METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux said Monday he is "ready to roll" and hopes coaches will "unleash the beast" now that he is eligible to come off the injured reserve list after breaking his fibula during the preseason.
But head coach Sean Payton cautioned that Breaux won't jump right back into a major role -- which is not surprising, since New Orleans' secondary has been playing well without him.
Payton compared Breaux's recovery timetable to that of Saints receiver Willie Snead, who has barely played since returning from a three-game suspension and a hamstring injury. Snead played just four snaps in this past Sunday's 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears, with zero targets.
"I think, like anything else, it's kind of happening with Willie Snead, it's just getting the physical, the cardio, all the football-playing elements up to speed. I don't think you just flip the switch and then, 'Bang,'" Payton said when asked how quickly Breaux might get back into the mix.
"I think the same thing's taking place right now with Willie," Payton continued. "He got several snaps [Sunday], probably not as many as he would have liked. And yet he's someone that we're gonna need down the stretch. I think that same process will take place with Delvin."
It might be even harder to work Breaux into the mix since the Saints aren't doing any rotating at cornerback right now.
Starting cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley have played virtually every snap over the past four games, while No. 3 cornerback P.J. Williams has played virtually zero snaps. The Saints have been using three safeties in their nickel packages and four safeties in their dime packages -- a formula they like.
It's possible the Saints could use Breaux as a nickel cornerback in some packages. Or he might just be an emergency option if Lattimore or Crawley needs to be replaced for any reason.
When healthy in 2015, Breaux was playing at the level of a bona fide No. 1 cornerback -- not far off from what Lattimore has been doing this year. So if he shows signs of getting back to that level, he will force his way back into the starting lineup.
But Breaux also broke his fibula during Week 1 of last season and was never quite the same after he returned in Week 9.
"I'm actually all the way healthy [this time]. Last year was a quick turnaround. ... I wasn't where I'm at now. Now I've had my full eight weeks of actually working," said Breaux, who said he practiced fully last week.
"[Now] it's just those reps of trying to get in game shape, that's gonna be the biggest thing for me. The coaches know that; the training staff knows that. So we just have to get some reps and continue to keep going," Breaux said. "This week is gonna be pretty big for me. I'm just happy to be back working and grinding. And hopefully Coach Payton and them unleash the beast, man."
Breaux said he loves the way the secondary has been "balling" in his absence. "My thing is I just want to play my role," Breaux said. "Whatever Coach wants me to do, I'm out there. I'm here to help the team win."
Snead said many of the same things last week. But he sounded resigned to a backup role behind Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr. and Brandon Coleman (for last week, at least) when he said, "I'm learning everybody's spots, so if need to be in there I can go."
Coleman has taken over as the Saints' primary slot receiver in Snead's absence, and he has performed well in small doses, with 13 catches for 245 yards and a team-leading three touchdown catches. In the first quarter against Chicago on Sunday, Coleman took a short pass and turned it into a 54-yard gain on his only catch of the game.
It remains unclear if Snead's diminished role is just a temporary thing or if it could last all year.
Snead's role seemed to diminish a bit during training camp and the preseason as well, but that may have been because the Saints knew he was going to start the year on suspension and wanted to get other guys ready.
Plus, Snead acknowledged he wasn't back to 100 percent when he returned from his hamstring injury in Week 6. (He caught one pass for 11 yards, then he was inactive in Week 7.)
"There wasn't a setback. I think it's just a matter of it being in shape again,” Snead said last week. "I think it's actually getting in the game and starting to get those reps and playing at that pace."
The Saints may feel more urgency to get Snead involved if their third-down woes continue. Despite posting their fifth straight victory against Chicago on Sunday, the Saints were just 2-of-9 on third downs. And they shockingly rank 17th in that category with just a 38.1 percent conversion rate. New Orleans led the league in third-down percentage every year from 2014-2016.