New Orleans Saints safety Jairus Byrd has admitted that he cannot wait to take up his role in defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's defense in the 2014 season having joined in the off-season.

Byrd said that a big part of the reason he decided to join the Saints was that they had a strong combination of tight defense along with some surprising plays from Ryan.

"To have that ability with an offense that's gonna put up points and a stingy defense like that and exotic in the way coach Ryan calls things, it's unorthodox, it's gonna keep people guessing," Byrd told ESPN. "That combination right there was enough.

"Look, [Ryan] has some stuff in his head that he's gonna get out one way or the other."

The Saints finished last season with an 11–5 record.