New Orleans Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro didn't have the type of sophomore season he envisioned in 2014. The 6-foot 214-pounder out of Texas wasn't as alignment sound as the team would have liked and failed to have the same impact on the defense as he did in his rookie season.

But Vaccaro has said last season's performance has motivated him for the 2015 campaign. That motivation, plus the guidance of Dennis Allen, the former Raiders head coach who was hired as the Saints' senior defensive assistant this past offseason, could mean bigger and better things for Vaccaro and the Saints.

"As far as for me, playing faster and just honing in on making plays, it's a lot easier in this defense," Vaccaro said this offseason. "You can be more aggressive. You don't have to think as much. When you get tired, that's when the mental errors come but if it's simple and there's not as much thinking, you can just play fast."