METAIRIE, La. -- A year ago, the New Orleans Saints made one of the biggest splashes in the NFL by signing free-agent safety Jairus Byrd, which helped them generate a lot of buzz as a top Super Bowl contender.
A year later, that buzz is gone. But Byrd isn't.
Now healthy again, the three-time Pro Bowler still has a chance to make the kind of major impact the Saints expected when they signed him to a six-year, $54 million contract last March.
"The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is just a full offseason. Just being out there, being around the guys, going through everything and just staying healthy," said Byrd, who put a lot of blame for the Saints' 2014 struggles on his own shoulders -- or, rather, his back and his knee.
Byrd, 28, missed most of the offseason last year after having back surgery to relieve a nagging disk issue. He came back during the preseason, but wound up missing the final 12 weeks of the regular season after tearing the lateral meniscus in his knee during practice.
He wasn't around enough to be the playmaker -- or the veteran leader -- that the Saints sorely needed.
And the four weeks that Byrd did play weren't pretty, either, as the entire secondary struggled with missed tackles and blown assignments during a dreadful 1-3 start.
"A lot of it, if we're really gonna go back, I would really put a lot of the blame on myself," Byrd said Friday. "Just for the fact that, you know, look, I came in in the offseason and, boom, I had the back surgery, I was out. So that cohesion, the getting together with the guys, that's not there. Then I play a little bit in the preseason, then it's the season right away. Then we go through those growing pains -- obviously I only played the first four games, but we're still trying to figure things out, then we're already behind the eight-ball.
"[Blame] is probably the wrong word, but I just put that on the fact of staying healthy. Because anytime you have those moving parts, it's hard."
Byrd pointed out that his replacement, Rafael Bush, also got injured (as did rookie backup Vinnie Sunseri), which continued to take a toll on the Saints' secondary all season.
That was hardly the only issue for a Saints defense that finished 31st in yards allowed last season and struggled in just about every way imaginable, from those assignment breakdowns and missed tackles to a lack of a consistent pass rush.
Byrd was right there with the rest of the repeat offenders for those first four games, missing too many open-field tackles -- especially when running backs like Dallas' DeMarco Murray were breaking free too often into the second and third levels of the defense.
The Saints are hoping that improvements across the board can help put Byrd in a better position to do what he does best: roaming the back of the defense as a ball hawk who had 22 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles during his first five years with the Buffalo Bills.
Byrd did show one flash of that ability by stripping the ball away from Falcons receiver Julio Jones in Week 1 last year, but he never snagged an interception.
"I just want to improve on everything," Byrd said. "Obviously our season didn't go as a team as we wanted it to. But for me, every year, no matter if I go to the Pro Bowl or whatever, I'm always trying to improve on everything.
"So this year is no different than any other. You should never stop improving as long as you're playing."
Byrd said that motivates him more than any criticism he may have received last year. He said he didn't pay attention to any free agent "bust" lists and isn't heading into this year with any kind of chip on his shoulder.
"Obviously each individual has to get better, and we know that," Byrd said. "And then once we get better as individuals, we can get better as a defense. We have a lot of work to do, and I think everyone understands that. And we're coming back with that mindset."
Byrd, who did most of his rehab in New Orleans, has also spent time training in California -- along with old Bills teammate and newly signed Saints running back C.J. Spiller. Byrd announced earlier this month that he was officially cleared for the 2015 season, and he said he's physically able to do everything he'd normally be doing this time of year.
Byrd said he is also eager to take on more of a leadership role if that's what is needed from him.
The Saints struggled in that department last year, as well, after they parted ways former leaders like Will Smith, Jonathan Vilma, Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins and Jabari Greer.
Byrd did join in on meetings as the season went on, trying to help wherever possible -- something other defensive backs credited him for last year. But it's not the same as being there on the field.
"I'm ready for whatever role I gotta take," Byrd said. "Obviously we lacked that [leadership]. And it just goes back to injuries. If we continue to talk, the more it comes back to injuries. When you're not there in the spring, you can't build that camaraderie. Then you get thrown in right when the season starts, you don't have that foundation.
"If you're not there, you can't be a presence."
Of all the new additions the Saints make to their defense this offseason, getting Byrd back on and off the field might wind up as the most important -- even if it's a year later than originally planned.
