It seems to me. Once Jeff Ireland had been in place for a full season, that is when everything turned around for the Saints.
Ireland and Payton are the most important people in the Saints organization: player, coach, or executive.
The players, that some might put ahead of Ireland, were acquired by Ireland for a second round pick or peanuts.
Ireland has given us the second best defense in team history, after the Super Bowl defense that had Sharper making all those critical pick-6s. The Dome Patrol defenses were awesome, but they were all front 7; the secondary (and pedestrian offense) kept the team from even winning a playoff game.
Both lines are strong on the team. We have been known to have the best roster for a few years, since Ireland had 2-3 years to build it.