If the vague answers on Signing Day didn’t give it away, we get official word today that, yes, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is going to interview with the New Orleans Saints. No one should be surprised – he has a strong NFL background, we know he has ambitions beyond Georgia, and we kind of want that from everyone but the head coach, don’t we?

We’d very much like for him to stick around, and we expect he will – for now. The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly already found their man, so it seems to be either New Orleans or bust for Grantham this time. Grantham will be up against Rob Ryan who’s considered the favorite for the position.

I don’t see the Saints interview just as a means to better Grantham’s Georgia contract, and I also think he was sincere when he told recruits that he’d still be at Georgia in the fall. The Saints interview – with Ryan the strong leader – is a way to get word out that Grantham is very much on the market not for this year but for next year, and it’s a way to prepare for a much more serious attempt at a move towards the end of the 2013 season.

If that’s the case and he does return, the 2013 season at Georgia will be a big one professionally for Grantham. He’s had mixed results even with a loaded roster, and he’ll preside over a fairly large rebuilding project on that side of the ball. Georgia fans probably won’t be the only ones watching to see what he does with the challenge.