November 4, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Rueben Randle (82) is unable to catch a pass in the end zone while defended by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis (23) during the third quarter of an NFL game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In the team’s first week of organized team activities, Keenan Lewis started with the first team and made a case for a starting position at defensive back. If veteran Jabari Greer doesn’t step up in training camp, he’ll lose his starting job.

Last season, fans were livid with a Saints pass defense that allowed nearly 300 yards passing per game last  year. The names to blame? Defensive backs Patrick Robinson and Jabari Greer.

Greer and Robinson both stand at 5-foot-11 and both struggled mightily last year in pass coverage. They both managed to get three interceptions last year, but Robinson posted 18 passes defended to Greer’s 13 passes defended.

Greer is 31 years old, losing a couple of steps in terms of his speed, and coming off a season where the entire defense is being scrutinized. The Saints acquired Keenan Lewis in the off-season as well and he definitely has the ability to take away one of those top corner spots.

Lewis is four years younger and about 20 pounds heavier than Greer. That’s important against strong receivers in the NFC South like Atlanta’s Roddy White and Carolina’s Steve Smith. He wasn’t a starter in Pittsburgh but that didn’t stop him from defending 23 passes last year for the Steelers.

He isn’t significantly taller than Greer but displays better leaping ability to attack the ball while it is in the air than Greer did last year. Every inch helps against NFC South receivers like Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson.

In the first day of OTA’s, Lewis started with the first team and displayed his ability to break up passes and even came away with an interception. While head coach Sean Payton will be the first to tell you not to put any stock in Lewis starting with the first team, you’d be crazy to think that Lewis’ performance didn’t catch his eye.

It’s still May and nobody (outside of quarterback Drew Brees) has won their position yet. After this first OTA session however, the stock for Keenan Lewis is on the rise.

December 9, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (24) gets ready to defend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

You could almost hear the collective “AW!” from the Saints’ fanbase after news broke that Nnamdi Asomugha signed with the 49ers.

For many, Asomugha represented hope that New Orleans could have a wall of impenetrability in the secondary, a position that was frequently dissected by opponents last season. Also upsetting for Saints fans was that the team also missed out on Tracy Porter, their consolation prize for failing to land Asomugha, after he signed with Oakland. So, for the Saints it’s back to the drawing board with a slew of different free agents. Some are familiar with Rob Ryan’s defense  while others are seasoned veterans. Ultimately they all have question marks.

Ryan has worked with Sheldon Brown, Stanford Routt and Mike Jenkins, all who are available right now. These guys are familiar with his system and Ryan has familiarity with these players. They are each interesting prospects that have had success in this league. The biggest problem with these guys is that they have under-performed while Ryan was their coach. Still, their presence on the free agent market is intriguing for the Saints.

There are some interesting options with great experience, such as Antoine Winfield, Rashean Mathis, Terrence McGee, Marcus Trufant, Cedric Griffin and Nate Clements. All of these guys have had starting experience, have been to the Pro Bowl or were once considered top corners, and may have something left to give a team. The problem is, most of these guys are declining quickly, have “disappeared” or are injury prone. The Saints have to ask themselves, “Do we need a veteran presence to mold guys like Patrick Robinson, Corey White and Kennan Lewis?” And “are any of these guys better than Jabari Greer?” Tough questions, for sure.

Then there is Quentin Jammer and Sam Shields. Jammer was a great corner who has started to decline over the past two years but has measurables similar to Lewis. He also is considered a great tackler. If the Saints are looking for a corner to help teach the ropes to their defensive backfield while also giving possible competition for Roman Harper, Jammer might just be a name to remember.

Shields is a RFA so signing him would require the Saints to give up a precious first round pick (the Saints lost their second round pick from the bounty penalties). So the cost may not be worth the reward. But, if Shields doesn’t sign by two days before the draft, and the Saints give him an offer, they would be able to offer their second-rounder next year, which is a much smaller pill to swallow for getting a player of Shields’s caliber. He is more of a long shot for the Saints but, then again, it wouldn’t be so out of character for the Saints to pull the trigger on a deal like this.

Any way you look at it, the Saints lost out on two guys they were very high on. The rest of the market has shallowed out quickly but value can be found if the Saints know exactly what they are looking for. If the Saints decide against these options, they will either have to stick with what they have, which is not a bad option with a healthy Jabari Greer and Corey White, or focus on the position, yet again, in the draft.