formerly a punching bag, the Saints' defense joined the Cowboys' unit as one of the few shutdown groups from Thanksgiving through the New Year. This year's D might just be the deepest and most talented of the Sean Payton era, headlined by No. 1 corner Marshon Lattimore and the rangy young safety tandem of Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams. The depth comes in the form of potential draft steal Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and slot corner Patrick Robinson, who missed most of last season with a broken ankle.