Former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has no doubts about Jason Pierre-Paul's fit in new Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher's scheme. In fact, the Cardinals were so convinced that Pierre-Paul could convert from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker that they tried to sign him when he was a free agent after the 2015 season.

"Heck yeah, we really went after him," Arians told NJ Advance Media.

Pierre-Paul elected to return to the Giants on a one-year contract, so the Cardinals traded for Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones the next week. Jones has made the transition to outside linebacker seamlessly, recording 28 sacks in two seasons with Bettcher as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator.

Arians envisioned Pierre-Paul in the same exact role that Jones wound up filling in Bettcher's defense.

"What he did with Chandler Jones was amazing," Arians said. "You drop into coverage some, but the majority of the time you're rushing the passer."

If Pierre-Paul plays Jones' role, where does that leave fellow defensive end Olivier Vernon?

"(Bettcher will) find a spot for them," Arians said. "Nickel defense is 70 percent of the game anyway, so they're going to be playing a 4-2 anyway. They'll be put in their natural position. It gives them a position to grow into and get more sacks."

New head coach Pat Shurmur is similarly unconcerned about the impact of the scheme change. He made the same point about the proliferation of nickel packages minimizing the time actually spent in the base defense and noted that the one-gap responsibilities are the same for defensive linemen in a 4-3 and in Bettcher's 3-4 scheme.

"Some of our defensive linemen can convert," Shurmur said. "It's five on the line, but it's one gap. So whether it's four on the line or five on the line, you're playing one-gap defense. They all do that."

Arians expects two-time Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins to thrive in Bettcher's defense.

"I think he's perfect," Arians said. "What (Bettcher) did with Tyrann Mathieu and then this year with Budda Baker (and) Antoine Bethea had five picks this year. So, the safety role is so versatile and you've got a guy that's a versatile player. What Tyrann has done from that position, Landon is perfect for."

Bettcher's blitz-heavy scheme requires a lot of man coverage from cornerbacks.

"You've got to have guys that are willing to jump out there and get in somebody's face man-to-man," Arians said.

The Giants ranked 27th in scoring defense this season after finishing second in 2016. Arians believes the pieces are in place for a fast turnaround with Bettcher.

"They've got talent," Arians said. "It's a good talented front and back end. I think they did a great job hiring the right guy and Pat will do a hell of a job with the offense."

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.