Posts tagged PierreThomas at FanHouse

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Drew Brees is, to me, the third best quarterback in the league. And that's not just because I have a giant man-crush on him. Say what you will about your Tony Romos and Carson Palmers, but I'd take Brees over those two, especially as he appears to be in the prime of his career. All he's done since arriving in New Orleans is put up gaudy numbers through the air, but he plays a heady game based on quick (and good) decisions. He's also a good guy off the field and the unquestioned leader of the team. Mark Brunell was brought in as Brees' backup while project Tyler Palko continues to develop, and while you don't want to see the old lefty play at all, his arm looks good enough in camp to sustain for a couple of weeks if need be. Anything more than that, though, and the Saints are in trouble. Heat Index: 9

Running Back: Running back committees are a bitch for fantasy owners, but none have encountered a mess like this, where four backs are going to get a fair share of touches. Exactly how the carries shake out depends on Deuce McAllister's health; ditto for the productivity of the group. All four backs -- McAllister, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Aaron Stecker -- are talented, but Deuce is the only pounder that can keep the running game glued together. If he's in the lineup, expect Bush to flourish, with Thomas making a solid impact as well. If he's not, Thomas takes on a larger role and, though he rolled up Chicago for over 200 yards from scrimmage in Week 17 last year, it remains to be seen whether he can be a full-time NFL back. Luckily, Deuce has looked healthy so far. Heat Index: 7

Every year in Fantasy Football we all get outsmarted and we miss the waiver wire wonder that would've saved our fleeting Championship dreams. Unfortunately, by the time we've caught the stat line of some random dude we've never heard of who ran for 100 yards and a TD, he's already been snagged by our peers. And so is the way of Fantasy Football.

Anyhow, today I'm taking a gander at the prospects of who just might be the NEXT Ryan Grant of the 2008 Fantasy Football season. For practical purposes I had to leave the obvious candidates like Matt Forte, Kevin Smith, Jonathan Stewart and Rashard Mendenhall out of the discussion. In reality, all those guys are competing for starting jobs or are locked into timeshares and will see their fair share of carries.

So, let's dig a little deeper if that's possible and stay as far away from the obvious department as possible (easier said than done). Follow me...

With the extended deadline for Deuce McAllister's $1 million roster bonus only a couple of days away, Deuce and the Saints agreed to a restructured deal to keep the rehabbing back in New Orleans at least for this year, according to Adam Schefter on NFL Network.

McAllister is recovering from his second ACL tear in three years, and with two damaged knees it was unclear whether 1) he'd be ready for training camp, and 2) he'd be effective. But, while exact terms aren't clear, it's believed that most of McAllister's salary has been converted to performance bonuses, meaning he can still make the $3.6 million he was supposed to make if he meets certain platforms.

This is a great deal for both sides. McAllister, a Gulf Coast native, remains with the only team he's ever played for (and a city in which he's deeply beloved). The Saints keep a high-character leader who's respected in the locker room, a guy they obviously wanted to find a way to keep, but they're protected in case McAllister gets hurt again.

He won't have to be the team's workhorse anymore -- with Pierre Thomas emerging McAllister will only have to carry 10 or so times a game. In this role, McAllister still has a chance to make an impact, but no matter what Saints fans are just thrilled to still have him around.

NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.

1. Defensive Tackle/Linebacker/Cornerback. I know this reeks of a cop-out, and I guess you're right. But every time I think that the Saints need one of these positions over the others, I change my mind. On one hand you've got defensive tackle, where Hollis Thomas, the only true nose tackle, is 34 and playing year-to-year. He's consistent against the run and pass, but can't play a full game anymore. The rest of the tackles are just adequate, and starting 3-tech Brian Young's a free agent who probably won't be back. Then there's linebacker, which features just two players, because middle linebacker Mark Simoneau has no impact whatsoever. Scott Shanle ain't no prize, neither. Finally, there's cornerback. The crew, outside of Mike McKenzie, is terrible (admittedly, with faint hints of promise). And McKenzie's torn ACL should keep him out until October at earliest. So you decide which is worse off.

