METAIRIE, La. -- Sean Payton declined Monday to discuss any coaching or personnel changes the New Orleans Saints might consider -- specifically shooting down a question about defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's future.

But the Saints coach did promise that changes will be in store this offseason involving "every element of the program" in the wake of the team's 7-9 season.

Saints coach Sean Payton, right, was noncommittal about the status of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Bill Haber/AP Photo

"We're not just gonna patch a few holes here and throw the ball out there next year," said Payton, who said it would require something between an overhaul and just a few tweaks.

"That term 'overhaul' represents a whole new rebuild," Payton said. "Yet the idea that we're just gonna make one or two changes and things are gonna be better, it's not that easy either."

Payton declined to get specific about any of those changes.

He said he and general manager Mickey Loomis among others will begin a "ton of evaluation with what we're doing, starting with me."

"Anything we do from a personnel standpoint involving players, or from a coaching standpoint involving coaches, will be announced and talked about at the appropriate time. Today would not be the day to do that," Payton said.

He was later asked what he likes about Ryan's potential to help turn things around next season.

"No. 1, you just heard what I said at the beginning," Payton reiterated. "I didn't mention anything about Rob Ryan. I didn't mention anything about a specific coach. And so I'll say this again -- now is not the time for us to discuss a player, a coach or his future. It's not."

Payton then stressed, "With that being said, you really can't take my answer as such and draw a conclusion from it."

In other words, Ryan's future remains in limbo after a disastrous season for a defense that finished 31st in yards allowed -- just one year after Ryan arrived and lifted the Saints to fourth in the NFL in that category.

Players have continued to adamantly support Ryan, though both Ryan and players have admitted they "drank the Kool-Aid" after having so much success in 2013 and sometimes took too much of a lackadaisical approach, assuming they could win with talent alone.

Payton said as with all changes, it's important that the Saints determine whether they're just making a change for the sake of change. He mentioned the location of training camp as an example -- though he insisted that he wasn't second-guessing the team's decision to move training camp to West Virginia this past year (as many fans have in retrospect).

He said he brought it up as an example of the kind of thing that isn't directly affecting a team's ability to win or lose.

"I think smart, disciplined, tough -- that environment can exist anywhere," Payton said. "My point is that would almost be an excuse. So I think what's important is that we're looking closely at ways to fix the things that kept us from winning games and making sure that we're not fixing something that wasn't part of the problem. And I think that's a challenge every year."