As the 2011 NFL draft approaches, it is important to understand where the Saints stand at each major position group. In continuing this group by group examination, let’s take a closer look at the Saints running back situation moving toward 2011.
If we learned anything from watching the Saints offensive juggernaut over the last five years, it is that the 2009 version was particularly potent because the running game kept defenses off-balance. Though the offense was still effective in 2010, injuries at the RB position seemed to cause big problems for the passing game that resulted in Drew Brees throwing a career-high 22 interceptions.
It stands to reason that the Saints will go with some combination of Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Chris Ivory, and Lynell Hamilton at the tailback position moving into 2011, and the evidence points to Hamilton once again being the odd man out.
The first issue that needs to be addressed post-lockout is the salary of Reggie Bush for 2011. Bush is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make $11.8 million guaranteed, with a cap figure of $16 million. This is an insane amount of money for a player who is not likely to touch the ball more than 8-10 times per game.
Many would argue (and I am one of them) that Bush doesn’t need the ball in his hands–that the very threat of seeing Bush on the field is enough to stretch defenses and create openings for other playmakers. Realistically, though, the Saints need to work this figure down significantly if they expect Bush to be able to perform to the expectations of his paycheck, and also to set a precedent for hopefully extending Bush’s stay in New Orleans beyond 2011.
Anyone who watched the Saints play last year knows that Chris Ivory all but locked himself in as a significant part of the RB corps in 2011, which is why many pundits thought that Pierre Thomas was on his way out of town after his slow recovery from an ankle injury. The Saints made a surprising move in re-signing Thomas to a four year, $12 million extension in March, which brings us to Hamilton.
After the departure of Mike Bell to the Eagles following the Super Bowl run, 2010 was finally going to be Lynell Hamilton’s time to show what he could do as part of the 3-headed RB rotation that got the Saints to the Super Bowl the year before. Disaster struck in the preseason, as Hamilton was sidelined for all of 2010 with a torn ACL. The story tells itself from there–first Hamilton got injured, then Bush, followed by Thomas, which ultimately gave rise to Ivory, who now, with the help of Thomas’ contract extension, appears poised to squeeze Hamilton out of the rotation at RB once again in 2011.
The good news for Hamilton? Well, he’s still on the Saints roster, for starters, and that means he will at least be able to compete through training camp. The Saints learned first-hand last year the importance of having extra backs around, and clearly the coaches were high on Hamilton before the injury. Also to Hamilton’s benefit is the fact that Thomas and Ivory are about the same size and have a similar style of play, while Hamilton is 15 pounds heavier than Ivory and may be able to serve as more of the bruising RB who can be more effective in goal line and short-yardage situations.
It is also worth noting that the Saints are still carrying Julius Jones, Ladell Betts, P.J. Hill (who also looked good in the preseason before a season-ending injury), and DeShawn Wynn on their roster. Other than Hill, these players contributed significantly down the stretch in 2010, but clearly in a role that was created by injuries to other players.
From a fullback perspective, it is hard to anticipate at this point what the FB landscape in New Orleans will look like in 2011, but according to at least one source, it is unlikely that Heath Evans will return to the Saints. His contract is expiring this offseason. Though Evans has said that he would only want to play for the Saints or Patriots, his interest in playing at all doesn’t seem overly enthusiastic. Evans isn’t talking much about this right now, so this will be worth paying attention to as we move closer to training camp. Regardless, the role of the FB in the NFL, and especially in offenses like the Saints’, is diminishing as the number of plays run out of three- and four-receiver sets increases.
Regardless of who ends up in the rotation, the Saints have four quality tailbacks to choose from, and because of that they should be able to survive a couple of injuries at the position. If the Saints compete in 2011 like they did in 2009, expect an improved running game to be a big reason why.