I don't expect the Saints to go after any of the marquee free agents at these positions, but I wouldn't be surprised to see under-the-radar signings like Corey Williams or Drayton Florence. Most of the improvement will come in the draft. I'm all for Sedrick Ellis in the first, even if the Saints have to move up a few spots from 10 to get him. This is a deep draft for linebackers, which is helpful, and good young corners like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be available after the first round.

After tearing his second ACL in three years, Deuce McAllister vows he'll be back for Saints' training camp. That's pretty great news, his absence this year both on the field and in the locker room was painfully obvious. But it does cause a problem -- too much talent in the backfield.

Assuming McAllister is able to offer anything, the team will bring him back. McAllister's career and altruism have forever earned him that respect, and you don't save nearly enough by cutting him to justify it. And it's obvious Reggie Bush isn't going anywhere.

There are only enough carries for three backs. Aaron Stecker took over for Bush and ran remarkably well. He's a great locker room guy and excels on special teams. But he's a free agent and his performance this year could raise his price tag enough that the Saints, with so many needs, won't pay out.

Especially because of Pierre Thomas. Some are unsure if he can hold up over a season, but his ability to survive training camp, make the active roster, get into a game, succeed on special teams, run the ball, and run as the workhorse for a game were doubted, and he did all of those really, really well. So I'm not betting against him.

My personal theory: as Deuce slowly works his way back, Bush and Thomas split carries equally (with more Bush in the pass game). All the while, Stecker is under new employment. It's a quandary, sure, but not a terrible one.

Normally two consecutive comfortable victories would fill a team with good feelings. For the Chicago Bears, though, it is more likely to raise questions. There's no shortage of queries. For starters, where was the defensive effort that led to five turnovers, four sacks and a safety during the rest of a desultory season? Why was the offense so conservative all year before taking the wraps off in Week 17?

Two questions focus on two of the team's best players in particular. During the first half of the season, when Brian Urlacher was struggling with a back injury, why didn't they give him some time off? He finally seemed healthy over the last month of the season and the proof was in his play. Two sacks and three interceptions, including one today, in his final three weeks. He dominated the Saints in the second half, seemingly in on every hit, and looked every inch the player of his reputation. How much of a difference would it have made if Urlacher was healthier earlier in the season?

The other question is one that's been asked since the earliest days of the season. Why wasn't Devin Hester a bigger part of the offense?

In the break between the first and second days of the NFL draft, the Saints targeted two running backs who out of the third round. After the Raiders took Michael Bush, the Saints traded up in the fourth round to grab the other. Antonio Pittman was supposed to play a small but noteworthy role in a Saints offense that relies on every single player on the depth chart.

Except a funny thing happened in training camp. Pittman was outplayed -- badly -- by undrafted Illini rookie Pierre Thomas. And when final cuts came, the Saints made the right choice, ignoring draft status and keeping Thomas, the better player.

A few Rams were looking to extract revenge against their former team on Sunday, and they all did, including Pittman. Despite being the third-string back, the Rams took the revenge factor into consideration and used Pittman to spell Steven Jackson, not Travis Minor. And it paid off. Pittman gained 53 yards on seven carries, including a 43-yard run at the end of the third quarter that set up what would ultimately be the game's deciding touchdown.

It was a miserable day for the Saints all around, but seeing Pittman run amuck (Thomas, for the record, piled up 233 yards of excellent kickoff returns but didn't have a carry) might have hurt the most.

His final numbers (73 total yards, 3.2 yards per carry) were far from impressive, but Reggie Bush proved a lot of doubters wrong today.

With five minutes left, down 16-14 in a game where the offense was yet again moribund, Bush took a swing pass at the four, met a wall of contact at the two, and willed himself into the end zone.

