Now that we've had time to sleep on it, let's not overreact to the Saints' decision to trade back into the first round to grab Alabama Running back Mark Ingram. The addition of Ingram does nothing more than bolster a very often-injured group of running backs. It doesn't necessarily spell doom for Reggie Bush.
After the pick of Ingram Coach Sean Payton said, "The selection has no baring, Reggie Bush has a unique skill set that we value."
New Orleans was decimated at the position last season with injuries. Lynell Hamilton went down in training camp and was lost for the season with a knee injury. Every running back on the Saints roster missed time last season. Pierre Thomas suffered an ankle injury in week 3, Reggie Bush broke his leg in week 2. Chris Ivory battled hamstring issues, keeping him off the field before suffering a foot injury that kept him out of the post-season contest with Seattle. In the wild-card round loss to the Seahawks, the Saints were down to Deshawn Wynn and Julius Jones at running back. That's a far cry from Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory.
The move to grab Ingram spells out a few things very clearly to me. Sean Payton and the Saints don't want to be in a similar situation as they were last season. Because of the lack of a running game, the passing game really suffered. In their 2009 Super Bowl Championship season, the Saints were so explosive on offense because of the balance they had in a running back corps with Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell. New Orleans is trying re-capture that balance in the ground game.
NFL analyst Mike Detillier says Ingram is the real deal. "He's an every-down running back, one tough cookie who can run the ball inside, catch passes out of the backfield, and protect Drew in the passing game," Detillier said.
I'm not so sure that this move spells the end for Reggie Bush in a Black & Gold uniform. The Saints say they want him back, but he is due a very large $11.8 million salary this season. The price clearly doesn't justify the production that Bush has totaled. Bush seemed to be a little put out by the selection of Ingram. "It's been fun New Orleans," Bush posted on his twitter page shortly after the selection.
With the pick of Ingram, the Saints gained a leg up in their attempt to reduce Reggie's salary. If Bush is not in a Saints uniform this fall, it will be because HE wants out, but not because the Saints don't want him.
After the pick of Ingram Coach Sean Payton said, "The selection has no baring, Reggie Bush has a unique skill set that we value."
The move to grab Ingram spells out a few things very clearly to me. Sean Payton and the Saints don't want to be in a similar situation as they were last season. Because of the lack of a running game, the passing game really suffered. In their 2009 Super Bowl Championship season, the Saints were so explosive on offense because of the balance they had in a running back corps with Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell. New Orleans is trying re-capture that balance in the ground game.
NFL analyst Mike Detillier says Ingram is the real deal. "He's an every-down running back, one tough cookie who can run the ball inside, catch passes out of the backfield, and protect Drew in the passing game," Detillier said.
I'm not so sure that this move spells the end for Reggie Bush in a Black & Gold uniform. The Saints say they want him back, but he is due a very large $11.8 million salary this season. The price clearly doesn't justify the production that Bush has totaled. Bush seemed to be a little put out by the selection of Ingram. "It's been fun New Orleans," Bush posted on his twitter page shortly after the selection.
With the pick of Ingram, the Saints gained a leg up in their attempt to reduce Reggie's salary. If Bush is not in a Saints uniform this fall, it will be because HE wants out, but not because the Saints don't want him.
