Saints coach Sean Payton sees a possible role for Jonathan Vilma in the new 3-4 defensive scheme the team will present in the 2013 season.

Payton says he could envision Vilma playing in a weakside linebacker spot with Curtis Lofton remaining in the middle.

In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Payton acknowledged, "there's some work to be done obviously when you make a change like this."

At 230 pounds, Vilma is considered undersized to play middle linebacker in a 3-4 alignment.

Vilma would likely have to agree to a salary reduction to remain with the team.  He has a base salary of $4.8 million.

But he seemed pleased with Payton's initial comments, telling fans via Twitter, "jonathan Vilma's likes what jonathan vilma's coach is talking about."