Then he took an end-around for the two-point conversion and, after the Saints' defense held the Falcons comeback attempts short, picked up seven clutch yards on a run to allow the Saints to run out the clock. The box score may not indicate it, but Bush won this game.

Which is good, because no one else on the Saints really wanted to. After finding a spark against Seattle, the Saints collected a few too many three-and-outs and gave the Falcons too many opportunities to win.

Other than a 30-yard run by Big Play Underplayed Jerious Norwood, the Falcons run game was held at bay by a suddenly good New Orleans defense. There's still work to be done, however, as Byron Leftwich and Joey Harrington both looked competent.

The Falcons stayed tough after falling behind 7-0 early, notching three consecutive scores to take a 13-7 lead going into the half, but couldn't mount anything substantial on offense after Pierre Thomas broke free for his second career touchdown. Thomas' second career carry, the 24-yard score, was longer than any run Bush has had, but Bush did today what so many have said he couldn't: pick up the tough yards when they mattered.

To get you ready for week 5, FanHouse is previewing all this week's games. Here is the New Orleans Saints - Carolina Panthers preview.

2007 Records:
New Orleans Saints: 0-3 (4th, NFC South)
Carolina Panthers: 2-2 (2nd, NFC South)

Last Game:
Titans 31 - Saints 14
Bucs 20 - Panthers 7

When the Saints have the ball:
Expect a new look. Reggie Bush is going to get more carries, and the Aaron Stecker/Pierre Thomas backup duo will see increased gametime as well. Bush's increased role in the run game means less touches as a receiver and returner, but I think the move could turn out great for him. With two weeks to think about how awful this offense has been, maybe the maladies on the offensive line have been fixed. Or maybe not. Jammal Brown needs to play like a Pro Bowl tackle again for the offense to get back on track; luckily the Panthers defensive line has struggled to get pressure so far this year, and the Saints have always been surprisingly adept at nullifying Julius Peppers.

When the Panthers have the ball:
On the other hand, the Saints have never been able to stop DeShaun Foster or Steve Smith. There's lots of frustration in Carolina right now, and Smith was bubbling last week as David Carr inepted the Panthers towards a loss. But the Saints defense is bad enough that this could be wonderful therapy for the Panthers. If they can't stop Foster (especially with Saints linebacker Scott Fujita questionable), it doesn't matter who's playing quarterback -- it could be the first domino in a high-scoring Panthers day.

Deuce McAllister had surgery to repair his torn ACL today, and by all reports it went well (God James Andrews performed the operation). So, though it doesn't feel right to use the word "replace" in this instance, since nobody could replace Deuce, I guess it's time to start thinking about how exactly the Saints plan on running the ball this year. Especially since they haven't been running well as is.

For better or worse, Reggie Bush is going to take over the majority of the carries. Aaron Stecker will get an increased role, as will Pierre Thomas (who I believe will eventually usurp Stecker's role and vulture some carries from Bush). Some feel the team should go with a veteran -- Domanick Williams and Corey Dillon are still waiting to receive a phone call. But, for humor's sake, perhaps they should go looking for their new back in bridal shops and drum circles all across the land?

Yes, Ricky Williams is out there, looking for a way to get back into the league. If you remember before the comeback/don't-call-it-a-comeback drama and the millions of overdone weed jokes, Williams was a Saint. It was McAllister who made him expendable. And if there's anything that would make this season more head-scratching than the putrid start, it would be a trade for the player they traded after trading their entire draft for him. And it could happen -- there's only a handful of Saints that remain from the Williams days, with an entirely different front office and coaching staff, so the bad blood wouldn't quite be there.

Not that I'm saying this will, or should, happen -- I'd pull my hair out. Luckily, I think the Saints will divide all of McAllister's carries in-house. But it is a funny -- if not frightening -- possibility to consider, and stranger things have happened.